Fresh Disasters

31

Stone was finishing his lunch when Joan buzzed. “Eliza Larkin on line one,” she said.

“Who?”

“Emergency room doctor.”

“Oh, yes!” He punched the button. “Hello.”

“Mr. Barrington, it’s Dr. Larkin. I wanted to see how you are feeling.”

“Well, when I take the pills, I feel better than I should.”

“Nice and warm and fuzzy?”

“How did you know?”

“I sprained my ankle once.”

“I hope you have fully recovered.”

“I have, thank you. I don’t think you will need any further medical attention.”

“Oh, but I will. In fact, I think I will need medical attention at dinner this evening. Would you like to join Lieutenant Bacchetti and me at Elaine’s at eight-thirty?”

“And just what sort of medical attention do you think you will need?”

“Well, the Heimlich maneuver, perhaps. I eat too quickly.”

She chuckled.

“Or CPR, maybe?”

“I’m sure Lieutenant Bacchetti can handle that.”

“Lieutenant Bacchetti can be curiously inept at times, and I want only the best professional assistance.”

“Where is Elaine’s?”

“Second Avenue, between Eighty-eighth and Eighty-ninth, west side of the street. You’ll see the yellow awning.”

“Eight-thirty, you said?”

“That would be perfect.”

“How does one dress at Elaine’s?”

“In clothes; there are no other requirements.”

“You are a typical male. What should I wear?”

“A tight skirt with a deep slit and a pushup bra. Or better, no bra at all.”

“Big help.”

“Anything but scrubs.”

“See you then.” She hung up.

Stone was feeling rosy, not only from the pill but also from the thought of seeing Dr. Larkin again. Then the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“It’s Celia. Can you talk?”

Stone felt unaccountably guilty, as if by having dinner with Eliza Larkin, he was jilting Celia. “Sure, how are you?”

“There was someone outside last night.”

“Did you call nine-one-one?”

“No, I went out with your gun, looking for the bastard.”

Stone groaned. “Tell me you didn’t shoot anybody.”

“I didn’t shoot anybody.”

“For future reference, if you hear troubling noises, you call nine-one-one. You’ll probably get somebody out of bed up there, but that’s better than your getting hurt. You do not, repeat not, go outside with a gun. Is that perfectly clear?”

“I miss you,” she said.

“I miss you, too.” This was not a lie.

“Why don’t you come up here tonight?”

“I was hit by a car yesterday.”

“Oh, God!” she said. “He tried to do that once before.”

“Devlin?”

“Yes. He thought I had talked too much to some guy in a bar, and he tried to run him down in the street, but he missed.”

“Well, he has since perfected his technique.”

“Are you all right?”

“I hurt a lot, and my left wrist is broken.”

“Oh, shit, I wish I were there to give you a massage. Can I come down there?”

“No, you may not; I think it’s still too dangerous. Anyway, that car I rented for you at the gas station probably wouldn’t make it to the city.”

“So I have to stay here by myself?”

“I’ll come up this weekend.”

“I’ll give you a massage. All over.”

“I’ll come twice.”

“When can I expect you?”

“Book us a table at the Mayflower for eight on Friday.”

“Will do.”

“I have to get some sleep now.”

“See you Friday.”

“Bye.” He hung up and tried to forget that he had an erection.

At eight-fifteen he took the elevator downstairs and limped toward the front door. He had a pill in his pocket, but it was too soon to take it, so he snagged a cane that had belonged to his father from the hall umbrella stand and left the house in search of a cab. He looked carefully up and down the street for threats and suddenly wished he had worn a gun.

He was at Elaine’s the usual five minutes ahead of Dino, who joined him and accepted a Scotch from the waiter.

“How are the various affected parts of your body?”

“Responding well to drugs.” He looked at his watch. “Another half hour before I can take another pill.” He took a big swig of his bourbon. “This should help.”

“It usually does,” Dino agreed, sipping his own drink.

“Oh, a lady is joining us.”

“You found me a girl? Oh, Stone, that’s swell of you.”

“I found me a girl.”

“What about the lovely Celia?”

“She’s in lovely Washington, Connecticut, remember?”

“So who’s this one?”

Stone nodded toward the door. “You’ve met.” He struggled to his feet to greet Eliza Larkin. “Good evening.”

She shook his hand.

“You remember Lieutenant Bacchetti.”

“Of course.” She shook his hand and accepted a chair.

“I’m known as Dino, off duty,” Dino said.

“And I’m known as Eliza, off duty.”

“What would you like to drink?” Stone asked.

“I think a very dry martini with two olives,” she replied.

Stone waved at a waiter and ordered.

“So this is Elaine’s?” Eliza said.

“It is indeed. Unpretentious, isn’t it?”

“Cozy. I like it.”

“The food is a lot better than it gets credit for. Restaurant critics don’t like it because they can’t get a good table, not being regulars.”

Eliza noticed the cane hanging on the spare chair. “Are you using that?”

“Yes, the painkiller is wearing off, but I have another twenty-five minutes before I can take another pill.”

The martini was placed before her, and she sipped. “You can’t take another pill.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re drinking,” she said, pointing at the nearly empty glass of bourbon. “Those pills don’t mix with alcohol. You might run amok.”

“I never run amok.”

“Have you ever taken those pills with alcohol?”

“No.”

“If you do, it will be your first experience with running amok, and Lieutenant Bacchetti will have to arrest you.”

“But I’ll be in pain.”

“My prescription is, have another of whatever you’re drinking, and I predict you’ll feel very little pain.”

“And that woman is a doctor,” he said to Dino. He waved at a waiter for a refill, then he glanced toward the front of the restaurant and saw Elaine walk in, right on time. But he was distracted by a face in the front window.

“Excuse me a moment,” Stone said, grabbing his cane and hobbling toward the door. He let two other people enter, then went outside. A couple of smokers were standing on the sidewalk, to his left, shivering and nursing their drug addiction; Stone turned to his right and saw Devlin Daltry standing there, smiling insolently at him.