Unnatural Acts

52

Shelley Bach leafed through the New York Post. She was bored, horny, and getting annoyed about it. Then a name leapt out at her:

DETECTIVES BACCHETTI amp; MAHON WITNESS MURDERER’S SUICIDE

Shelley read the account of Abney’s demise avidly. She had tried to put Dino out of her mind, but now he was back, and in a good way. She let her mind roam back to their time in the suite at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, then she reached for her vibrator. Batteries dead. She threw it across the room, got out of bed, and ran a hot tub. She needed to relax.

Later, fresh, with her hair done, she surveyed her new image in the mirror once again. Such a difference! Dino wouldn’t know her from Eve, but he would like her, she was sure of that. She had an idea but dismissed it-too dangerous-then she thought again. She found her prepaid cell phone and called the 19th Precinct. “Lieutenant Bacchetti,” she said to the sergeant who answered.

“Bacchetti.”

“Hi, Dino,” she said in a low voice.

There was a silence, then, “Shelley?”

“I saw the write-up in the Post,” she said. “Good work.”

“Can you hang on just a moment, please?” He put her on hold.

Damn, she thought. He ’ s tracing the call. She glanced at the second hand on her wristwatch. She’d give him sixty seconds of her time.

“I’m back,” he said. “Where are you?”

“Oh, I’m at an available distance,” she said. “Why don’t we meet this evening for a drink?”

“Okay,” Dino replied. “Where and when?”

“How about Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle, ten o’clock? That close enough to your bedtime?”

“See you there,” Dino said.

She hung up and made another call, this one to an escort service.

Dino went to his office door and shouted, “Any luck?”

Rosie stood up in her cubicle. “Nope, not long enough.”

“Shit! Come in here, Rosie.” He went back to his desk.

Rosie came in and sat down. “What’s up, boss? Who was on the call?”

“When’s Viv getting out?”

“Tomorrow, if she doesn’t have a temperature. They held her an extra day because of that.”

Dino felt the wrestling match between his duty and his dick. “It would be nice to have this cleared up by then,” he said.

“Have what cleared up? The phone call? Who was it from?”

“You ever heard of an FBI assistant director named Shelley Bach?”

“Heard of her? Are you kidding? She was big news last year. Was that Bach on the phone?”

Dino nodded. “I knew her when Stone and I were on that D.C. thing.”

“I’m not going to ask what you mean by ‘knew,’ even though I want to know.”

“I’ve got a shot at busting her tonight,” Dino said.

“That would be quite a bust,” Rosie said.

“She’s asked me to meet her for a drink at the Carlyle.”

“I expect the Bureau would like to know about that,” Rosie pointed out.

Dino shook his head. “They’re so desperate to nail her they’d flood the area with agents. She’d spot the setup from a mile away. You think she doesn’t know how they think?”

“She doesn’t know how I think,” Rosie said.

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“Then let’s do it.”

“Who around here doesn’t look like a cop?” Dino asked.

“Viv,” Rosie replied.

“Viv isn’t up to this yet.”

“She’d hate to miss it.”

“We’ll have to live with that.” He thought about it. “Shelley wouldn’t be expecting two women, though.”

“Who would?”

“Come with me,” Dino said, checking his watch. “It’s nearly nine o’clock.”

Viv was sitting up in the hospital bed, flipping impatiently through a magazine when Dino and Rosie walked in.

“Have you two come to liberate me?” she asked.

Dino and Rosie pulled up chairs. “How are you feeling?” he asked, then he held up a hand. “No, how are you really feeling?”

“I was ready to go back to work the day before yesterday,” Viv replied. “What’s going on?”

“I’m reluctant to let you do this,” Dino said.

Viv threw the magazine at him. “I don’t care what it is,” she said, “just get me out of here.”

Dino looked at Rosie and nodded. Rosie set a shopping bag on the bed. “I picked up some of your stuff.”

“Get dressed,” Dino said. “I’ll go find somebody to sign off on this.” He got up and left.

“What’s up?” Viv asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and reaching for the shopping bag.

“You’re going to like it,” Rosie said, grinning.