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Davis shook his head and hurried toward a staircase that presumably took him up to the bedroom.

Hawk feinted left, as if to move around Armstrong, but the other man grabbed his arm.

Hawk immediately drew his arm back and let loose with a hard right to Armstrong’s jaw.

The man dropped like a stone. He was out cold.

Davis stood there staring at Hawk as he started forward. “I’ll have to call you back,” Davis said into the phone and hung up.

“Wise choice,” Hawk offered.

“Archer Gray is not going to be pleased when he hears one of his people is going around threatening me and hitting my assistant.” Davis gave Hawk a smug smile. “Shall I call and tell him?”

“Archer knows I’m here.” Hawk’s tone was cold, and it quickly chased the smile from Davis’s face as well as the blood.

Davis became pale. “The President said?—”

“Not to kill you,” Hawk interrupted. “But he said nothing about maiming or causing grievous bodily harm.”

“Now, wait just a minute,” Davis said, his face flushing. “You can’t come in here and threaten me. I’ll call hotel security.”

“Go for it. They won’t respond. My former boss owns this hotel. I just met him in the lobby downstairs. He said he’d do me a solid and look the other way… so, we’re on our own up here.” It was Hawk’s turn to smile smugly.

Davis suddenly reached under his blazer as if going for a gun. Hawk was on him in two steps and had him face down on the carpet two seconds after that, with one hand wrenched behind his back. “You think you’re going to threaten me with a gun? Big fucking mistake.”

“Okay, okay,” Davis yelled. “You’re hurting me.”

“I don’t give a shit.”

“What do you want? Why are you here?” Davis tried again.

“You willing to deal?”

“I don’t know what you want.”

Armstrong groaned and sat up. He leaned on the chair and then lifted his head. “Hey. You can’t do that.”

“Shut up,” Hawk commented. “You need to go and fix your face. You’re bleeding all over the place.” And he was. Hawk had cut the man’s jaw with his punch, and now blood was running down his face onto his clothing. “You want to watch it. The hotel will charge you if you get blood on the carpet.”

Hawk leaned over Davis. “Now I’m going to let you up, and you’re going to sit on the couch and tell me what I want to know. You can fight it, but personally, I don’t mind making you suffer.”

Davis grunted as Hawk searched him for weapons and pulled out a small handgun from under the other man’s blazer. “You try anything, and I will enjoy making it hurt,” Hawk reminded him as he let the other man go.

Davis climbed to his feet and straightened his clothing. He glared at Hawk but went over and sat down on the couch. “Go clean yourself up,” he snarled to his assistant.

The other man got unsteadily to his feet and teetered off up the stairs.

“Now,” Hawk said. “You are going to tell me why you called the D.A.’s office and told them Gage Callahan broke into the Met.”

Davis stared at him, mouth hanging open. He shook himself. “That’s what this is about?” he asked incredulously. “A phone call to the D.A.’s office?”

“Yes,” Hawk retorted, trying to keep his cool. This man made his skin crawl. He wanted nothing more than to snap his neck for killing Remy’s grandfather. Among his assorted other offenses.

Davis let out a bark of laughter and sat back more comfortably on the couch. “Well, now, why is that so important to you?”

“Davis, I’m only going to remind you this one time that I’m asking the questions. You are answering them. If you don’t do so quickly, I will be forced to inflict pain on you… and believe me when I tell you I will enjoy it immensely.”

Davis frowned and lost his bravado. “Fine,” he snarled. “Yes, I called the D.A. and told him a Callahan had broken into the Met.”

“Why?” Hawk demanded.

“It was a favor to a friend.”

“Who was the friend? I thought you didn’t have many of those left after word got around about you in D.C.”

Davis’s face turned a ruddy color, and he swore under his breath.

Hawk, who was standing over the other man, crossed his arms over his chest and glared. “I’m waiting.”

“Teddy.”

“Teddy who?”

Davis seemed to be fighting some kind of internal war when he finally blurted out, “Teddy B.”

“This is not cute.” He dug his fingers deep into the man’s shoulders, satisfied when Davis tried to shift away. He pressed harder, knowing Davis’s arm had to be getting numb. “What does the B stand for?” Hawk growled. His patience was wearing thin.

“Bettincourt. Theodore Bettincourt.”

Hawk narrowed his eyes at Davis. “Did this Teddy Bettincourt tell you why he wanted you to make the call?”

“He said that he had information that it was Callahan. He showed me the pictures. It looked like Callahan. He asked me to make the call because if it came from me, it would have more clout.”

“I see,” Hawk said, but he really didn’t see. “Who exactly is Teddy Bettincourt?”

Davis sighed. “Teddy B is some sort of British aristocrat. His family owns an estate in England. He made his money with some hedge fund. He’s well connected.”

Hawk was starting to get the picture. Teddy B had connections, and he asked a favor of Davis, who would have leapt at the chance.

Then Teddy B would owe him, and Davis would no doubt collect in a way that would benefit him greatly.

But why ask in the first place? Why keep his name out of it?

Those were questions for someone else to answer.

“What else did you give the D.A., besides just calling and telling them it was Gage?”

“Teddy B gave me pictures and a video, which I forwarded to the D.A.”

“Did you also call the judge to get the warrant?” Hawk wanted to know just how much Davis was willing to do for this Teddy B guy.

“No, he said he had someone else for that.”

“Is there anything else you want to tell me about this? Anything at all? Because if I find out you were holding out on me, it won’t go well for you. Not well at all.” He tightened his grip on Davis’s shoulder again.

Davis glared. “Nothing. I made the call. Sent the pictures and video, and that was it.”

Hawk released his pressure hold, then turned and started toward the door. “Keep your nose out of this from this point on, or I’ll find you. Make sure you find me if Teddy B asks for anything else.” He turned and locked eyes with Davis. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Davis said through clenched teeth as he massaged the spot between his neck and shoulder.

“Good then.” Hawk turned and left the suite.

He called Lacy on the way down to the lobby and filled her in.

Then he called Drake and did the same. It was all he could do, and he hoped it helped.

A chill swept across his skin. Whatever this was, somehow he had a feeling it was a lot more than some missing ugly statue. A lot more.