Unnatural Acts (Stone Barrington 23)

“What happened?”

“I don’t know exactly. Shelley was walking toward me, something spooked her, and she came up with a handgun. Mine never cleared the holster. Viv took her out.”

“Did the denizens of Bemelmans Bar enjoy the experience?”

“You never heard such an uproar,” Dino said, smiling weakly.

“You get some sleep, pal. There’s no rush-you’ll be telling me the gory details for years.”

“You don’t have any scotch on you, do you?”

“I’ll buy you your first when you’re out of here. Sleep tight.”

Stone walked back to the waiting room and took a couple of deep breaths.

“You all right?” Viv asked.

“I’m not used to seeing him like that,” Stone said. “I feel almost as if I took the bullet.”

“I know how you feel,” Viv said.

“He’s got the hots for you, you know.”

Her eyebrows went up. “What are you talking about?”

“You may have to take a transfer to deal with it. Dino will want to do the right thing.”

“Whatever it takes,” Viv said.

Stone gave her a hug. “You go home and get some sleep. That’s what Dino is doing.”

57

Stone was at his desk the following morning when Joan buzzed him. “FBI Deputy Director Kerry Smith to see you,” she said.

“All right,” Stone sighed, “send him in, and you’d better get him some coffee, too.” He stood up and waited for Kerry to enter his office, then shook his hand and sat him down. “Good to see you, Kerry. What brings you to New York?”

“Was that supposed to be funny?” Kerry asked.

“It was funny,” Stone replied. “To anybody but a DD of the Bureau.”

“I’m going to see Dino, at the hospital, but first, I want to know what happened, and I’m sure you know.”

“You didn’t read the Times this morning?”

“Wasn’t much in the Times.”

“Well, it was right at their deadline, I guess. The Post will have a fuller account this afternoon.”

“It won’t have what I want to know.”

“You mean, you want to know why Dino didn’t call the Bureau before he met Shelley.”

“A good place to start,” Kerry said.

Joan brought in a small tray with a china coffeepot and a mug and set it on the coffee table, then left.

“He didn’t call your people because they’d have had big black vans with flashing lights in the street and a SWAT team in the Carlyle lobby.”