Kisser

37

STONE AND MITZI SAT sipping bourbon at a front room table at the Park Avenue Café.

“So, it went well?”

“So well I can’t believe it,” Mitzi said. “Downtown was thrilled with what they got on tape.” She smiled. “They enjoyed your tape, too.”

“I’m afraid Patti had been given the task of keeping me out of the living room, and she was enjoying her work a little too much.” He gave her an account.

Mitzi nearly choked on her Knob Creek. “I’m surprised you didn’t succumb!”

“If you and Rita hadn’t worn me out last night, I might well have.”

“Men have no stamina,” Mitzi said.

“I didn’t know we were so weak.”

She nodded. “One orgasm and you’re done.”

“Well, with a little time out in between I can sometimes manage a second round.”

“Sex renders men unconscious,” she said. “Whereas Rita and I could have gone on all night. In fact, we nearly did!”

“But I was unconscious.”

“Well, yes.”

“Maybe we had the wrong kind of threesome,” she said.

“You mean…”

“Yes, you and another guy and me, lest you mistake my meaning.”

“I have no interest in guys.”

“Doesn’t matter, as long as you’re both interested in me.”

“You’re a glutton,” Stone said.

“Sometimes. I’ve never seen the harm in getting everything you want.”

“Hard to argue with that,” Stone agreed.

“I mean, Rita and I gave you everything you wanted, didn’t we?”

“Everything my heart desired.”

“I rest my case.”

Stone took a sip of his drink and tried to think of something to say.

“So,” she said, “do you know another guy?”

“Dino is the only single man I know, and as much as I love him, I don’t think I’d like to get into bed with him.”

“I take your point. I guess I’ll have to do my own hunting.”

“I’m afraid so.” Stone finally thought of something else to say. “By the way, tomorrow morning, you should have your people in place a couple of hours before you expect Derek Sharpe with the goods.”

“Good idea.”

“You could put one of them in a doorman’s uniform.”

She shook her head. “The co-op board would be outraged if they thought the NYPD was staging a drug bust in the building.”

“Come to think of it, you’re not going to need a lot of help to take Derek. You and Tom should be able to handle him; then you can walk him out, and the board will be none the wiser.”

“I think that’s best,” Mitzi said. “I’d hate to get Rita thrown out of the building, especially when she’s asked me to move in with her.”

Stone almost choked on his bourbon. “You two are getting very chummy, aren’t you?”

“Well, you’re a witness to that, aren’t you?”

“I know you like men, Mitzi, but does Rita?”

“You have to ask? She enjoyed you as much as I did.”

“I suppose.”

“Women are not embarrassed about being attracted to other women. Men, on the other hand, are worried that someone will think they’re gay.”

“That’s perfectly true,” Stone admitted, “but I wouldn’t have thought you and Rita…”

“Rita and me sometimes,” Mitzi said. “Anyway, it’s nice for a girl to have a roommate, somebody to sit around in pajamas with, eating chocolates.”

“And each other.”

“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.