“What’s the matter with you?” Dino asked.

“She was in the chopper,” Stone said to Dino. He turned to Carpenter. “Who was the shooter? Mason?”

“Mason was the best shot in the Royal Marines, a few years back,” she replied. “He keeps his hand in.”

“But you were calling the shot, weren’t you?”

“No, Sir Edward did that, when he took off his hat. I called it off.”

“But you wouldn’t have, if Dino hadn’t been there, would you?”

“If Dino and you hadn’t been there. That was very clever of you.”

“I knew it was the only way I could keep her alive.”

“It was.”

“Well, I’ve learned something from this experience,” Stone said.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Never trust an English gentleman, or an English gentlelady, for that matter.”

“It’s like they say in your Mafia,” she replied. “It wasn’t personal, it was business.”

“Forgive me if I take it personally.”

“That’s up to you.”

“Stone and I take a different view of this,” Dino said. “I understand your position. I may even have some sympathy for it.”

“Thank you,” Carpenter replied. “It’s nice to get a little understanding from somebody.”

Stone picked up a menu. “Anybody want some dinner?”

“I’m starved,” Carpenter said. “I’ll have whatever Dino’s having.”

“Smart girl,” Dino said. “We’ll try the osso buco,” he told the waiter.

“Same here,” Stone said, “and tell Barry to make it with polenta, instead of pasta. And bring us a bottle of the Amarone.”

“Why do you prefer the polenta to the pasta?” Carpenter asked.

“My necktie prefers it,” Stone replied.

“Tuck your napkin into your collar, the English way.”

“I intend to, even with the polenta.”

“So,” Dino said, “what are your plans now, Felicity?”

“Oh, I may stick around New York for a while. It’s time I got back to the work I came here to do, before La Biche so rudely interrupted it.”

“And what work was that?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you, Dino.”

“She’s afraid the NYPD might interfere,” Stone said. “During the past few days Carpenter and her people have broken more New York laws than a Mafia family.”

“Well, as long as they don’t do it in the Nineteenth Precinct, and frighten the patrol cars.”

Elaine came and sat down. “So?”

Stone shrugged.

“It’s a pity you weren’t here a minute ago,” Dino said to her. “You missed Stone’s display of moral outrage.”

“Yeah? We don’t get a lot of that around here, except when the Yankees or the Knicks lose.”

Their dinner came, and Elaine moved on to another table.

“This is delicious,” Carpenter said.

“The best in New York,” Dino replied. “Better than I’ve had in Italy, come to think of it.”

Stone ate half his dinner and stopped.