“There will be shortly. I’m going to turn around.” Stone did a quick three-pointer, putting the passenger door close to the garage’s lobby door.
The attendant walked over. “I’m sorry, sir, you can’t park there.”
“I’m not parking, I’m waiting.”
“For the lady.”
“You’ve grasped it.”
The attendant reached into a hip pocket and produced a stack of tickets. He was about to tear one off.
“I don’t need a ticket,” Stone said.
“But you’re parked.”
“I’m just waiting.”
“Sir, after you’ve waited for a while, you’re parked. We’re busy here.”
Stone looked around. “I don’t see any other cars coming in or out.”
“Sort of like ladies,” the attendant said.
At that moment the lobby door opened, and Carla emerged carrying one of those plastic duffels with blobs all over it that cost a couple of thousand dollars. The attendant took the bag, and Stone popped the trunk for him, then he leaned over and opened the door for Carla. “Duck,” he said, pulling her down until her head rested on his thigh.
“Can’t you wait until we get to Connecticut?” she asked.
“Harlan may be having us followed.”
“So you want his people to catch us like this?” She bit him on the thigh.
“Ouch!” He put the car in gear. “I just don’t want anyone who’s watching to see you in the car.”
She bit him again, higher up. “Or doing this.”
“Exactly,” he said, “and that hurt.”
“It was supposed to.”
Stone got over to Fifth Avenue, then down to Sixty-sixth Street and turned into the park, checking his rearview mirror. “Just another minute, until I’m sure there’s no one on our tail.”
“Oh, take your time,” she said, biting him again. “I’m enjoying this.”
Stone reached the other side of the park and turned up Central Park West, then left on Seventy-second. “Okay, you can sit up now; I think we’re tailless.”
“Speak for yourself,” she said, biting him again.
“Carla, I’m going to have teeth marks from my knee to my crotch.”
“Closer to your crotch, but who’s mapping?” She sat up. “What a beautiful Sunday afternoon! I hadn’t seen it until now.”
Stone turned onto the West Side Highway and accelerated past a dozen cars, then settled in the right lane and watched his mirrors.
“Why do you think Harlan is having us followed?” Carla asked.
“Because Bill Eggers called me half an hour ago and said Harlan thought I had stolen you from him.”
“Who’s Bill Eggers?”