Taming a Seahorse [Paperback]

Spenser's interest in teenage prostitute April Kyle leads him to Robert Rambeaux, ersatz Juilliard student and April's pimp, and to Ginger Bucky, another of Rambeaux's hookers, who suddenly turns up dead.Robert B. Parkerwas the author of seventy books, including the legendary Spenser detective series, novels featuring Chief Jesse Stone, and the acclaimed Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch westerns, as well as the Sunny Randall novels. Winner of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award and long considered the undisputed dean of American crime fiction, Parker died in January 2010.1
 
I hadn’t had lunch with Patricia Utley since the last time the Red Sox won the pennant. That seems like another way to say never, but in fact it had been ten years. We were looking at the menu and sipping margaritas (on the rocks, salt) in a restaurant called Bogie’s on West 26th Street in Manhattan.
 
“Veal’s awfully good here,” Patricia said.
 
“So are the margaritas,” I said.
 
She smiled. “Margaritas are good everywhere.”
 
Ten years had made little impression on Patricia Utley. She was still small and blond and fine-boned. She still wore big black-rimmed round glasses. She still looked very good.
 
The waitress came and took our order and went away. She came back shortly with a second margarita for me. Patricia Utley still had most of hers left. It’s hard to make a margarita last and with each sip it becomes harder. I put my glass down, licked a little salt off my upper lip. No problem. I’d just leave it there a while and then I’d have another little sip.
 
“Have you found April yet?” I said.
 
“Steven has traced her to another call house on the West Side,” she said. “Ninety-sixth and Central Park West.” She gave me the address.
 
I turned the margarita glass slowly on the ls˜