Dirt (Stone Barrington 2)

“My family has always been drawn to public service,” Dino replied.

“Very commendable,” Whitfield mused. “We had a burglary in our building recently, I’m afraid. Never happened before.”

“And if I come to live here, it will never happen again,” Dino said smoothly.

“Ah, yes!” Whitfield cried, his tumblers working. “I quite see your point! One watches NYPD Blue.”

“Excellent program,” Dino said. “Utterly realistic. By the way, I should mention that I am aware of the burglary, and I have doubled the police patrol on this block.”

“Wonderful! Have you caught the perpetrator yet?”

“I can reveal, in confidence, of course, that we now know his identity. We expect an arrest at any moment.”

“Excellent! Well, Mr. and Mrs. Bacchetti, I believe that tells us all we need to know. You will be hearing from the board very soon, and I think I can intimate that the answer will be a favorable one.”

The Bacchettis made their good-byes and departed. Once in the street again Dino said, “You sure you want to live in that place?”

“Very sure.”

“I mean, couldn’t you find a building with at least some Jews or something?”

“Get used to it,” Mary Ann said.

Chapter 45

Arrington, Dino, and Mary Ann sat at Stone’s kitchen table drinking wine while Stone cooked linguine with white clam sauce. The television was on NFL football, muted, and the men occasionally stole glances at the set.

“Anyway,” Dino was saying, “you shoulda been there to hear my wife tell these people that her family is in the revenge business.”

Everybody laughed.

“I always tell the truth,” Mary Ann said.

“Yeah? Then what was that about the Collegiate School?” Dino asked.

“That was almost the truth.”

“I never even heard of the Collegiate School, and my wife is telling these people that our kid is going there.”

“How old is he?” Arrington asked.

“Four,” Mary Ann replied.

“Apply now,” Arrington advised. “It may already be too late.”

“There’s not a public school in that neighborhood?” Dino asked innocently.

“Forget about it,” Mary Ann said. “He’s going to Collegiate.”

“Sounds like it’s tough to get in,” Dino said hopefully.

“We’ll have help,” Mary Ann said.

“Mary Ann, there are some things your old man can’t help with.”

“Name three.”

“Well, the Collegiate School is probably one of them.”