A Safe House

55

Fred and Helene had mopped and cleaned all the relevant parts of Stone’s study, and Joan had ordered a new coffee-table top from a glass shop. Stone and Dino had helped by having a second drink.

Dino’s phone rang. “Bacchetti. Yeah. Yeah? Too bad. Keep me posted.” He hung up.

“Well?” Stone asked.

“Okay, Wallace Slade had his wound cleaned and stitched, and is demanding to be released.”

“Jesus, he had a shoulder wound!”

“No, he had a shoulder through-and-through. The bullet is probably around here somewhere.” He glanced about him but didn’t move.

“It’s not in the Scotch bottle,” Joan said. “Nor, come to that, the bourbon bottle. A thorough search of both has been made.”

“It’ll turn up when my guys get around to it. There are a lot of new cases today.”

“Most of them in this room,” Joan said.

“Come on, Joan,” Stone said, “why aren’t you drinking?”

“Well, somebody’s got to remain conscious around here.”

“There’s nothing in the air but air,” Stone said, taking a couple of deep breaths. “I’ve tested it personally.”

“Give Fred and Helene a two-hundred-dollar bonus for the cleanup.”

“Already done, but I gave them three hundred each. I don’t think Quince had any blood left in him.”

“Oh, I forgot about Quince,” Dino said. “He survived, after many transfusions.”

“Pity,” Stone said. “Where’s Jenna?”

“She slept through everything,” Joan said. “In fact, she’s still sleeping.”

“The woman is a heroic sleeper,” Stone replied. “Don’t wake her.”

“Maybe we can get out of here and go to Clarke’s, for some dinner, while she’s still out,” Dino said.

“Right,” Stone said, getting to his feet. “We’ll bring her a steak in a bag.” He teetered a bit. “Gotta get my land legs back,” he said.

“Do it in my car,” Dino said, heading for the door.

They skipped the bar, went straight to their table, and ordered steaks. “Dino, did your people figure out what kind of gas they used?”

“Nah, the gas squad said there was no label on the bottles.”

“I thought you said you don’t have a gas squad.”

“I do now,” Dino said. “But like I said, there was no label on the bottles.”

“Can’t the gas squad analyze it?”

“They’re not the chemistry squad,” Dino said. “They’re sending it out for that.”

Jenna walked up to their table. “You left me,” she said accusingly.

“You were unconscious,” Stone said.

“We ordered you a steak in a bag,” Dino said.

Jenna hipped Stone over a few inches. “Well, tell them to shake it out of the bag.”

Dino grabbed a passing waiter and issued the instructions.

“Anything else disturbing you?” Stone asked. “You don’t look happy.”

“Why didn’t Joan shoot Wallace in the head?”

“You’ll have to consult Joan on that,” he replied. “I think it’s hard to shoot somebody in the head with a .45.”

“Messy, too,” Dino said.

“I would have found it a snap,” Jenna said.

“Next time we need somebody shot in the head, we’ll wake you,” Stone said.

“Please.”

“Did somebody tell you Wallace isn’t dead?”

“I got that.”

“And Quince survived,” Stone said.

“Now that is unconscionable,” Jenna said. “I heard you were trying to geld him.”

“I missed. I was trying for the whole package. He must have flinched or something, but I did nick an artery, I forget which one. Fred and Helene recovered a bucketful of blood. Why are you looking so dour?” he asked.

“They’ll come for me again,” Jenna replied. “Didn’t I explain that to you?”

“I guess I didn’t...”

“Believe me?”

“Uh...”

“Take me seriously? After being married to Wallace, I’m weary of not being taken seriously.”

“Are you taking yourself seriously?” Stone asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you left the house alone and went out into the street, looking for a cab, in utter disregard of your own safety.”

“Well, it’s my safety! I’ll disregard it if I like!”

“But I can’t?”

“Exactly.”

Their steaks came while Stone was trying to think of a retort, and he was spared. “You can’t argue with an angry woman,” he muttered.

“You can argue with one,” Dino said. “You just can’t win.”