Matt’s cellular buzzed.
“Don’t answer it!” Olivia ordered.
Matt picked it up.
“Payne,” he said, then, a moment later, “Hold one.”
He shoved the telephone under a pillow on the bed.
“I asked you not to answer that,” Olivia said.
“It was more like an order, but I have worked for Peter Wohl for five years, and have developed an uncontrollable Pavlovian response to my phone ringing: Answer it immediately.”
“That’s Inspector Wohl?”
“No. It’s my regular girlfriend.”
He could tell by her face that she could not quite make up her mind whether to believe him or not.
“You want me to go in the bathroom and give you a little privacy?”
“No. Come and eavesdrop,” he said. “You’ll probably find it interesting.”
She headed for the bathroom.
“Hey!” Matt called. “Here!”
He pointed to the bed.
She didn’t move.
He took the cellular out.
“Detective McFadden,” he said. “It warms the cockles of my heart to hear your voice.”
He pointed to the bed again, and Olivia came and sat gingerly on the edge. He moved the cellular away from his ear so that she could hear.
“Matt, what the fuck’s going on?” Detective McFadden demanded.
“You mean right now?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m in bed with a beautiful, almost naked woman.”
Olivia pinched Matt painfully on his inner thigh.
“I wouldn’t put it past you, you bastard.” McFadden chuckled. “I mean, Dignitary Protection at the North Philly Airport at three o’clock. Wohl just told me.”
Matt responded to the pinch of his thigh by reaching into Olivia’s robe and taking her nipple between his fingers.
“You wouldn’t dare!” she whispered furiously.
“You and Man Mountain Martinez have been selected to assist Lieutenant McGuire and his staff, and me, in the protection of Mr. Stan Colt, the movie star…”
“What?” McFadden challenged incredulously.
Matt let go of Olivia’s nipple, then kissed the fingers that had held it with appreciation. Olivia shook her head in resignation.