Стюарт Вудс - Foul Play

“You make that dress look wonderful,” Shep said.

“See what I mean? Viv, is this what it’s like in the free world?”

“No, just at my house. I’ve groomed him carefully. Excuse me for a moment, there’s a clot of security people over there, and I have to go redistribute them.” She shooed them into the kitchen, then grabbed the detail chief of the Secret Service. “I want you to herd these people into the breakfast room over there, where there is seating for eight, and only let them make rounds one at a time, and around the edges of the room. Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the man said, deferentially.

Viv thought he was clearly angling for a job at Strategic Services when he retired.

“Give me a call when you’re a couple of weeks from retirement,” she said, checking his name on the list.

Dino sidled up to Stone. “Talk to me. Nobody else will.”

“Look at Shep,” Stone said, watching him move back to Holly’s side. “He doesn’t have to be so fucking charming.”

“Presidents bring that out in some men.”

“And that friend of Viv’s is a knockout. Why didn’t she introduce her to me ?”

“You’re not the odd man tonight, nor the new guy in town,” Dino explained. “Viv knows what she’s doing. See how she’s emptied the room of security people, except for one, over there behind the potted plant?”

When they were called to dinner, Stone was annoyed to find that Shep’s place card, not his own, was between his putative date’s and the president’s.

As the first course was beginning to be served, Stone looked across the table at Dino, whose left index finger had gone to his ear, indicating a listening device there.

Dino looked at Stone, made a motion toward the front door with his head, and left the table.

Stone followed Dino to the elevator, where he was holding the door open.

“Are you armed?” Dino asked Stone.

“No.”

Dino lifted a leg and unholstered a small semiautomatic. “It’s only a .380,” Dino said, “so if you have to use it, go for the head shot.”

“What the hell is going on?” Stone asked.

“Some sort of problem with your guy Fred,” Dino said. “He seems to want to shoot people.”

“Then they must need shooting,” Stone replied.

The elevator disgorged them into the lobby, where a doorman discretely pointed out the front door.

Stone followed Dino out onto the sidewalk, where Fred was wedged between two much larger men, holding his arms.

“You’d better call those guys off, before Fred hurts them,” Stone said.

“Stand down,” Dino said, and the two men freed Fred and stepped back.

One of them held up a Glock. “We got this off him,” the man said.

“Give it back to him,” Dino said quietly. “Tell us about it, Fred.”

“I’m sorry, Commissioner,” Fred said, tucking away his firearm. “The building was approached by two men from the direction of Park Avenue, where they had got out of a black car. Both were carrying, and I judged them to be up to no good.”

“Where are these two men now?” Dino asked his men.

They looked embarrassed. “When they saw the Glock they got back into their car,” he said, “and left in a hurry.”

“That was my intended use of the pistol,” Fred said. “I didn’t expect to have to shoot anybody, but I was ready to do so if necessary.”

“Good job, Fred,” Dino said. He looked around. “Anything further?” he asked. No one spoke. Dino nudged Stone toward the front door. “Our dinner is getting cold,” he said.

Once back in the elevator, Dino held out a hand. “My piece,” he said.

Stone gave him back the .380.

“If Fred ever leaves your employ,” Dino said, tucking the pistol back where it belonged, “I’d like to hear about it.”

“You’re not first in line,” Stone said.

“Yeah? Who else?”

“Viv asked a long time ago.”

“I’ve got to watch that woman every minute.”

“Don’t even try,” Stone said. “She’s too far ahead of you.”

Stone settled in next to Brooke Alley, who was talking to Shep on her other side, and long enough for him to fully appreciate what was on display. She turned back without catching him at it. “Well, now,” she said, “Viv tells me you are Stone Barrington, an attorney.”

“I cannot deny any of that.”

“Are you a free man?”

“I am when our president is not in town.”

“How often does she come?”

“You don’t really expect me to answer that, do you?”

Brooke smiled. “Sorry. How often does she visit New York?”

“Periodically, but not predictably.”

“Just to see you?”

“I can’t flatter myself to that extent.”

“What do you do when she’s not in town?”

“The best I can.”

“And I’ll bet that’s pretty good.”

“It’s flattering that you should think so.”

“I think you and I might do very well together.”

“Well, since Viv threw this bash for the express reason of getting you together with Shep, we might run afoul of her good nature if we pay too much attention to each other. And she carries a gun at all times, you know.”

“I didn’t know.”

“It’s her business that requires it, not necessarily her nature.”

“I’m relieved to hear it.”

“Did I hear you mention the ‘free world’ earlier.”

“One free of a husband,” she said. “By the way, thank you for the recommendation of Herb Fisher as an attorney. We’ve already had a meeting.”

“Not losing any time.”

“Once unhitched, I move at a gallop.”

“Your former stablemate isn’t jealous?”

“More like relieved. He practically set the barn afire to get me moving. A quick stroke of the crop across the rump sped me up.”

“For future reference, is that a preference?”

“That sounds like an Ogden Nash verse.”

“And that sounds like an evasive answer, but I won’t press.”

“A press in the right spot is always welcome.”

“I’ll need guidance,” he replied.

“I doubt that.”

“Is it getting warm in here, or is it just me?” Stone asked, dabbing at his forehead with his napkin.

“It’s not just you,” she said, dabbing at her bosom.

“So nice to be in sync,” he said.

“Tell me,” she said, “what is your favorite characteristic in a lover?”

“Enthusiasm,” he said without hesitation.

“Well, you’re halfway there.”

“I look forward to the other half.”

“Do you think there’s a vacant bedroom around here?” she asked.

“Probably, but the place is lousy with security, so I doubt if we could get away with it.”

“Why so much security, I wonder? Does it mean that something terrible is about to happen?”

“No, it’s just that everybody here — but you and I — has at least two of them in tow. The lobby downstairs looks like a police convention without the cigar smoke.” He felt a tug at his coat pocket.

“That is my number,” she said, “for a future occasion.”

“Good, but only after Viv has cleared us to land.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Brooke said.

Stone dropped his own card into her lap, and she swiftly transferred it from under her napkin to her bosom.

“And there is the fact that your date is my client,” Stone pointed out.

“I’m not picking up a lot of heat from that direction. My guess is that any attempt at a pass will be perfunctory and easily blocked.”

“In that case, I think an interception would be in order. But again, the coach must call the play.”

As if by some secret signal, the two ladies rose and vanished into another room somewhere.