Swimming to Catalina (Stone Barrington 4)

“You see the eleven o’clock news last night?” Rick asked Stone.

“He was busy,” Dino said.

“Too bad. You’d have seen David Sturmack leaving the lockup with a coat over his head. His lawyer told the cameras he went into Vinnie’s for a corned beef sandwich, that the whole thing was a terrible misunderstanding.”

“I love it,” Stone said, smiling broadly.

“Same with Barone. Can you believe the bookie joint was already back in business at the same location?”

“I’d believe it if they were back in business this morning,” Stone said. “They’ve got to have somebody at LAPD on the pad.”

“Now, now,” Rick said. “You can’t go applying NYPD methods to us.”

“Was Sturmack in the back room?”

“Unfortunately, no, but the embarrassment factor is not any less because of that.”

“I wonder what he’s telling his pals at the Bel-Air Country Club today,” Stone said.

“Wish I could be there,” Rick replied.

“Rick,” Dino said, “can’t we just kill these guys, so I can go back to New York? It’s too sunny and clean out here.”

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“No, Dino, you can’t kill anybody. It’s frowned on.”

“Oh,” Dino said. “But we can keep on driving them crazy.?”

“Be my guest.”

“Good. What’s our next move, Stone?”

“I want to sink Ippolito’s big boat.”

“I didn’t hear that,” Rick said, holding up his hands.

“How we going to do that?” Dino asked.

“I had a real good look around her yesterday; told the skipper I was from an insurance company. I figured out how to do it, but we’ve got to pick a night when nobody’s aboard but a couple of crew. I don’t want to drown anybody, unless it’s Ippolito.”

“I’m not hearing any of this,” Rick groaned.

“Hear no evil,” Dino said. “That’s my policy. Do evil, if it works for you.”

“I’m sorry, Rick,” Stone said. “Dino is a depraved individual. He can’t help himself.”

“You’re not doing so bad with the depravity yourself,” Rick replied. “How can I help?”

“We’re going to need a fast boat, something that’ get us to Catalina and back in a flash.”

“I think I know where I can borrow one. When?”

“I’m not sure yet, but could you line it up on short notice?”

“Consider it done.”

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