Broadway Bounty

Chapter Fourteen

At 1:45 a.m., Decker found a horse-drawn cab waiting in front of his hotel, with a young man leaning against it. As he approached it, the young man straightened.

“You Decker?”

“I’m Decker. What’s your name?”

“Archie.”

“OK, Archie, let’s go.”

Decker climbed inside, and Archie up top. In the dark, Decker wasn’t quite sure what route the cab was taking, and he kept his hand in his pocket, over the .32. He was suspicious of everyone these days.

Finally, Decker saw a street sign for Forty-third Street and recalled that Rosewood had said this was the street the restaurant was on. Moments later they pulled up in front.

He stepped out of the cab and saw that this was a far cry from the little restaurant where he and Linda Hamilton had first shared a meal.

“This place is gonna cost you plenty,” Archie said with a smirk. “I hope the girl is worth it.”

“She is.”

Archie looked up and down the deserted street and said, “I hope she shows up.”

“So do I,” Decker said. “I’ll be inside, Archie.”

“OK, boss.”

Decker entered the restaurant and was met at the door by a man in a tuxedo.

“Sir?”

“Decker.”

“Yes, sir. This way, please.”

Decker followed the man to a table, where the man held his chair for him.

“Your waiter will be here shortly.”

“No hurry,” Decker said, “I’m waiting for a young lady.”

“Ah,” the man said with no expression and left Decker to his own devices.

Decker admired the interior, which was all crystal and leather. As deserted as it was outside, inside it was very busy. There were no other empty tables as far as he could see.

He checked a clock on the wall. It was ten minutes past two. He was worrying that Billy Rosewood had not been persuasive enough when she suddenly came into view, following the same man in the tuxedo. She was wearing her uniform, and a stern look.

“Your companion, sir,” the man said, holding her chair for her.

“Thank you,” she said.

“I will send your waiter over.”

Decker nodded, and the man left them.

“I will never forgive you for this,” Linda said.

“For what exactly?” he asked. “I hope Billy wasn’t too—”

“Not for Billy,” she said. “For this…this place.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing. It’s one of the most expensive restaurants in New York, which is why they stay open so late, in order to accommodate all of their patrons.”

“Then why so unforgiving?”

“Because you let me come to this beautiful place dressed like…like this.”

He smiled at her and put his hand over hers.

“Believe me, Linda,” Decker said, “you are the most beautiful thing in this beautiful place.”

“You’re impossible.”

“No,” he said, “I’m not.”

“What happened?” Bookman asked.

“He took my gun.”

Bookman frowned and looked up from his late snack of a whole chicken and vegetables.

“I wouldn’t have thought you’d admit that so easily,” he said, pointing at Largo with a chicken leg.

“What?”

“That a man took your gun away from you.”

“Why not?” Largo said, grinning coldly. “It means he’s good.”

“The word I get from Duke Ballard is that he’s the best,” Bookman said.

Largo smiled.

“Best in the West.”

“Meaning what?” Bookman asked. “That you’re the best in the East?”

Largo shrugged.

“Anyway, his idea is sound,” Bookman said. “Check on Sadler, Liston…and Bolan.”

“It’ll be Bolan,” Largo said.

“Yeah,” Bookman said, “you’re probably right, but check them all, anyway.”

“All right.”

“And Largo?”

Largo stopped on his way to the door.

“Yes?”

“Try and control your competitive streak where Decker is concerned. He’s a friend of a friend.”

“A friend of a friend of yours,” Largo said, “not mine.”

Later Decker and Linda went to his room.

“I don’t feel right about this,” she said, standing with her back up against the door.

“To tell you the truth,” he said, “neither do I.”

“Really?”

He smiled and said, “Really, I’m not what you’d call a lady’s man.”

“You could have fooled me.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, “if I’ve seemed that way at all, it’s because of you.”

“Of me?”

“I’ve never…been so affected by a woman on such short acquaintance.”

“You mean the other night?”

He nodded.

“But that wasn’t even—we didn’t even get acquainted.”

“That’s all right,” he said. “It happened as soon as I saw you. You’re very beautiful, Linda, and you had such a…gentle touch.”

“I…was doing my job.”

She was still standing against the door, and he could see the tension in her shoulders. He picked up her coat, walked up to her and put his hand on the doorknob.

“I’ll have Billy take you home.”

“Home? You mean, you don’t want—”

“Whatever I want,” he said, “I want you to want it, too. I think we both feel a little too awkward tonight.”

She frowned at him and said, “You’re a strange man, Decker.”

“Maybe you won’t think so,” he said, handing her her coat, “after we become better acquainted.”

Studying his face, she said, “Maybe I won’t.”

She stepped away from the door so that he could open it, and then he stepped away to allow her to precede him.

“Maybe we could dine again soon,” he said.

“Maybe,” she said.

He walked her down to the lobby and to the front door. Billy Rosewood was waiting outside.

“Good night,” he said.

“Thank you for dinner.”

He smiled and said, “Next time I’ll give you time to dress properly.”

She smiled back and started through the door. As the door closed, she turned and looked at him through the glass.

He pushed the door open a crack, and she said, “Tomorrow is my day off. Would you like to go to a baseball game?”