with—arrived at the morgue this morning with a federal court order and took the corpse away.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Okay,” Stone said, standing up, “no photographs for you.”
“Wait!”
Stone stopped.
“You can never tell anyone I told you this.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Fortescue died from the application of some sort of poison to the base of his spine. We haven’t figured out yet what it is.”
“I’m going to need a letter to the DA from a credible authority, stating that Fortescue was already dead when Herbie tried to fly.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” she said. It may take a few days.”
“As few as possible, please.” Stone reached into his pocket and handed her the four photographs.
Carpenter looked at the first one, of Fortescue lying on his back, the woman hovering over him. “Oh, Lawrence,” she murmured.
“Huh?” Stone said.
She looked at the other three photographs, then her mouth dropped open. “Jesus!” she said. She got up, found her handbag, took out a cell phone and dialed a number.
“It’s Carpenter,” she said into the phone. “I’ve got a photograph of her.” She looked at the bedside clock. “Half an hour,” she said, and punched off.
“What’s going on?” Stone asked.
“Get out of here. I’ve got to get dressed,” she said, rummaging through the closet for clothes.
“Are you going to be free for dinner?” he asked.
“I’ll call you when I know,” she replied, then she went into the bathroom and shut the door, taking the photographs with her.
He opened the door a little. “It’s not even that good a photograph,” he called out.
“It’s the only one in existence,” she called back.
13
Stone stayed at home the early part of the evening, waiting for Carpenter to call, until hunger got the better of him. What the hell, she had his cell phone number, so why wait?
He arrived at Elaine’s only moments before she would have given away his table. It was a very busy night, and even regulars were waiting at the bar. They shot him evil glances as he sat down.
Elaine came over. “You know how much I could have gotten for your table?” she asked, nodding at the bar.
“Let them eat . . . cake,” Stone replied. “You’ll overcharge them anyway.”
“You could get a fork in the chest, talking like that,” she replied equably.
“I just want one in my hand, and something to eat.” He grabbed a waiter and ordered a spinach salad and osso buco. “Tell Barry I want it with polenta instead of pasta,” he said. “And I need a Wild Turkey on the rocks, and bad.”
“Tough day?” Elaine asked.
“I had to face Elena Marks today,” he replied.
“You mean, explain how you killed her husband?”
“I didn’t kill her husband, and neither did the guy I sent. You been talking to Dino?”
“I’ll never tell.”
“Just between you and me and the nearest gossip columnist in this joint, Larry had already bought it when the kid took his dive.”
“The cops don’t seem to know that.”
“They will soon,” Stone said. “I’ve seen to it.”
“So where’s Felicity, the English doll?”
“Working. I was hoping she’d make it to dinner.”
“What does she do?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“If I did, she’d have to kill me, and believe me, she would.”
“I don’t think she would enjoy it,” Elaine observed.
“Maybe not, but she’d do it just the same. She’s already pointed a gun at me once today.”
“I didn’t know you were that bad in the sack.”
Stone’s cell phone vibrated. “Hello?”
“It’s me,” Carpenter said.
“Who’s this?”
“Don’t give me a hard time. I’m in a car on the way to Elaine’s; that’s where you are, isn’t it?”
“Maybe.”
“I’ll be there shortly.” She punched off.
“Was that Felicity?” Elaine asked.
“It was Carpenter,” he replied.
“Her last name is Devonshire,” Elaine said.
“What makes you say that?”
“Okay,” Stone said, standing up, “no photographs for you.”
“Wait!”
Stone stopped.
“You can never tell anyone I told you this.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Fortescue died from the application of some sort of poison to the base of his spine. We haven’t figured out yet what it is.”
“I’m going to need a letter to the DA from a credible authority, stating that Fortescue was already dead when Herbie tried to fly.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” she said. It may take a few days.”
“As few as possible, please.” Stone reached into his pocket and handed her the four photographs.
Carpenter looked at the first one, of Fortescue lying on his back, the woman hovering over him. “Oh, Lawrence,” she murmured.
“Huh?” Stone said.
She looked at the other three photographs, then her mouth dropped open. “Jesus!” she said. She got up, found her handbag, took out a cell phone and dialed a number.
“It’s Carpenter,” she said into the phone. “I’ve got a photograph of her.” She looked at the bedside clock. “Half an hour,” she said, and punched off.
“What’s going on?” Stone asked.
“Get out of here. I’ve got to get dressed,” she said, rummaging through the closet for clothes.
“Are you going to be free for dinner?” he asked.
“I’ll call you when I know,” she replied, then she went into the bathroom and shut the door, taking the photographs with her.
He opened the door a little. “It’s not even that good a photograph,” he called out.
“It’s the only one in existence,” she called back.
13
Stone stayed at home the early part of the evening, waiting for Carpenter to call, until hunger got the better of him. What the hell, she had his cell phone number, so why wait?
He arrived at Elaine’s only moments before she would have given away his table. It was a very busy night, and even regulars were waiting at the bar. They shot him evil glances as he sat down.
Elaine came over. “You know how much I could have gotten for your table?” she asked, nodding at the bar.
“Let them eat . . . cake,” Stone replied. “You’ll overcharge them anyway.”
“You could get a fork in the chest, talking like that,” she replied equably.
“I just want one in my hand, and something to eat.” He grabbed a waiter and ordered a spinach salad and osso buco. “Tell Barry I want it with polenta instead of pasta,” he said. “And I need a Wild Turkey on the rocks, and bad.”
“Tough day?” Elaine asked.
“I had to face Elena Marks today,” he replied.
“You mean, explain how you killed her husband?”
“I didn’t kill her husband, and neither did the guy I sent. You been talking to Dino?”
“I’ll never tell.”
“Just between you and me and the nearest gossip columnist in this joint, Larry had already bought it when the kid took his dive.”
“The cops don’t seem to know that.”
“They will soon,” Stone said. “I’ve seen to it.”
“So where’s Felicity, the English doll?”
“Working. I was hoping she’d make it to dinner.”
“What does she do?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“If I did, she’d have to kill me, and believe me, she would.”
“I don’t think she would enjoy it,” Elaine observed.
“Maybe not, but she’d do it just the same. She’s already pointed a gun at me once today.”
“I didn’t know you were that bad in the sack.”
Stone’s cell phone vibrated. “Hello?”
“It’s me,” Carpenter said.
“Who’s this?”
“Don’t give me a hard time. I’m in a car on the way to Elaine’s; that’s where you are, isn’t it?”
“Maybe.”
“I’ll be there shortly.” She punched off.
“Was that Felicity?” Elaine asked.
“It was Carpenter,” he replied.
“Her last name is Devonshire,” Elaine said.
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