Thanks a lot, pal, Matt thought.
“Is that so?” Charley Castel repeated. “Well, welcome to the job, Matt.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” a female voice said in Matt’s ear. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it was the woman who had caught him peering down her dress.
“Yeah, why not?” Charley said, chuckling. “Matt, this is Lorraine Witzell, Lorraine, this is Matt Payne.”
“How are you, Matt Payne?” Lorraine said, putting her arm between Matt and Charley to shake his hand, which action served to cause her breast to press against Matt’s arm. “Is that short for Matthew, or what?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Matt said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jesus Martinez parroted sarcastically.
“You’re sweet,” Lorraine Witzell said to Matt, looking into his eyes and not letting go of his hand. “Did I hear Charley say you’ve been assigned to Special Operations?”
“That’s right,” Matt said.
For an older woman, she’s really not too bad-looking. And she either didn’t really catch me looking down her dress, or, Jesus, she doesn’t care.
“That should be an interesting assignment,” Lorraine said.
“We’re on the job now, Lorraine,” Charley McFadden said. “We was just talking about that.”
“You’re working plainclothes?” she asked. Matt sensed the question was directed to him, but Charley answered it.
“We’re looking for a fag burglar,” Charley replied. “Been hitting some rich woman in Chestnut Hill.”
“Well, if you’re going to work the fag joints,” Lorraine said, again directly to Matt, “you better keep your hand you-know-where, and I don’t mean on your gun. They’re going to love you!”
“What we was talking about,” Charley McFadden said, “is maybe splitting up. Hay-zus taking the unmarked car—he don’t drink, and it’s better that way—and you and me go together.”
“Whatever you say, Charley,” Matt said.
“You got your car? Mine’s a dog.”
“I came in a cab,” Matt said.
“Oh,” Charley said.
Matt saw the look of disappointment on McFadden’s face.
“But I don’t live far; getting it wouldn’t be any trouble.”
McFadden’s disappointment diminished.
“What I was thinking was that in a car like yours, we could cruise better,” McFadden said.
“I understand,” Matt said. “You mean it’s the sort of car a fag would drive?”
“I didn’t say that,” McFadden said, embarrassed. “But, no offense, yeah.”
“What kind of car do you have?” Lorraine asked.
“A Porsche 911T,” Charley answered for him.
“Oh, they’re darling!” Lorraine said, clutching Charley’s arm high up under the armpit, which also caused her breast to press against his arm again.
Which caused a physical reaction in Matt Payne that he would rather not have had under the circumstances, at this particular point in space and time.