Free Chasing the Bear by Robert B. Parker Page B

three of them looked hard at Aurelio. But nobody spoke to him. I could feel Aurelio trying to shrink into the brick wall.
    “How ya doin’, Spenser?” Carl said.
    “Good,” I said.
    “Hey, babe,” Turk said.
    Jeannie ignored him.
    “This here is Leo Roemer,” Carl said.
    “Leo,” I said.
    He nodded. He looked at Jeannie.
    “Who’s this?” he said.
    “I’m Jeannie,” she said.
    Leo nodded.
    “Not bad,” he said.
    “Gee, thanks,” Jeannie said. “You’re pretty cute yourself.”
    “Maybe someday I’ll show you how cute I am,” Leo said.
    “Maybe,” Jeannie said. “Maybe not.”
    “You go to school here?” I said.
    “I don’t go to school nowhere,” Leo said. “I dumped it after the eighth grade.”
    “Lucky you,” I said.
    “It’s all crap anyway,” he said.
    I nodded.
    “Leo’s gonna help us with the spicks,” Carl said.
    I nodded.
    “And we gotta know where you stand,” Carl said.
    “Stand about what?” I said.
    “You with us against the spicks or you with them?” Turk said.
    “I’m just looking out for Aurelio,” I said.
    “They beat up Sal Dusack,” Turk said.
    “Probably getting even,” I said.
    “Hey,” Leo said. “You with us or not?”
    “Whaddya do, Leo?” I said. “Now that you’re not in school.”
    “I work with my old man,” he said.
    “What did you say your last name was?”
    “Roemer,” he said. “What do you care?”
    “Roemer Construction?”
    “Yeah, whaddya know about it?”
    “My father is Sam Spenser,” I said. “He and my uncles do a lot of work with your father.”
    “Yeah? Well, I don’t care,” Leo said. “I want to know where you stand.”
    “You know any of them?” I said.
    “I don’t work with the subcontractors,” Leo said. “You with us or against us?”
    “How about neither?” I said.
    “We don’t like ‘neither,’ ” Leo said.
    He looked around at Carl and Turk.
    “Do we?” he said.
    “No,” Carl said.
    “Come on, Spenser,” Turk said. “You known us all your life.”
    “How can you side with them?” Carl said.
    “I’m not siding with them,” I said. “And I’m not siding with you.”
    “You’re American,” Turk said. “Like us.”
    “I might not be exactly like you,” I said.
    “Aw, screw him,” Leo said to Carl and Turk. “He’s yellow. He won’t even fight for his own kind.”
    My father always said there was no point in arguing about crap; when you got all through, the argument was still gonna be crap.
    I made no comment.
    The three of them turned away.
    “Better watch yourself, Spenser,” Leo said.
    Turk looked back at me and shook his head. I shrugged at him. And they walked off.

Chapter 40
    “What’s going to happen?” Aurelio said.
    “Don’t know,” I said.
    “I think there’s going to be a big fight,” Jeannie said.
    “Do you think so?” Aurelio said to me.
    “I don’t know,” I said.
    “I don’t like that Leo,” Jeannie said.
    “What’s going to happen?” Aurelio asked. “If everybody starts fighting, you can’t protect me from all of them.”
    “They might not be so interested in you alone,” I said.
    “But you’ll stay with me?” Aurelio said.
    “Yes.”
    “I don’t like that Leo,” Jeannie said again.
    “No,” I said. “I don’t like him either.”
    “How old do you think he is?” Jeannie said.
    “Sixteen,” I said. “Seventeen.”
    “You think he really works for his father?” Jeannie said.
    “He didn’t know my father and my uncles. If he did much in the business, he’d know them. They do a lot of work for Roemer.”
    “I bet he just hangs around the office,” Jeannie said.
    “Could be,” I said.
    “I’m scared about all this,” Jeannie said.
    “I don’t like it much either,” I said.
    “Are you scared?” Aurelio said.
    “Some,” I said.
    “But you’ll stick with me?” Aurelio said.
    “I will.”
    “What are you scared of most?” Jeannie asked me.
    “It’s gotten awful big,” I said. “And . . . I