Stone Barrington 06-11

crossword every day. Calisthenics for the brain.”
    “Funny, it doesn’t seem to have muscled up.”
    “I remembered the name, didn’t I? While your brain has apparently turned to mush. Why were you thinking about the bank robbery?”
    “Not the robbery so much, the woman.”
    “Ah, now we’re getting to the nub of things. I’ll bite. What woman?”

    “She’s the chief of police down there, name of Holly Barker. She was supposed to marry Oxenhandler that very day. I met her at the police station.”
    “You went to the police station?”
    “I was a witness, and I didn’t have a shirt.”
    “You’re losing me here.”
    “I took off my shirt and held it to Oxenhandler’s chest wound, not that it did much good. He died shortly after reaching the hospital.”
    “So you were bare-chested in Orchid Beach, and you met this girl?”
    “Woman. We’re not supposed to call them girls, remember?”
    “Whatever.”
    “A cop loaned me a shirt. Holly arrived and took over the case. I remember how cool she was under the circumstances.”
    “Pretty bad circumstances.”
    “Yeah. After I came home I called her with some information, and we had a couple of phone conversations after that.”
    “So why are you thinking about this… person?”
    “She’s in town. In fact, she’s at my house right—Jesus, I forgot to call Joan.” Stone dialed his office number and got his secretary on the phone. “There are a couple of women coming to the house—one is named Holly Barker; I don’t know the other one. Will you put them in whichever of the guest rooms they want, and give them a key?”

    “You’re doing two at a time now, Stone?” Joan Robertson asked.
    “I should be so lucky. Just get them settled. I’ll explain later.”
    “Whatever you say, boss.” She hung up.
    “What’s she doing up here?” Dino asked.
    “She didn’t say. She called from a taxi on the way in from the airport.”
    “Nice of you to offer her a bed,” Dino said slyly.
    “Oh, shut up.”
    “Did you offer the two of them your bed?”
    “I offered them a guest room; that’s it.”
    “So far. Well, I guess it’s how you keep your weight down, isn’t it?”
    “Dino…”
    Gianni put some menus on the table.
    “We’ll be two more,” Stone said. “And we’ll order when the ladies arrive.”
    Gianni brought two more menus and a basket of hot bread. Stone tore into a slab of sourdough.
    “Carbing up for later?” Dino asked.
    “Get off it. I just want to get something in my stomach with the bourbon.”
    “Mary Ann and I worry about you, you know.”
    “Mary Ann has enough to worry about with you on her hands.”
    “We want to see you settled with some nice, plain girl.”
    “You just want to drag everybody down with you,” Stone said. “And what do you mean, ‘plain’?”

    “A beautiful woman demands too much of a man.”
    “You’re married to a beautiful woman.”
    “I speak from experience. Their care and feeding is a full-time job.”
    “Mary Ann cares for and feeds both of you, and without the slightest help from you, as I recall.”
    “She’s an exceptional woman,” Dino said. “You’ll never do that well.”
    “Thanks a lot.”
    They finished their drinks and had just ordered another round, when Dino nodded toward the front door. “I’ll bet that’s your lady cop,” he said.
    Stone looked up to see a tall woman, more striking than he remembered, striding toward them, smiling.
    “Hey, there,” Holly said, offering her hand.
    Stone and Dino were on their feet, getting her chair.
    “This is my friend Dino Bacchetti, my old partner. He runs the detective squad at the Nineteenth Precinct.”
    “Hey, Dino.”
    “Hey, Holly.”
    “Where’s your friend?” Stone asked.
    “Oh, Daisy’s exhausted,” Holly replied. “I put her to bed.”
    “Can I get you a drink?” Stone asked.
    “What are you drinking?”
    “Bourbon.”
    “That will do nicely,” she said.
    Gianni brought her the drink.

    “So what brings you to the big city?” Stone asked.
    “I’m in hot pursuit of a fugitive,” Holly said.
    Stone handed her a menu. “Let’s order dinner, then you can tell me about it.”

2
    T HEY WERE HALFWAY through their first course, a salad of French green beans, mushrooms, and bacon.
    “Tell us about your fugitive, Holly,” Dino said. “Maybe I can help.”
    “That would be nice, Dino,” Holly replied. “First, a little background: Not long ago, I wrapped up a case in my