Unnatural Acts (Stone Barrington 23)

“A packet of invitations came for the grand opening of High Cotton Ideas’ new building, and a housewarming for Mark Hayes’s new apartment. It’s a week from Friday. There was a note suggesting that you invite some of your clients.”

“What a good idea,” Herbie said. “Mark knows most of my clients, anyway. Invite them all. And Bill Eggers, Stone Barrington, and Dino Bacchetti. And invite RoseAnn.”

“Dink Brennan, too?”

“Yes. Would you like a drink?” Herbie asked.

“Sure.”

“Pour us both one and sit.”

Cookie poured the drinks and took a chair. “Cheers.” She raised her glass.

“Cheers.”

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“No, but I need to talk to you about something.”

“All right.”

“I know you find Dink Brennan attractive. He’s young, handsome, charming, and rich.”

“What a nice combination!” Cookie said, smiling.

“Normally, yes. The trouble is, I don’t think there’s anything normal about Dink.”

“You mean, because he was at the funny farm?”

“No, I mean because he needed to be at the funny farm for a lot longer, and he didn’t get the treatment he needed. He short-circuited the process.”

“You think Dink is crazy?”

“I think, from what the director at the farm told me about him, that he might be a psychopath. At the very least, he’s a sociopath. You know the difference?”

“A psychopath is crazy,” Cookie said. “A sociopath has no conscience.”

“Either one of them can appear to be a perfectly normal person,” Herbie said. “Handsome, charming, and rich.”

“Which do you think Dink is?”

“I think that he’s both. The psychiatrist thought Dink had violent tendencies.”

Cookie gave a little shudder. “Eeww,” she said.

“My thought exactly. I don’t buy his reformed act, and I suspect his father doesn’t, either. I think it would be a good idea if you treat him politely, but not warmly, and that you avoid seeing him outside this office.”

“Herb,” she said, tossing off her drink, “you talked me into it.”

51

Stone and Dino were having dinner at P.J. Clarke’s.

“Good job on the Abney guy,” Stone said.

“You can thank Viv DeCarlo for that one,” Dino said. “I nearly got her killed doing it.” He told Stone about Viv’s struggle with Abney in the restaurant. “She would have died in that dumpster if she hadn’t been able to use the last of her strength to set off an alarm in her wristwatch.”

“How is she now?”