“And he slapped your rap sheet on the table?”
“That’s right.”
The detective held it up. “This is your rap sheet?”
“I told you it was. I pointed it out to you.”
“You committed all these crimes?”
“Hardly any of them. You’ll notice most of the charges were dismissed.”
“This one wasn’t. Assaulting a police officer.”
Herbie said nothing.
“Do I have reason to be alarmed?”
“Only if you scare easily.”
“How did you assault the police officer?”
“I kicked him in the balls.”
The detective took a step back.
Herbie glanced over at Yvette. She was remaining calm, but he could tell she was less than happy. All this had happened before they even had appetizers, and Yvette had to be getting hungry, because he was.
“Look, guys,” Herbie said, “I understand you have to keep me because I had the misfortune of being assaulted in a public restaurant, but there’s no reason to punish the young lady, who had absolutely nothing to do with it. Why don’t you take a statement from her and let her go?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the detective said ironically. “Were we inconveniencing you? We wouldn’t want to interfere with the dinner plans of you fine folks just because someone showed up at your table and fired a few shots.”
Dino Bacchetti cocked his head in the detective’s direction. “Sam?”
The detective saw who it was and snapped to attention. “Sir? Did you need something?”
Dino’s smile was frosty. “Come here, will you?”
“I think we’re about to get the VIP treatment,” Herbie whispered to Yvette.
“Oh?”
“Dino didn’t like the tone the detective was taking. I think they’re discussing proper etiquette now.”
“I see.”
“I’m afraid it’s not going to get us dinner.”
“That’s all right.”
“No, it’s not all right. This was our engagement dinner.”
“Don’t worry. The wedding’s still on.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Are there any deal breakers involved here? If they lead me away in handcuffs, for instance?”
Yvette’s eyes twinkled. “I suppose I should keep my options open. I didn’t know you were such a criminal.”
“Oh, dear.”
“What?”
“Your eyes are sparkling. It’s the Robin Hood effect. Girls can’t help falling in love with an outlaw.”
“Were you really an outlaw?”
“I was just young. And I had no money.”
“You stole things?”
“No.”
“What did you do?”
“I took borderline jobs.”
“Like what?”
“Like taking pictures of a cheating husband with the other woman.”
“In bed?”
“I was supposed to.”
“What happened?”
“I got arrested.”
“Oh?”
“I never said I was a good outlaw.”
“Oh, dear. Maybe I should reconsider.”
“You can if you like. But I’m giving you an engagement dinner, one way or another.”
“Just not tonight. Tonight we’re having takeout.” She favored him with a coquettish smile. “And I’ll show my studly little outlaw how lucky he is to be dining at home.”
The detective returned in time to hear that.
Herbie found himself blushing furiously.
5
Herbie’s clients at Woodman & Weld fell into two categories: those he could tell he’d been shot at in a restaurant, and those with whom it was better he remain silent on the topic.
Joshua Hook fell into the former category. Josh was one of his first clients, right after he’d been made a senior associate at Woodman & Weld. Mike Freeman, the chairman and CEO of Strategic Services, the prestigious defense organization that provided armed bodyguards, state-of-the-art alarm systems, and confidential investigations including the use of spyware, had hired Herbie to set up the corporate framework for Strategic Defenses, a new division that would be wholly owned by Strategic Services but would function as a separate company. Strategic Defenses would specialize in offering bodyguard training to their clients’ employees, including the use of firearms, defensive and offensive driving techniques, and the basics of hand-to-hand combat.
Joshua Hook was the ex — CIA agent Mike had hired to be CEO. Herbie hit it off with Josh. They not only set up the school together, but Herbie had taken one of Josh’s earliest classes, so he expected to take some ribbing about the shooting.
Sure enough, Josh found it highly amusing.
“I love it,” Josh said. “For a defensive training school it’s kind of appropriate having an attorney who’s a moving target. I hope you took his gun away from him and pistol-whipped him.”
“He fled before I could tie him in knots.”
“Too bad. We can always use the publicity.”
“From what I understand, you’re doing quite well as it is.”
That was an understatement. Josh’s defensive training school was thriving, and even the sprawling facility in upstate New York, which included a high-speed racetrack, indoor and outdoor shooting ranges, and an airstrip, was growing cramped.
Josh had called to see about restructuring the corporation in order to expand. Simple contract work of this nature was something Herbie would normally have farmed out to an associate, but Josh was a friend, and Herbie always handled Josh’s affairs personally.
Herbie had just finished up with Josh when Dino called.
“Hi, Dino. What’s up?”
“You busy?”
“I was just on the phone with Josh Hook at Strategic Defenses.”
“Oh? How is he doing?”
“Too well. Business is booming, and he needs to expand. He has more students than he can handle.”
“Is he still teaching himself?”
“He has a staff of instructors, but he keeps his hand in. There’s a waiting list for his classes. Anyway, he wants to restructure, so I have to review the contracts.”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, but I need to get it done before brunch.”
“Oh?”
“I’m taking Yvette out to make up for last night.”
“She’ll go for that?”
“What?”
“Trading a dinner for a brunch?”
“She’ll get the dinner, too. I’m just calling it an engagement brunch. It’s the gesture that’s important.”
“I was kidding. Anyway, about the shooting.”
“Any progress?”
“Not really. The bullets are thirty-eight caliber. They don’t match the bullets from any crime scene or autopsy or anything we have on file. It doesn’t mean we don’t have a record of the gun, it just means we don’t have any bullets from it.”
“That’s clear as mud.”
“Yeah, it’s another way of saying we got nothing. Anyway, you had a good look at the guy. Do you have time to drop by the precinct and look at mug shots?”
“You got a good look. Why don’t you look at mug shots?”
“I did. Nothing rings a bell. Now, this guy says you owe his boss ninety thousand dollars.”
“The guy’s wrong.”
“Didn’t you used to have gambling debts?”
“I paid them off.”
“Are you sure?”
“Oh, yeah. When I won the lottery, I paid off everybody. Believe me, everybody heard about it and everybody asked.”
“There’s a bunch of loan sharks around. I’m wondering if any of them might be familiar.”
“They’re not. The only one I borrowed from was Vinnie the Vig.”
“Vinnie the Vig is dead.”
“I know. And before he died I paid him every last cent. I tell you, this guy’s got me mixed up with someone else.”
“Yeah, well, when you come down you can look at their mug shots, too, see if anyone’s familiar. So how about it? Can you come over?”