“Gee, thanks.”

“All right, I’ll do that,” Herbie said.

“Just remember,” Stone said, “a gun is of no use to you unless you can put your hand on it in a hurry. Get yourself a nice holster, too. A dresser drawer isn’t close enough.”

“That’s good advice.”

“Yeah,” Dino said, “even Stone gives good advice once in a great while. When it agrees with mine.”

“Listen, fellas,” Herbie said, “if anything bad happens to me, it won’t be an accident. Please remember that.”

Stone and Dino exchanged glances.

“Sure, kid,” Dino said, “we’ll mention it at your funeral.”

52

SHELLEY BACH leafed through the New York Post. She was bored, horny, and getting annoyed about it. Then a name leapt out at her:

DETECTIVES BACCHETTI & MAHON

WITNESS MURDERER’S SUICIDE

Shelley read the account of Abney’s demise avidly. She had tried to put Dino out of her mind, but now he was back, and in a good way. She let her mind roam back to their time in the suite at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, then she reached for her vibrator. Batteries dead. She threw it across the room, got out of bed, and ran a hot tub. She needed to relax.

LATER, FRESH, with her hair done, she surveyed her new image in the mirror once again. Such a difference! Dino wouldn’t know her from Eve, but he would like her, she was sure of that. She had an idea but dismissed it—too dangerous—then she thought again. She found her prepaid cell phone and called the 19th Precinct. “Lieutenant Bacchetti,” she said to the sergeant who answered.

“Bacchetti.”

“Hi, Dino,” she said in a low voice.

There was a silence, then, “Shelley?”

“I saw the write-up in the Post,” she said. “Good work.”

“Can you hang on just a moment, please?” He put her on hold.

Damn, she thought. He’s tracing the call. She glanced at the second hand on her wristwatch. She’d give him sixty seconds of her time.

“I’m back,” he said. “Where are you?”

“Oh, I’m at an available distance,” she said. “Why don’t we meet this evening for a drink?”

“Okay,” Dino replied. “Where and when?”

“How about Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle, ten o’clock? That close enough to your bedtime?”

“See you there,” Dino said.

She hung up and made another call, this one to an escort service.

DINO WENT to his office door and shouted, “Any luck?”

Rosie stood up in her cubicle. “Nope, not long enough.”

“Shit! Come in here, Rosie.” He went back to his desk.

Rosie came in and sat down. “What’s up, boss? Who was on the call?”

“When’s Viv getting out?”

“Tomorrow, if she doesn’t have a temperature. They held her an extra day because of that.”

Dino felt the wrestling match between his duty and his dick. “It would be nice to have this cleared up by then,” he said.

“Have what cleared up? The phone call? Who was it from?”

“You ever heard of an FBI assistant director named Shelley Bach?”