“That, too. Nothing wrong with a full life.”
Stone had nothing further to contribute on the subject. “I suppose Brian is pleased with the way your case is going,” he said lamely.
“He’d sure better be,” Mitzi said. “When we tag Derek, the tabloids are going to go nuts, and he’ll be the guy standing in front of the cameras. He’ll get noticed at One Police Plaza.”
“I guess he’ll enjoy that,” Stone said. “Is he bucking for captain?”
“You bet your ass he is,” Mitzi said, laughing. “And if this case puts him over the top, I’m never going to let him forget it!”
“What about Sig Larsen?” Stone asked.
“I told you, Brian isn’t interested in him. He’s got the U.S. Attorney’s office on pins and needles, though. After Bernie Madoff they think it’s fashionable to bring in financial scam artists.”
“Tell Brian I don’t think he should mention my name to the U.S. Attorney.”
“The beautiful blonde? Why not?”
“Well, a couple of years ago, right after she got the job, we had a little thing that ended up getting us into the papers.”
Mitzi looked shocked. “That was you? You actually got video-taped in bed with her?”
“Fortunately, my face was out of the frame, but she got recognized. She was the one on top at the time.”
Mitzi hooted. “Brian is going to love this!”
“Just tell him it’s in his interests not to bring my name into it. By the way, did you keep a copy of Sig’s prospectus?”
“No, he wouldn’t let me. I read most of it, and it sounds very appetizing, if you’ve got a lot of money to throw around.”
“He said he would send someone to my office with a copy that I could read but not keep.”
“I know Brian would love it if you found a way to make a copy,” Mitzi said.
“I don’t live to make Brian Doyle happy,” Stone said.
“He loved it that he got you put back on active duty.”
Stone winced. “He loves it that he can use that to give me orders.”
“Exactly.”
“Don’t worry; when he starts doing that, I’ll ignore them.”
“Don’t piss him off, Stone; I’ve still got to live with him.”
“Do you and Brian have something going on?”
“A long time ago,” she said, “before he made lieutenant. He was my first partner, assigned to break me in.”
“And he did?”
“In a manner of speaking,” she said with a sly smile.
38
STONE WOKE UP, exhausted again. He was going to have to get some real rest, he thought, as he swung his legs over the side of the well-mussed bed. He could smell bacon frying.
Mitzi had left him a razor and toothbrush in her bathroom. He shaved, showered, and then looked for his clothes. Nowhere in sight. He found a robe in a closet and walked down to the kitchen. Rita was cooking, and Mitzi was ironing. A woman he didn’t know was sitting at the counter having coffee.