Stone Barrington 06-11

needle in her arm, but Stone and Dino held her tightly.
    “Oh, no,” Dolce said again. “I don’t want to …”
    “Put her on the bed,” the nurse said to the two orderlies, and in a moment they had her stretched out. She turned to Stone and Dino. “She’ll be out in a minute, and she’ll sleep for twelve hours.”
    Stone stood at the bedside and held her hand until her eyes had closed and she was breathing deeply.

    A few minutes later Stone and Dino took the elevator back to the garage and got into the car.
    “I don’t ever want to have to do that again,” Stone said.
    “Then you’d better get a divorce,” Dino replied.

Fifty-eight

    S TONE LOOKED IN THE BATHROOM MIRROR; HE DID NOT much like himself this morning. Watching Dolce being sedated had shaken him badly, and later, explaining to Eduardo what had happened had not improved his state of mind. He had not slept much, and he was due at Marc Blumberg’s office to prepare for tomorrow’s hearing. He got into a hot shower and let the water run. The phone was buzzing when he got out.
    It was Eduardo. “I saw her early this morning,” he said.
    “How was she?”
    “Still sleeping; I just sat and looked at her. Her own doctor will be here today.”
    “Is there anything I can do, Eduardo?”
    “Everything is being done that can be done. Later, if her doctor thinks you could be helpful, perhaps you could see her.”
    “Of course.”
    “I would like to take her to New York as soon as she is able to travel. Dr. Judson said he would consult with her doctor about that. If possible, I will take her home to Brooklyn and have her treated there.”
    “Perhaps she would be happier there,” Stone said, not knowing what else to say.
    “Stone, there is something else I must tell you about.”
    “What is it, Eduardo?”
    “When I was at your house in New York we talked about the blood tests you took when Arrington’s child was born.”
    “Yes, I remember.”
    “The tests were conducted by a laboratory here, in Los Angeles, called Hemolab.”
    “Yes.”
    “I think you should know that tests conducted by this company have, in the past, been known to be … manipulated. I cannot go into any detail about this, and I cannot discuss my reasons. Suffice it to say that this information is not just my opinion, but more substantial.”
    Again, Stone didn’t know what to say.
    “I don’t know if, in your case, the results were accurate or not, and I have no way of investigating. You might wish to have the tests repeated by another laboratory.”
    “Thank you, Eduardo; I’ll give that some thought.” He would certainly do that.
    “I must go now.”
    “I’ll call you tonight to hear about Dolce.”
    “Thank you; I’ll be in my suite all evening. Good-bye.”
    Stone hung up and sat on the bed, rattled by what Eduardo had said. He looked at the bedside clock: nearly eight; he was due at Marc Blumberg’s office at nine to prepare for the hearing the following day. He shaved and dressed, then he called Dino.
    “How you doing, pal?” Dino asked.
    “I’ve been better.”
    “What do you need?” Dino could always read him.
    “I’d appreciate it if you’d do something for me.”
    “Name it.”
    “Wait until midafternoon, then call the office of a Dr. Lansing Drake, in Beverly Hills. Tell him Arrington recommended him, that you’re having abdominal pains, and that you’d like to see him late this afternoon. Then call me at Marc Blumberg’s office and tell me what time he’ll see you.”
    “You want me to go and fake it with this doctor?”
    “No, no; I just want you to make the appointment, so that if he calls back to confirm who you are, he won’t get me on the phone instead.”
    “Okay, I can do that. Dinner tonight?”
    “Sure, if I don’t have too much homework to do.”
    “Talk to you this afternoon, then.”
    “Bye.” Stone was about to leave when the phone buzzed again. “Yes, Louise?”
    “Brandy Garcia is on one.”
    Stone picked up the phone. “Yes, Brandy?”
    “Stone, what’s going on with Felipe Cordova? He called me last night, and he was upset.”
    “I subpoenaed him to testify at a hearing, that’s all. He’s at no risk by doing that.”
    “Yeah, but yesterday afternoon, he got another subpoena for the same time and place, this one from the D.A. And they searched his house, too. He didn’t know what they were looking for.”
    Stone thought about that for a moment. “Somebody’s got his wires crossed,