“Thank you,” Dino said. “Send the bill to the police commissioner.”
“There won’t be a bill,” the surgeon said.
DINO AND ROSIE were there when Viv came to. The nurse allowed them to stay long enough to speak to her, then threw them out.
Dino got on his cell phone. “Have we got Abney? Why the hell not? Hang on.” He turned to Rosie. “Where does Abney hang out?”
“Sardi’s upstairs, but I doubt if he’s there this late. That’s all we got on him.”
Dino spoke into the phone again. “Check the upstairs bar at Sardi’s, if it’s still open. Add to the APB that the suspect badly injured a female cop.” He hung up. “Maybe somebody will shoot the son of a bitch,” he said.
47
Dino and Rosie were at the Bright Lights, Ink, office at the stroke of nine a.m. He showed his badge to the receptionist. “Is Mr. Abney in?”
“No, he normally doesn’t arrive until around ten,” she replied.
“Who is his secretary?”
“Margie Quinn.”
“Where does she sit?”
“Through the double doors, across the big room to the corner office. Her desk is just outside his door.” She reached for the phone.
Dino put his hand on hers. “Don’t,” he said, “and when Abney arrives, act normal, you unde
rstand?”
“No, I don’t understand,” the woman said.
“I have a warrant for his arrest,” Dino said. “There’s room on it for your name, too.”
“I understand,” she said.
“Let’s go, Rosie.” Dino pushed open the double doors and entered a large room with more than a dozen cubicles. He walked around them and came to Margie Quinn’s desk and showed her his badge. “Come with me,” he said, and pushed open the door to Abney’s office.
It was big enough to hold a large desk, a conference table, and a sitting area with a sofa and a pair of chairs.
“What is this about?” Quinn asked.
“It’s about Mr. Abney,” Dino said. “How long have you worked for him?”
“Twelve years,” the woman replied.
“Then you know what this is about.”
She bit her lip. “What do you want from me?”
“Sit down, Ms. Quinn,” Dino said, pointing at the sofa.
She did as she was told. “Has Ed Abney ever put his hands on you?”
She looked away.
“How long ago and how often?”
“The last time was a week ago. A couple of times a month for the whole time I’ve been here.”