“I do. Tell me, can you take a couple of weeks off work without going broke?”
“I suppose so. Why?”
“I think it’s best if we get you out of town for a little while, during which time we can let this business play out.” He took a slim leather notebook from his pocket, placed it on the table and gave her a pen. “Give me Devlin’s address and phone number.”
She wrote it down.
“What sort of daily schedule does he keep?”
“He works in his loft, so he’s usually there during the day. In the evenings he goes out, often to a bar called Crackers and a restaurant called Emile’s, both downtown.”
“Anyplace else he frequents?”
“Wherever I am. When he knew where to find me, he used to devote a good part of his day to tracking me down, then following me around, just to let me know he was still after me. It was unnerving, because I never knew when he might cause a scene in some public place or even attack me.”
“That’s good to know about,” Stone said. “I’ll put it in your petition for the TRO.”
“Will I have to appear in court?”
“No, I can represent you.”
“Oh, good. I don’t want to see Devlin, even in court.”
The waiter brought menus, and they devoted themselves to choosing among the dishes.
Stone signed the check. “Ready?”
“Would you do me a favor?” she asked.
“Sure.”
“Would you take a look outside and make sure he’s not out there?”
“If it would make you feel better.”
“It would.”
“I’ll be right back.” Stone slid out of the banquette, walked to the front door and went outside. He looked up and down Madison Avenue. Traffic was light. A car was double-parked in front of the building next door, and two bored-looking men sat in the front seat.
Stone hailed a cab. “Start your meter. I’ll be right back,” he said to the driver. He went back inside and got Celia. “There are two men waiting in a car outside, and there’s no back way out of here, so we’re just going to have to brazen it out the front way.”
“Whatever you say.”
He led her outside and got her quickly into the cab. “Take your next left, then left again on Fifth Avenue,” he said to the driver. He positioned himself so that he could see the rearview mirror.
The car with the two men followed.
25
Celia looked over her shoulder. “It’s the same two men,” she said.
Stone dug in his pocket and handed the cabbie a hundred-dollar bill. “Do you think you can lose the car with the two guys behind us?”
The cabbie glanced in his rearview mirror, then grabbed the hundred. “I’ll do my best,” he said.
They were on Fifth Avenue now. “Turn right onto Central Park South, then turn into the park at Sixth Avenue,” Stone said.
The cabbie raced up Central Park South, but there was a red light at the corner of Sixth Avenue.