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“I guess. The Lock and Key Society is a bit like that, isn’t it? Secure location for whatever you need, no questions asked.”
Hawk took a sip of beer. “My building isn’t quite like that, it’s a safe analogy. Security is good in my building. Or used to be. I’m not sure how those men got in. I’m guessing through the garage but that would mean someone had to let them into the garage in the first place. You can’t access the garage unless you live in the building. The security guard at the entrance has to physically identify you, and there’s someone at the entry gate twenty-four hours a day.
“Do you think they bribed the guard?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. I know Jeff. He’s a good guy. He’s also ex-Secret Service like Ernie.”
“Ernie is ex-Secret Service? But he’s old.”
Hawk laughed. “Now. He wasn’t always. Neither was Jeff. They worked together in the bad old days. Both men are above reproach. Good people. They can’t be bought off. They do this so they can still serve in a way. A lot of VIPs reside in my building. Those two keep an eye out better than any security system.”
“But the guys got in so maybe not?”
Hawk frowned. “No. My guess is that someone in the building, a tenant, brought them into the garage in the trunk of their car. Someone who may or may not be a part of the Lock and Key Society.”
“Maybe. Or it could be someone with Asian gang affiliations,” she suggested.
He narrowed his eyes for a second. “That makes more sense. Most of the people in my building are older. We don’t have very many young people, and none would seem to be related to an Asian gang, but we have a few elderly gentlemen that I have often wondered about.”
She leaned forward again and propped her elbow on the table and her cheek on her palm. “What made you wonder about them?”
He paused. Did he admit the truth? Why not? He’d admitted everything else. “My gut. I just got a vibe off them. I’m pretty sure they are stone-cold killers, just dressed nicely with excellent manners. They’re older so they posed no threat to me, at least I didn’t think so, but now, I can see that they could have gang ties.”
“Old men with gang ties?”
“Asian gangs aren’t like the street gangs you’re thinking about. They do have that aspect to them, but the upper echelon is usually very successful businesspeople in their own right. They run legit businesses to cover their other stuff. The Triads out of Hong Kong are famous for it.”
“So, there are elderly Asian men in your building that you think could possibly have helped these men get in?”
“There are, but at this point, I’m only speculating. It could have been anyone really. Who knows? I think, though, that this is a lesson for us. We can’t trust very many people. Unless we know them very well, I think we just keep our heads down and don’t say anything.”
The TV that was above the bar suddenly blared out a harsh, grating voice. Austin Davis. He was being interviewed by some talk show host. He set Hawk’s teeth on edge.
“I can’t stand him,” Remy said, nodding toward the TV.
“Me either. He’s the worst kind of asshole. Smart enough to know better but mean enough to not give a shit. He’s a master at manipulating people for his own gain. He’s greedy about everything. He’s the type of guy who isn’t content to just win. He wants all the marbles.”
“Hey, Remy,” Gus called out as he walked across the room.
Hawk looked at the older gentleman and smiled, offering him a greeting. As he watched the man get settled across from Remy in the booth, he tapped into his sixth sense and waited to see if it pinged. Nothing. Gus seemed to be a nice elderly gentleman with no ulterior motives. Hawk wanted to believe that. Wanted to trust his gut, but at the same time, he needed to make sure that Remy was safe, so his plan was to give Gus only minimum information. Besides, if the old man knew too much, it might put him in danger. They might come after Gus and kill him if he couldn’t provide them with the location of the token. And once again, Hawk was in the position of worrying that someone would die if his instinct failed. That was a sobering thought.
CHAPTERTEN
“Thanks for meeting us, Gus,” Remy said. She studied the older man’s face. He looked tired. He’d aged since her grandfather had passed away, but so had she in a way. Somehow, Gus had seemed to shrink into himself a bit. Never a robust man, now he seemed physically smaller. He’d helped her out at the store a few times like he used to help her grandfather. Kept him going, or so he said. But in light of everything she’d learned today, she wondered.
“How are your kids and grandkids, Gus?” she asked. It had been a while since he’d talked about them.
He smiled. “They’re doing well.” He turned to Hawk. “They’re all out in California. I see them a couple times a year.”
Remy tipped her chin toward Gus. “I keep telling him to move out there with them. New York in the winter is too damn cold. His family lives in San Diego. He could be warm all year round.”
Gus laughed. “Can you see me in San Diego all year? I’ve been a New Yorker all my life, and I’m not gonna stop now.”
She glanced at her grandfather’s best friend. She’d always thought Gus had stayed because her grandfather was here. The two of them were almost closer than brothers. They were family. Their wives had been close like that, too. Now, Gus was the last man standing. It made her sad to think about that. It must make him sad as well. Maybe it was time to push him to go, especially now.
Hawk waved over the waitress.
“What can I get you?” the blond Siobhan said when she came to the table.
