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clients.”
    “You mean a trick.”
    “Well…yeah. That way, you could ask him questions about how it works, is it secure, how does he schedule dates, does he know many of the women. I can give you a list of questions if you want.”
    “Shanahan…” We were perfectly isolated in the hollow center of an airport din. There was no more private place to talk, yet he still checked around and leaned closer. “The reason I had to hire Harvey in the first place was because my ex accused me of hiding assets. Can you believe that shit? That’s all I need is for her to get wind that I’m out blowing the child support on hookers.”
    “I’m not asking you to take a survey. I’m asking you to talk to one guy in private, man to man, and see what he will share with you. If he tells you to mind your own business, so be it.”
    He shook his head, a distant smile on his lips. This wasn’t the first favor I’d asked of him. He always bitched and moaned, and he always came through for me.
    “I’m desperate here, Dan. If I can’t make this work, I don’t know what I’ll do. I might have to go back into the airline business for real and for good.”
    “The way this business is going, you wouldn’t want back in, anyway. It sucks. Besides, I don’t think anyone would hire you.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    He handed the photo back. “I’m just saying you’ve got a lot of baggage. With what happened when you were here and the way the rumors fly about you—”
    “What happened here is fully documented by the police, the airline, Massport, and everyone else who was involved for what it was—self-defense.”
    “You don’t have to tell me. I was here. But lots of people don’t read the fine print. They hear that an employee died on your ramp, and they move on to the next résumé.”
    I stared down at the picture in my lap and felt a wobble in my heartbeat. He wasn’t saying anything I hadn’t already thought myself, but it felt different hearing it from someone else. It was as if I’d looked down from the high wire, only to discover someone had made off with the safety net. That was all I needed. More pressure to perform.
    “Will you talk to him?”
    “I’ll look and see when he’s due to come through. If he’s not scheduled in, maybe I’ll give him a call.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Cheer up, Shanahan.” He looked over and nudged me with his elbow. “What’s the matter?”
    “If this doesn’t work, I’m not sure what I’ll do. I can’t get in tight with a single one of these hookers.”
    He laughed. “That’s because you don’t exactly look the part.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Not for nothing, but if I was a hooker, I wouldn’t be spilling all my secrets to you.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because you look like…like what you are.”
    “Which is?”
    “A…a manager. A…” He started talking with his hands, which is what he did when he couldn’t find the words, which was almost never. “A businesswoman. Someone who wears…suits. I don’t know. What I’m saying is I don’t look at you and think blow job.”
    “You think I can’t give a blow job?”
    “Did I say that? What I said was that you don’t look like a hooker, and if I was a hooker, you wouldn’t be the first person I would tell all my secrets to.”
    “Well, what…” I uncrossed and recrossed my legs. I clasped my hands together in my lap. “In your opinion, what would I have to change to be more like one?”
    “Everything.”
    “Start small.”
    He scanned the terminal. The good thing about airports is you can always find a type, an example of whatever you’re looking for.
    “There. See that girl? The blonde?”
    “Looking at magazines?”
    “Her. Yeah. What do you see when you look at her?”
    “Nice figure. Spiky heels, black roots, a skirt that’s too short. Attractive face, but more makeup than an anchorwoman wears. It looks kind of pancakey.”
    “Here’s what I see.” He sat up straight and trained his