“No, a cynic is somebody who thinks nothing is good enough to believe, until it’s been proved to him two or three times. That’s you.”
“You’re thinking too much,” Dino said. “You should give Brooke a call.”
“Why are you so interested in my relationship with Brooke?”
“Viv is anxious to know if you’re going to have one of those that lasts longer than last night.”
“Well, she’s just going to have to wait to find out, isn’t she? Just as Brooke and I have to wait to find out.”
“You’re not going to find out by sitting in a restaurant with me, are you?”
“We just need a little time to cool off before we go at it again.”
“I’ve never known you to need a time-out,” Dino said. “It worries me a little.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Just a little.”
“Not at all. Brooke and I will find each other again quite soon. We agreed to wait until the weekend.”
“I guess that’s not too much to ask.”
“It’s proving to be more than I had figured on,” Stone said.
“You’re not sore anymore?”
“More like itchy. A little. So is Brooke.”
“That sounds like the best of all possible worlds,” Dino said.
“It ain’t bad,” Stone said.
Stone’s cell phone rang.
“Hello?”
“It’s Brooke. Let’s have dinner.”
“Dino and I are at Patroon. Why don’t you join us?”
“Be right there.” She hung up.
“Don’t tell me,” Dino said. “That was Brooke, and she’s going to join us.”
“How’d you guess?”
“Because she just walked in the door,” Dino said, nodding in that direction.
Brooke walked over and slithered out of her fur coat, revealing an elegant black sheath dress with a knockout piece of diamond jewelry at her throat. “Do I have a drink yet?” she asked, shoehorning her way between Stone and Dino.
Stone waved at a waiter, and Brooke asked for a martini.
“Where did you call from?” he asked.
“From the entry vestibule,” she replied.
“How did you know where we were?” Dino asked.
“Your wife told me,” she replied, taking a big sip of her martini.
“Of course,” Dino replied. “I don’t know why I asked. Where is she?”
“On a plane to Mumbai,” Brooke said.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot.”
“May I see a menu, please?” Brooke asked.
A waiter materialized beside her.
“Who’ll share the chateaubriand?” she asked.
Both Stone and Dino raised a hand.
“It’s a dish for two,” she said. “If you like, I’ll back out and order something else.” She glanced at the menu. “The rack of lamb, please. And a Caesar salad.”
“The salad for three, please,” Stone said.
It was made tableside, and was quite a performance.
When they had finished dinner and were on coffee and cognac, Brooke said, “I want you now, please.”
“To whom were you addressing that request?” Stone asked.
“Would you prefer I address it to Dino?”
“He’s a married man.”
“That’s okay, I’m still a married woman.”
“Dino,” Stone said, “will you excuse us? I have to get Brooke out of here before she makes a dishonest man of you.”
They left.
Twenty-Three
It was a footrace to the bedroom, and Brooke won. She was already under the covers, as Stone was hanging up his pants.
“Usually, you just toss them aside,” Brooke said. “Am I losing my touch?”
“I don’t know,” Stone said, crawling into bed. “Touch something.” She did. “You’re not losing your touch,” he confirmed.
Bright and early the following morning, they were eating breakfast. “I have a question,” Brooke said.
“Shoot.”
“Where is Shep what’s-his-name?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea about whom you’re talking.”
“Where is... Shepherd Trout?”
“Troutman.”
“Okay, Shepherd Troutman.”
“What about him?”
“Where is he?”
“Out of pocket,” Stone replied.
“That’s meaningless. I want a location.”
“You mean coordinates? Longitude and latitude?”
“I’m getting the feeling you’re not going to tell me where he is.”
“You’re a very perceptive woman.”
“Why won’t you tell me where he is?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“I have a girlfriend I want to fix him up with.”
“Ah. I’m afraid he’s unfixable up at the moment.”
“Do I have to guess?”
“You may if you wish.”
“If I guess correctly, will you confirm the location?”
“No.”
“This is infuriating.”
“You’re beautiful when you’re infuriated,” Stone replied.
“Who do I have to fuck to find out where Shep is?”
“Mission accomplished,” Stone said.
“Yes, but you haven’t told me where he is.”
“That is so.”
“Will you give him a message to call me?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because he might call you.”
“Do you object to Shep speaking to me?”
“In principle, no. In practice, yes.”
“Who could it hurt, if I put these two people together?”
“Shep.”
“Stone, a blind date is not life-threatening.”
“You could very well be wrong about that.”
“Who wants to kill him?”
“Evil men.”
“Why do they want to kill him?”
“For his money.”
“Really? Does he have that much money?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“I can’t tell you; attorney-client privilege.”
“If you tell me, I’ll do exotic things to you.”
“You have already done them,” Stone replied. “And they were wonderful.”
“Would you tell me at gunpoint?”
“Do you have a gun?”
“No.”
“Then the question is moot.”
“You’re talking lawyer-speak.”
“I’m a lawyer. It’s to be expected.”
“What can I do to persuade you to put me in touch with Shep?”
Stone pondered that for a long moment. “I can’t think of anything you haven’t already done.”
“Oh, please.”
“You wouldn’t respect me, if I told you.”
“Yes, I would!”
“If you did, then I wouldn’t respect you.”
“I’m getting tired of this.”
“I was hoping you would.”
“You are exasperating!”
“I’m trying to be.”
“Well, it’s working!”
“Excellent!”
She rolled over and pretended to go to sleep.
“Are you asleep?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“What would it take to wake you?”
“Tell me where Shep is.”
“Go to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Then we’ll have to think of something else to do,” he said, rolling over.
Twenty-Four
Once at his desk the following morning, after Brooke had taken her leave and been driven home by Fred, Stone called Dino.
“Bacchetti.”
“It’s Stone.”
“And what can your city do for you today?”
“You can put me in touch with your wife.”
“She’s in Mumbai, used to be Bombay.”
“What time is it in Mumbai?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea. Whenever I call her in the Far East, I always get it wrong and get yelled at.”
“I’ll have to risk it, I guess. Where’s she staying?”