Stone - 25 - Collateral Damage

earlier.”
    “Then I’ll be home by nine.”
    “See you then.”
    Holly hung up, not looking forward to moving into this cold, hard building.

Dino, wearing his uniform, stood at attention and watched the commissioner pin the medal on Viv’s tunic, the decoration she had won by shooting a fugitive and saving his life. Everyone applauded, then the senior uniformed officer present dismissed the group, who adjourned to a conference room for champagne.
    The commissioner approached Dino. “We’re proud of her,” he said, “and I’m sorry she retired today. What’s she going to do with herself?”
    “It’ll be announced in a few days,” Dino said, “so keep this under your hat. She’s joining Strategic Services as an investigative supervisor.”
    “It occurs to me that she might be available for another role, as well,” the commissioner said.
    Dino grinned. “I can’t comment on that at the moment, but maybe soon.”
    “What are your plans, Dino?”
    “Oh, more of the same, sir.”
    “I wish you’d take the captain’s exam. I could use you at headquarters, but you can’t be a lieutenant among so many captains.”
    “Commissioner, the minute I pass the captain’s exam, I’m not a cop anymore, I’m an administrator.”
    The commissioner shrugged. “I can’t argue with that, but I think you could be very useful to me in this office.”
    “I like solving crimes,” Dino said. “And I like kicking detectives’ asses until they get it right.”
    “Tell you what,” the commissioner said, “sit the exam next week and pass, and I’ll sit on the result until you say it’s okay.”
    “Why would you want me to do that?” Dino asked.
    “I have my reasons,” the commissioner replied, “and I promise you, you’ll like them when you know what they are.”
    Dino cocked his head and examined the commissioner’s face for clues to what he was talking about, but all he got for his trouble was a hint of a smirk.
    “I can still stay in my job if I do that?”
    “I won’t yank you out of the one-nine unless it’s what you want, I promise you that.”
    “All right, Commissioner, I’ll take the exam, but I hope I don’t disappoint you by flunking.”
    The commissioner took a pad from his coat pocket, jotted down a name and number, ripped it out and handed it to Dino. “Call this man tomorrow morning and report to him on Monday morning. He’ll cram enough in your skull to see that you don’t flunk.”
    Dino looked at the name, and he knew the man: a retired captain who had been in charge of administering examinations for the last years of his career. “Yes, sir,” he said.
    —
    Later, as he and Viv were driven away from police headquarters in Dino’s car, he took off his hat and loosened his tie. “I’m going to have to lose a few pounds before I feel comfortable in this uniform,” he said.
    “You look good in it now,” Viv said, patting his knee.
    “We’ll drop you at your place to change, then I’ll pick you up later.”
    “I’ll get a cab to Stone’s house. I’ll be just a little later than you. It takes girls longer.”
    “It’s just the four of us,” Dino said.
    “Nevertheless.”
    Dino sighed. “Okay, okay, I’ll go on ahead of you.”
    —
    Half an hour later, Dino’s driver, a rookie detective, pulled into a vacant spot across the street from Stone’s house. “Get yourself some dinner,” Dino said to the young man. “I’m going to be here for a while.”
    “Yessir,” the detective replied. He got out of the car, opened the door for Dino, then reached into the front seat and came up with two orange traffic cones. As Dino crossed the street, the detective placed them so as to save his parking spot, then he got back into the car and drove away.
    Dino rapped on the darkened window of the black SUV parked in front of Stone’s house, and the window slid down. He held up his badge. “Lieutenant Bacchetti,” he said. “Detective DeCarlo will be along in a few minutes.”
    “Go right in, Lieutenant,” the young security man said.
    Dino trotted up the front steps and rang the bell.
    “Yes?”
    “It’s Dino.”
    “I’m in the study. I’ll buy you a drink.”
    The door lock clicked open, and Dino let himself into the house.
    —
    Stone was already pouring the drinks as Dino walked into the study. “Hey, there,” Stone said. “Did Viv get decorated?”
    Dino accepted the drink and settled into a chair. “Yep, and the commissioner got all funny with