enough.”
“Not in a court of law. A good defense attorney would call your perspicaciousness into question. He’d say you
wanted
to see a .45 Glock in the man’s hand, therefore you
thought
you saw it.”
“My perspifuckingcaciousness is just fine, thank you. I remind you that I’m a veteran police officer.”
“You
were
a veteran police officer. The clock goes back to zero when you retire.”
“Well, then, I’m a veteran
former
police officer.”
“I don’t have time to mince words with you, I have thirty-six thousand, six hundred police officers to command.”
“Mince
this
!” Stone shouted into the phone, but it was too late; Dino had already hung up.
Joan was standing in the doorway, leaning against the jamb. “You seem a little on edge,” she said.
“I’m just fine.”
“No, you’re steaming—even Bob noticed.” She nodded toward the dog, who was sitting next to Stone’s desk, staring anxiously at him.
“Bob, I’m just fine,” he said.
“Bob’s not buying it,” Joan said. “Why don’t you get out of town for a while, until they pick up this guy.”
“Where would you like me to go?”
“Pick something from your extensive list of real estate holdings,” she said, “and go.”
“I just got back,” Stone pointed out.
“That’s no excuse.”
“You’re just trying to get rid of me.”
“Nope, Harvey Biggers is trying to get rid of you.”
“He’s not smart enough to get rid of me.”
“He doesn’t have to be smart, he just has to be lucky.”
“Arguing with you is like arguing with Dino.”
She brightened. “Thank you very much.”
“It wasn’t meant as a compliment.”
“I knew that, but I liked it anyway.”
Stone leaned on his elbows and put his face in his hands. Bob walked over and rested his chin on Stone’s knee, slowly wagging his tail.
“Bob and I think you should get out of town,” Joan said. The phone rang, and she picked up the one on Stone’s desk. “The Barrington Practice,” she said, “or Woodman & Weld, take your pick.”
Stone made a groaning noise.
“Well, hi there, how are you?” Joan said, brightening. “He’s right here.” She handed Stone the phone. “It’s Ed Eagle, calling from Santa Fe.”
“You’re just saying that to cheer me up,” Stone said, taking the phone from her.
18
S tone was genuinely glad to hear from Ed Eagle. “Ed, how are you?”
“Better than middling, I guess. How about you?”
“Not too bad.”
“You very busy these days?”
“No, I spent some time in England and just got back a couple of weeks ago.”
“I have an invitation for you.”
“I accept.”
“Hang on, let me finish. Susannah is having a birthday, and I’m throwing a party for her.”
“I accept.”
“It’s in Santa Fe this weekend.”
“I accept. Which birthday?”
“Don’t ask. How soon can you get your ass out here?”
“Is tomorrow too soon?”
“Certainly not. What are you flying these days?”
“A Citation CJ3 Plus.”
“Then you can do it nonstop?”
“As long as there isn’t a two-hundred-knot headwind.”
“See you late tomorrow afternoon, then?”
“Perfect.”
“Don’t rent a car, I’ll loan you one. It’ll be at the airport.”
“Great.”
“And there’s something I want to show you.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ll see.”
“By the way, I have a houseguest named Bob. May I bring him along?”
“Sure, as long as you don’t mind sleeping in the same bed. We’ve got a full house.”
“No problem, Bob can sleep on the floor.”
“Stone, is there something you want to tell me?”
“Lots of things, but not now.”
“By the way, when you get to the airport, read the instructions in the manual before you start the car.”
“I know how to start a car, Ed.”
“Trust me—read the instructions.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Can you find your way to the house sober?”
“I can.”
“Then we’ll see you tomorrow. Drinks are at six.”
“I’ll
“Not in a court of law. A good defense attorney would call your perspicaciousness into question. He’d say you
wanted
to see a .45 Glock in the man’s hand, therefore you
thought
you saw it.”
“My perspifuckingcaciousness is just fine, thank you. I remind you that I’m a veteran police officer.”
“You
were
a veteran police officer. The clock goes back to zero when you retire.”
“Well, then, I’m a veteran
former
police officer.”
“I don’t have time to mince words with you, I have thirty-six thousand, six hundred police officers to command.”
“Mince
this
!” Stone shouted into the phone, but it was too late; Dino had already hung up.
Joan was standing in the doorway, leaning against the jamb. “You seem a little on edge,” she said.
“I’m just fine.”
“No, you’re steaming—even Bob noticed.” She nodded toward the dog, who was sitting next to Stone’s desk, staring anxiously at him.
“Bob, I’m just fine,” he said.
“Bob’s not buying it,” Joan said. “Why don’t you get out of town for a while, until they pick up this guy.”
“Where would you like me to go?”
“Pick something from your extensive list of real estate holdings,” she said, “and go.”
“I just got back,” Stone pointed out.
“That’s no excuse.”
“You’re just trying to get rid of me.”
“Nope, Harvey Biggers is trying to get rid of you.”
“He’s not smart enough to get rid of me.”
“He doesn’t have to be smart, he just has to be lucky.”
“Arguing with you is like arguing with Dino.”
She brightened. “Thank you very much.”
“It wasn’t meant as a compliment.”
“I knew that, but I liked it anyway.”
Stone leaned on his elbows and put his face in his hands. Bob walked over and rested his chin on Stone’s knee, slowly wagging his tail.
“Bob and I think you should get out of town,” Joan said. The phone rang, and she picked up the one on Stone’s desk. “The Barrington Practice,” she said, “or Woodman & Weld, take your pick.”
Stone made a groaning noise.
“Well, hi there, how are you?” Joan said, brightening. “He’s right here.” She handed Stone the phone. “It’s Ed Eagle, calling from Santa Fe.”
“You’re just saying that to cheer me up,” Stone said, taking the phone from her.
18
S tone was genuinely glad to hear from Ed Eagle. “Ed, how are you?”
“Better than middling, I guess. How about you?”
“Not too bad.”
“You very busy these days?”
“No, I spent some time in England and just got back a couple of weeks ago.”
“I have an invitation for you.”
“I accept.”
“Hang on, let me finish. Susannah is having a birthday, and I’m throwing a party for her.”
“I accept.”
“It’s in Santa Fe this weekend.”
“I accept. Which birthday?”
“Don’t ask. How soon can you get your ass out here?”
“Is tomorrow too soon?”
“Certainly not. What are you flying these days?”
“A Citation CJ3 Plus.”
“Then you can do it nonstop?”
“As long as there isn’t a two-hundred-knot headwind.”
“See you late tomorrow afternoon, then?”
“Perfect.”
“Don’t rent a car, I’ll loan you one. It’ll be at the airport.”
“Great.”
“And there’s something I want to show you.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ll see.”
“By the way, I have a houseguest named Bob. May I bring him along?”
“Sure, as long as you don’t mind sleeping in the same bed. We’ve got a full house.”
“No problem, Bob can sleep on the floor.”
“Stone, is there something you want to tell me?”
“Lots of things, but not now.”
“By the way, when you get to the airport, read the instructions in the manual before you start the car.”
“I know how to start a car, Ed.”
“Trust me—read the instructions.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Can you find your way to the house sober?”
“I can.”
“Then we’ll see you tomorrow. Drinks are at six.”
“I’ll
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