“Have you got another rookie detective at the wheel?”
“So what if I have?”
“Give the kid a break, Dino. He can’t drive over the traffic.”
“My flight leaves in twenty minutes.”
“So what? You’re not going through the airport; you’re going to flash your badge and drive out onto the tarmac, right up to the airplane, aren’t you?”
“You bet your ass, but I’ve still got to move to make it.”
“So call the airline and tell them it’s a police emergency, to hold the flight.”
“Jesus, why didn’t I think of that? Get off the phone!”
“I’ll see you at Palm Beach Airport,” Stone said, and pressed the end button. He laughed aloud at the thought of Dino holding the flight for a police emergency, then arriving at the airplane carrying his golf clubs.
He called the yacht, and Callie answered.
“Hi. Where are you?”
“On the way back from the Rolls dealer.”
“Find out anything?”
“I’ll tell you later. Have you heard a weather forecast for tomorrow?”
“Rain ends late tonight; sunny all day tomorrow.”
“Thank God. Dino’s arriving this afternoon, with golf clubs. He’d shoot me if he couldn’t play. Can you find us some golf somewhere?”
“Sure. I’ll book a tee time at the Breakers. Ten o’clock okay?”
“Perfect. Dino’s bringing his own clubs. I’ll need to rent some.”
“You can use Thad’s; he won’t mind.”
“Do you play?”
“I’ve got a twelve handicap. What’s yours?”
“We’ll make it a threesome, then,” Stone said, avoiding an answer.
“Well,” she said, laughing, “I’m glad you’re interested in some kind of threesome.”
27
STONE DROVE TO THE AIRPORT, AND THE RAIN HAD STILL not let up. At times he was driving through three and four inches of water in the street, and the wind had started to get up, as well. At the airport, he parked at the curb and ran inside, and the hell with tickets.
He found Dino in baggage claim, just getting his golf clubs off the carousel.
“You didn’t tell me it was hurricane season,” Dino grumbled, handing Stone two bags and hoisting the clubs onto a shoulder. “I should have brought fucking scuba gear!”
“Oh, I just wanted you to see that Palm Beach is a city of contrasts,” Stone said, running for the car and getting soaked while stowing the bags in the trunk. The golf clubs had to go in the backseat. Finally, they were under way, with the windshield wipers trying hard to keep up with the
deluge, and losing.
“I’m soaked to the skin!” Dino complained. “You might as well put the top down!”