She turned and looked at him. “No,” she said with a little smile. “But I certainly have no objection.”

Dino stood directly behind her. “Miss,” he said, “I’m a police officer. Please stand perfectly still.”

She looked over her shoulder. “What is this, a gang bang?”

“Let me see some ID,” Dino said.

Stone grabbed the bag before she could reach into it, then handed it to Dino, still looking into her eyes.

She looked back, with interest. “So, this is how the NYPD amuses itself in the evenings?”

“When the weather’s nice,” Stone said.

“What’s your name?” Dino asked, looking at the driver’s license in his hand.

“Donna Howe Baldwin,” she said.

“Social Security number?”

She recited it. “But you won’t find it on my license. They don’t do it that way in Florida.”

“Why do you carry a Florida driver’s license?” Dino asked.

“Because I live in Miami. My address is on the license.”

“Why are you in New York?”

“Because I heard what a lot of fun the police are here.”

Stone looked at Dino and shook his head. “It’s not Marie-Thérèse.”

“I could be, if you wanted me to,” the woman said. “Are we done here?”

“Yes,” Dino said, handing back her handbag. “I’m sorry to have detained you. We’re usually nicer to out-of-town visitors.”

“You still could be,” the woman said. “I’ve no objection to two dates. Who’s buying the drinks?”

“Perhaps another time,” Stone said.

She handed him a card. “I’m at the Plaza for two more days. Anytime at all.” She looked at Dino. “And be sure to bring your friend.” She continued walking uptown.

“Well,” Dino remarked, “I said you would be the one to get lucky.”

“Looks like we both did,” Stone said.

Dino went back across the street, and they continued their walk downtown, inspecting every woman they encountered. Once, Dino showed his badge and asked a woman for ID, then she continued uptown, apparently livid.

At Seventy-second Street, they met the four detectives coming the other way, and Dino’s car caught up with them.

“Why do I think she was going uptown?” Dino asked.

“Because she was walking away from the Four Seasons,” Stone replied.

“What’s uptown from Seventy-third?” Dino asked.

“A couple of hotels: the Westbury and the Carlyle.”

“It’s worth a try,” Dino said. “You four guys take the Westbury. Get the manager to give you a list of every single woman staying in the hotel and question every one of them who even remotely matches the description. Stone, you and I will take the Carlyle.” They got into Dino’s car and started uptown.

“This isn’t the worst idea you’ve ever had,” Stone said. “She’s got to be sleeping somewhere, and the Carlyle is about the last place you’d look.”