“You know that I disapproved of your marriage to Anna Maria,” the old man said. He refused to refer to her as Mary Ann, as she preferred to be called.

“Yes, I knew that.”

“I was, of course, upset that Anna Maria was pregnant, but my principal objection was that you were a policeman.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Dino said.

“However, as the years have passed I have come to respect your personal integrity. You would never allow me to use my influence to improve your position in the police department, though I could easily have done so, and you would never accept any gift from me, insisting that everything be in Anna Maria’s name. I realize now that you are being divorced, that works to your disadvantage.”

Dino shrugged. “All I want is shared custody of Benito,” he said.

“You will have that,” Eduardo said. “I do not approve of divorce, being a good Catholic, but I understand that people can come to a place in their lives where they can no longer live together, and I see little reason to deny them remarriage at some point. I once put that directly to the Pope, who was unhappy with me for a while, as a result.”

Dino thought that the Pope would have been at a disadvantage, arguing with Eduardo.

“You are aware, are you not, that Anna Maria has worked very hard at investing the money that came to her when she was twenty-one?”

“We never discussed that,” Dino said. “I told her I didn’t want to know.”

“I understand your position, but I assure you that the funds she started with came from entirely legitimate sources, and that that can be documented to the satisfaction of the New York Police Department or even the Internal Revenue Service.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Dino said.

“You have lived a long time in an unhappy marriage,” Eduardo said, “and the law entitles you to an equitable division of property.”

“I don’t want her property,” Dino said, though the thought of existing on a lieutenant’s salary and benefits did not thrill him.

“Anna Maria was able to do so well with her investments because you insisted on supporting her. That way, she could devote all her capital to making more.”

Dino shrugged.

“You are morally entitled to leave this marriage with more than you earn as a policeman,” Eduardo said, “so I have made certain arrangements.”

Dino said nothing but started in on the veal that had been placed before him.