Stone was disappointed. “Whatever you say.”

“That’s not why I called.”

“What’s up?”

“Gus Castiglione got shivved at Rikers today; he’s dead.”

“Oh, no, there goes most of your case. I mean, Herbie can testify to the kidnapping and the murder threat, but it was Gus who could really have put Dattila away, wasn’t it?”

“That isn’t all the news,” Dierdre said. “The two cops who were guarding Herbie at the hotel are both dead, small-caliber handgun, two each.”

“Oh, shit,” Stone said, dreading what might come next.

“One of the cops’ guns and the expense money in his pocket are missing.”

“And Herbie?”

“Herbie’s missing, too.”

51

Stone sat at Elaine’s, staring into his bourbon.

Dino sat down. “All right, what fresh disaster has visited you now?”

“A cascade of them,” Stone said. “First of all, Gus Castiglione got shivved at Rikers while on his way to the dining hall. You probably heard about that.”

“No. Although the NYPD’s grasp of technology is improving, I don’t yet get a daily e-mail about who got shivved at Rikers on his way to the dining hall. What else?”

“The two cops guarding Herbie at a hotel got capped, and Herbie’s missing.”

“All right, let’s start with Gus. I thought the D.A. had him on ice. What’s he doing going to the dining hall?”

“Nobody knows. He was supposed to eat in his cell, but the door was unlocked with all the rest, and he started for the dining hall.”

“That means Dattila has somebody inside who could work that.”

“Right.”

“With regard to Herbie, I thought he was in a safe hotel.”

“So did everybody else.”

“That means Dattila has somebody in the D.A.’s office, too. Jesus, New York law enforcement is turning into a sieve. You think Herbie’s dead?”

“Probably not. Why would they kidnap him again? Who would spend ten minutes with him who didn’t have to? Dattila’s already on tape saying he wants Herbie dead, so the hit man was obviously sent there to shoot him. Also, some expense money was missing from one of the cops’ pockets, and his gun was gone, too. That doesn’t sound like a pro.”

“So Herbie’s on the loose with some cash, and he’s armed. Has Bob Cantor heard from him?”

“Nope.”

“And Herbie hasn’t called you, either?”

“Nope. I don’t know if he even got out of the hotel with his cell phone. We had an arrangement where he’d call in every day. I hope he sticks to it.”

“Herbie has more lives than any three cats I know,” Dino said.

“Yeah. Gus’s death is a big blow, though. I thought Dierdre would send Dattila up for life, and that would bolster Herbie’s civil suit. Even if Herbie lives to testify, he can only nail Dattila for kidnapping and attempted murder.”