“I thought about shooting him, but that seemed a bit drastic.”

“Not to me.” She didn’t say anything for a while. “Did you tell him about the DeLucas?”

“No. That’s up to you, but he’s going to know sooner or later.”

“That bastard.”

“Stay focused on DeLuca. We can talk to Peter. We can find a way to work it out.”

She said, “Oh, that’s shit,” and then she hung up. She didn’t sound as thrilled as Peter had said she’d be, but maybe that was just me.

When I got to the Ho Jo it was four minutes after three that afternoon, bright and clear and smelling of autumn. Karen Lloyd and Joe Pike were sitting at a table in the front of the bar. Karen was wearing a maple pants suit and pale red lip gloss and she seemed calm and contained, but it was the kind of calm you feel in a hospital waiting room. This early, they were the only two people in the bar.

Karen said, “Where is he?”

“A few minutes behind me. Did you meet Charlie?”

She gave me annoyed. “No. I said that I wouldn’t, didn’t I?” She was holding a tall glass with something clear in it. “I don’t want to talk about that. All I can think about is Toby. I’ll have to sit down with him tonight. I’ll have to tell him about his father. It’s all happening so fast.” She made a little head shake and had some of the drink.

“You may not want to talk about Charlie, but we need to. He’s your more serious problem.”

“It doesn’t feel that way.”

“It will.” I told her about Walter Lee Balcom and Angelette Silver. “Did Charlie call to find out why you didn’t show up?”

“No.”

“Did anyone who looked suspicious come into the bank, or watch you from a car, or follow you?”

“Of course not.”

I looked at Pike. He shook his head.

Karen said, “You were watching?”

Pike nodded.

Even more annoyed. “I didn’t see you. I didn’t know you were spying.”

Pike made a little head shrug.

Karen tapped at the table, then took more of the drink. Not a happy lady. Feeling the control slip away, but trying to make the best of it. “All right. But I would think that your going to see Charlie and my standing up to him finally convinced him that I’m serious.”

Pike said, “It’s not over.”

Karen frowned at him. “He can’t want to make a stink about this any more than I. If I get in trouble, he gets in trouble. Isn’t that right?”

I said, “Guys like Charlie don’t let it go.”