Stuart Woods - Fresh Disasters

“No, you wouldn’t. That’s why I wasn’t too surprised when I ran his name, and he had an arrest for car theft when he was nineteen, no conviction.”

“Celia was right about the guy; I should have listened to her. What’s his address?”

“What, you’re going down there?”

“No, Dino. What’s the address?”

Dino wrote it on a slip of paper and put it on the bedside table. “You up for dinner this evening?”

“As long as the pills last.”

“See you then.” He walked out of the room.

Stone sat and stewed for a few minutes, then he called Bob Cantor.

“Cantor.”

“You’re back.”

“How’d you guess?”

“Have you heard from Herbie?”

“No.”

“I took him to Finger’s law office for a deposition yesterday, stashed him in an office, and he ran the moment I left him alone. Dattila’s two goons may have followed him out.”

“Uh-oh. Did he say where they had held him the first time?”

“Herbie said an attic, downtown. Probably someplace near Dattila’s coffeehouse, near a subway station.”

“I’ll do a missing persons report and get them looking for him again.”

“Another thing: Herbie said that before he jumped out the window, Dattila showed up and told Cheech and Gus-that’s the two guys who dragged him out of Elaine’s-to kill him slowly.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“It sounds like we should find him soon, but I’m laid up in bed today. I was hit by a car yesterday.”

“An accident?”

“Nope, and I want to talk to you about that.”

“Who done it?”

“A guy named Devlin Daltry, a sculptor, who lives at…” He looked at the paper on the bedside table and gave Cantor the address.

“You’re sure he’s the guy?”

“Yes.”

“Is he going to be arrested?”

“No. He has an alibi from two retired cops, no names.”

“You want something to happen to him?”

“Yes, but the two cops may be hanging around him as bodyguards.”

“You care what happens to them?”

“Let’s not spread this around. I’d like Daltry found alone and pain inflicted upon him, but not anything even nearly like death.”

“Any message you want delivered?”

“The pain will be the message. Oh, and I want his left wrist broken.”

“That’s an odd request.”

“It’s what he did to me.”

“I know somebody who can handle this discreetly.”

“I thought you would.”

“When?”

“I’ll be at Elaine’s this evening with Dino, from about eight-thirty.”

“I’ll see what can be done.”

“If it’s not done this evening, call me beforehand, so I can have an alibi.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks, Bob. I hope Herbie gets found before…”

“Yeah.” Cantor hung up.

“Before he’s too dead,” Stone said to himself.

Stone was finishing his lunch when Joan buzzed. “Eliza Larkin on line one,” she said.

“Who?”

“Emergency room doctor.”

“Oh, yes!” He punched the button. “Hello.”

“Mr. Barrington, it’s Dr. Larkin. I wanted to see how you are feeling.”

“Well, when I take the pills, I feel better than I should.”

“Nice and warm and fuzzy?”

“How did you know?”

“I sprained my ankle once.”

“I hope you have fully recovered.”

“I have, thank you. I don’t think you will need any further medical attention.”

“Oh, but I will. In fact, I think I will need medical attention at dinner this evening. Would you like to join Lieutenant Bacchetti and me at Elaine’s at eight-thirty?”

“And just what sort of medical attention do you think you will need?”

“Well, the Heimlich maneuver, perhaps. I eat too quickly.”

She chuckled.

“Or CPR, maybe?”

“I’m sure Lieutenant Bacchetti can handle that.”

“Lieutenant Bacchetti can be curiously inept at times, and I want only the best professional assistance.”

“Where is Elaine’s?”

“Second Avenue, between Eighty-eighth and Eighty-ninth, west side of the street. You’ll see the yellow awning.”

“Eight-thirty, you said?”

“That would be perfect.”

“How does one dress at Elaine’s?”

“In clothes; there are no other requirements.”

“You are a typical male. What should I wear?”

“A tight skirt with a deep slit and a pushup bra. Or better, no bra at all.”

“Big help.”

“Anything but scrubs.”

“See you then.” She hung up.

Stone was feeling rosy, not only from the pill but also from the thought of seeing Dr. Larkin again. Then the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“It’s Celia. Can you talk?”

Stone felt unaccountably guilty, as if by having dinner with Eliza Larkin, he was jilting Celia. “Sure, how are you?”

“There was someone outside last night.”

“Did you call nine-one-one?”

“No, I went out with your gun, looking for the bastard.”

Stone groaned. “Tell me you didn’t shoot anybody.”

“I didn’t shoot anybody.”

“For future reference, if you hear troubling noises, you call nine-one-one. You’ll probably get somebody out of bed up there, but that’s better than your getting hurt. You do not, repeat not, go outside with a gun. Is that perfectly clear?”

“I miss you,” she said.

“I miss you, too.” This was not a lie.

“Why don’t you come up here tonight?”

“I was hit by a car yesterday.”

“Oh, God!” she said. “He tried to do that once before.”

“Devlin?”

“Yes. He thought I had talked too much to some guy in a bar, and he tried to run him down in the street, but he missed.”

“Well, he has since perfected his technique.”

“Are you all right?”

“I hurt a lot, and my left wrist is broken.”

“Oh, shit, I wish I were there to give you a massage. Can I come down there?”

“No, you may not; I think it’s still too dangerous. Anyway, that car I rented for you at the gas station probably wouldn’t make it to the city.”

“So I have to stay here by myself?”

“I’ll come up this weekend.”

“I’ll give you a massage. All over.”

“I’ll come twice.”

“When can I expect you?”

“Book us a table at the Mayflower for eight on Friday.”

“Will do.”

“I have to get some sleep now.”

“See you Friday.”

“Bye.” He hung up and tried to forget that he had an erection.

At eight-fifteen he took the elevator downstairs and limped toward the front door. He had a pill in his pocket, but it was too soon to take it, so he snagged a cane that had belonged to his father from the hall umbrella stand and left the house in search of a cab. He looked carefully up and down the street for threats and suddenly wished he had worn a gun.

He was at Elaine’s the usual five minutes ahead of Dino, who joined him and accepted a Scotch from the waiter.

“How are the various affected parts of your body?”

“Responding well to drugs.” He looked at his watch. “Another half hour before I can take another pill.” He took a big swig of his bourbon. “This should help.”

“It usually does,” Dino agreed, sipping his own drink.

“Oh, a lady is joining us.”

“You found me a girl? Oh, Stone, that’s swell of you.”

“I found me a girl.”

“What about the lovely Celia?”

“She’s in lovely Washington, Connecticut, remember?”

“So who’s this one?”

Stone nodded toward the door. “You’ve met.” He struggled to his feet to greet Eliza Larkin. “Good evening.”

She shook his hand.