Swimming to Catalina (Stone Barrington 4)

“Sure, I understand. How about if we had dinner ashore tonight?”

“I’d like that better,” she said. “Where are you staying?”

“At the Bel-Air Hotel,” he lied.

“I hear it’s very nice; why don’t we have dinner there?”

“Perfect; I’ll book a table. Do you have a car?”

She

shook her head. “I use my friend’s when he’s in town, but…”

“Then I’ll pick you up here at seven.”

“Fine; I’ll meet you up by the chandlery, then.”

Stone offered his hand, and she took it, but then she pecked him lightly on the lips. “I’ll look forward to it,” she said.

“Me, too.” He hopped back onto the pontoon and walked toward his car. Once behind the wheel he called Rick Grant. “Hear anything on the prints yet?” he asked.

“I was just about to call you,” Grant said. “The prints belong to a Vincent Mancuso—three arrests, one in a bookmaking operation and two for loan-sharking, the last one eight years ago, no convictions. Those are typically mob crimes, even though he wasn’t in our organized crime index. I’ve started a file on him, though.”

“Have you got a description?”

“He’s forty-six years old, six-one, two-twenty-five, dark hair.”

“Sounds like a lot of guys.”

“I’ll bring you his mug shot the next time we meet.”

“Got a place of employment?”

“He owns—or did, this is a couple of years old—a delicatessen in Hollywood, call Vinnie’s. It’s on the Sunset Strip.” He gave Stone the address.

“Got it. I have another request.”

“Shoot.”

“Can you check on the registration of a boat for me?”

“Yeah, but it’ll probably take a day or two. We don’t have access to that database from here; I’ll have to go through the Coast Guard.”

“The boat’s name is Paloma, out of Avalon; she’s a motor vessel of about forty feet. I’d appreciate it if you’d ask them to put a rush on it. Right now, I don’t know if I’m chasing a wild goose.”

“I’ll do the best I can.”

“I guess I’ll change hotels, too, given that Vincent Mancuso is hanging around my room at Le Parc.”

“Where you going?”

“The Bel-Air, if they’ve got a room. I’ll register under Jack Smithwick.”

“You’re moving up in the world.”

“Well, at least I’m doing it with somebody else’s money!”

“That’s the best way. I’ll call you on the portable number.”