"And thanks for not calling the police."
She gave him a little kiss. "Go safely." She held up the Berretta. "You want this?"
"Thanks, I have my own." He left her and drove back to the bungalow for Dino. Mary Ann was about to leave in Arrington's station wagon, and Stone traded cars with her.
"Don't hurt her, Stone," Mary Ann said.
"I don't intend to," Stone replied.
Stone drove to the upper end of the Bel-Air Hotel complex and parked the station wagon. Followed by Dino, he found the upstairs suite and rang the bell. Eduardo, wearing a cashmere dressing gown, opened the door and ushered them in.
"Good evening, Stone, Dino," he said.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Eduardo," Stone replied.
"Not at all. Come and have an aperitif; dinner will be here soon." He pointed at the bar in the living room. "Please help yourselves; I'll have a Strega." He picked up the phone and told Room Service there would be three for dinner, then he joined Stone and Dino.
Stone poured three Stregas and handed two of them to Eduardo and Dino. They raised their glasses and sipped.
"Come, sit," Eduardo said, motioning them to a sofa. "Why have you come to see me?" he asked when they were settled.
"Eduardo," Stone said, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but about two hours ago, Dolce attempted to kill Charlene Joiner, the actress you met the other evening at the Regensteins'."
Eduardo winced, and his hand went to his forehead. His face showed no incredulity, simply painful resignation. "How did this occur?"
"Dolce apparently drove out to Malibu, parked her car, and approached Charlene's house from the beach. She fired two bullets through a sliding-glass door at Charlene, who was lying on a sofa, reading."
"Was Miss Joiner harmed?"
"No, only frightened."
"Do you think Dolce seriously tried to kill her?"
"I'm afraid I do, and she came very close."
"Where would Dolce have gotten a gun out here?" Eduardo asked. He seemed to be thinking quickly.
"Apparently, she took it from my house in New York without my knowledge. The gun belonged to Dino; he had loaned it to me."
"Does she still have the gun?"
Dino spoke up. "I saw no sign of it outside Miss Joiner's house, so I assume she does."
"Are the police involved?"
"No," Stone replied. "Charlene called me, instead of the police, and she has no intention of involving them."
"Thank God for that," Eduardo said. "This would have been so much more difficult."
"It's difficult enough," Stone said. "I feel responsible."
Eduardo shook his head. "No, no, Stone; something like this has been coming for a long time. If it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else."
"Why do you say that, Eduardo?" Dino asked. "Has she ever done anything like this before?"
Eduardo shrugged. "Since she was a little girl she always reacted violently if denied something she wanted."
The doorbell rang, and Dino jumped up. "I'll get it," he said.