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〃Hell； no。 Just get her address and place of employment so I can write a memo on it to Brownley。 We'll attach the Xeroxes to it； and the case is closed。〃
〃I can give you the address now。〃
Hoke wrote the information Ellita gave him on a yellow legal pad。
〃You did a good job； Ellita。 You know I can't give you any overtime； but if you put in a voucher for mileage up there and back； I'll sign it。 Did you have lunch yet？〃
〃We ate at the Spotlight Café； where Mary works。〃
〃Okay。 Add your lunch receipt to the mileage； and I'll reimburse you for lunch on the voucher； too。 See you back at the hotel。〃
Hoke chopped up the onion and added it to the three cans of beef stew simmering in the pot on his hot plate。 He set the switch to Low…Low and sniffed the aroma。 This was one of Hoke's favorite meals。 The girls would enjoy it。
Ellita and the girls didn't ask for seconds； however； when they ate dinner。 Hoke told them they could reheat the stew for lunch the next day。 While they ate； Ellita retold the story about Mary Rollins and showed Hoke the birth certificate and driver's license。
〃Has she got a new license under a new name？〃
〃She doesn't have a car； and she didn't change her last name。 She just calls herself Candi now； with an i and no e。 She's got a little nameplate on her uniform。 She was pretty happy when I told her…convinced her； rather…that we wouldn't tell her mother where she was living。 She showed me a photo of her boyfriend。 He's about fifty； and he's got a gut out to here。〃 Ellita made a circle with her hands to demonstrate and burst into tears。
〃What's the matter； Ellita？〃 Sue Ellen said。
〃Nothing。〃 Ellita wiped her eyes with the back of her hand。 〃I've got to wash my hair。〃 As she got up from the table to go to her room； Hoke's phone rang。
Hoke picked it up and gestured for Sue Ellen and Aileen to stay seated and not follow Ellita to her room。
〃Tony Otero's down here； Sergeant Moseley。〃 It was Eddie Cohen。 〃He wants to talk to your daughter Sue Ellen。 Shall I send him up； or does she want to e down here？〃
〃Tell him to wait at the desk。 I'll be right down。〃
Hoke hung up the phone。 He told the girls to clear the card table； fold it up again； and put things away。 〃I'll be back in a few minutes； and then we'll have a little talk。〃
Tony Otero； wearing a white linen suit； white shoes； and a red silk necktie； smiled at Hoke and shook hands with him when Hoke met him in the lobby。 When Tony smiled； Hoke noticed a dark line above Tony's four upper front teeth。 He realized that the little boxer was wearing an upper plate。 He hadn't noticed it when Bill Henderson had introduced him to the lightweight a few weeks ago。
〃Let's sit over here； Tony。〃 Hoke gripped the boxer's elbow with a thumb and two fingers and led him over to a tattered divan in the lobby； away from the desk。 The divan was well separated from the old ladies watching the TV set on the wall。
Tony was looking past Hoke's shoulder； toward the elevators。
〃Sue Ellen won't be ing down； Tony。 What gave you the idea you could talk to my daughter？〃
〃I was going to ask her out to dinner。 Take her out for a steak maybe。〃
Hoke shook his head。 〃How old are you； Tony？〃
〃Twenty…four。〃
〃D'you know how old Sue Ellen is？〃
〃Seventeen； she told me。〃
〃She's sixteen。 Just barely sixteen； hardly going on seventeen。〃
〃Sixteen？ Seventeen？〃 Tony shrugged。 〃What's the difference？ I was just going to ask her out to dinner； no shit。〃
〃Why？〃
〃She's a pretty girl； and I got nothing else to do tonight。 I just thought that…oh； I see！ You think I…〃 Tony laughed。 〃No； Sergeant； I'm not wanting to screw the girl； no shit。 I'm in training； you know。 I won't be able to do nothin' like that till after the fight next month。 My manager'd kill me； no shit。〃
〃But after the fight you'd make your move； right？〃
〃After the fight； I go back to Cleveland。〃
〃Do you know what 'propinquity' means； Tony？〃
〃Pro…propinquity？ Sure； I'm a pro。 I been fightin' five years now； man。 I'm number twenty…two in Ring magazine； no shit。 Number twenty…two。〃
〃Not pro。 Propinquity。 It's a word。 And what it means is close together。 Two people； in propinquity； eventually get married； you see。 If there's no propinquity； there's no marriage。 So if you only have propinquity with someone you'd be willing to marry； you'll never make a bad marriage。〃
〃I don't want to get married； man。 I been married； but I'm not married now； no shit。〃
〃I know you don't want to get married again； Tony。 That's why I can't allow any propinquity between you and Sue Ellen。 Sue Ellen's only allowed to go out with a man who'd be a suitable husband for her； and no one else。 Because； you see； without propinquity there can be no marriage。 So inasmuch as you don't want to marry Sue Ellen； and she doesn't want to marry you； you can't take her out to dinner。 Or talk to her down in the lobby here； or ever see her again。 Get my meaning？〃
〃Well； I don't want to get married； no shit。 I got a Jaguar out in the lot； man。 I can always find a girl to take to dinner； no shit。 Just tell her I stopped by to say hello。〃
Tony got to his feet； and so did Hoke。
〃No； I won't tell her that； either。 If I did； she might get the wrong idea； that you were trying to develop some propinquity。 The best thing for you to do is to get into your Jaguar； drive away； and forget all about Sue Ellen。〃
Tony threw his shoulders back and looked around the shabby lobby。 〃This place is a dump； Sergeant Moseley； no shit。 I got to get going。〃
〃Good luck on the fight。〃
〃I don't need no luck； no shit。 I'll put that Filipino away in the third round。〃
Hoke held out his hand。 Tony Otero ignored it and walked stiff…backed to the double doors without looking back。
Hoke took Sue Ellen and Aileen up to the roof。 He took three webbed chairs off the stack and arranged them on the duckboards so that he could face the girls as he talked with them。 Hoke had the view across the bay to the city； and the girls； looking past him； saw the steel elevator door。 It was hot on the roof； but a damp wind from the Atlantic； gusting occasionally； made it bearable。 The girls had changed back into their shorts and T…shirts。 They had never been out of Florida； and they paid no attention to the heat； but Hoke was perspiring beneath the arms of his clean sport shirt。 His face was oily with sweat； and he cleared the perspiration off his forehead with a sweeping forefinger。
A Chalk's Airline amphibian； ing in for a landing on the water； was almost level with the roof of the hotel。 As the three of them turned to watch the plane； it honked its horn three times。
〃Did you hear the goose honk？〃 Hoke said。
The girls nodded。 〃I thought I did；〃 Aileen said。
〃The pilot always does that to alert the ground crew on Watson Island that it's ing in for a landing。 The last time I came in from Bimini there was a nervous guy aboard。 When it honked three times； he said； 'Why'd it do that？' I told him that the pilot was honking for the bridge tender to open the bridge； and the guy almost crapped his pants。〃
The girls giggled。 〃That's for boats；〃 Sue Ellen said。 〃They have to blow a horn three times to get the br