Stone Barrington 06-11

use your shower?” she asked, continuing to undress. “The water pressure isn’t too great upstairs.”
    “Sure, go ahead,” Stone replied. “In New York, we have these water tanks on the roof, and sometimes the upper floors don’t get the best pressure.” As she continued to undress he reminded himself not to get the water pressure problem fixed.
    “Water tanks? No kidding?”
    “You can go up and take a look,” he said, “but I wouldn’t go like that.” She was down to a bra and panties, or more accurately, some sort of semi-thong thing. “You’d have the neighbors climbing out windows.”
    “Aren’t you sweet,” she said, flashing him a big smile. She turned and went into the bathroom, reaching behind her for the bra hook while displaying the backside of the semi-thong thing and a fine pair of buns. She left the door open, but he couldn’t see her. He heard the shower turn on, though.
    “How was your day?” she called from the bathroom.
    “Hairy,” he replied. “A very strange morning in court.”
    “You can tell me about it later,” she said.
    He heard the shower door open and close.
    Five minutes later, she came out, loosely dressed in his terry robe, toweling her hair. She hopped onto the bed and turned toward him, close. Daisy was between them. “So, tell me about your morning in court.”

    “I had this extremely annoying client, Herbie Fisher, with whom I’ve dealt before. He was charged with—”
    ” The one who kicked the cop in the balls?”
    “Yes, and the cop was there with his three big brothers. Their sister was prosecuting.”
    “Stacked deck, huh?”
    “You might say that.”
    “How many years did he get?”
    “Twelve months, suspended, a ten-thousand-dollar fine, and loss of his license for five years, which is a godsend to the community.”
    “Suspended? Wasn’t this his second DUI?”
    “Right.”
    “We’re tougher in Florida. You must be some kind of lawyer.”
    “I employed no lawyering skills this morning. The CIA guy fixed the judge.”
    Holly lifted her head off the pillow. “You’re kidding.”
    “I kid you not. Now Herbie is on a plane to Saint Thomas, and the world is a better place, except in Saint Thomas.”
    “How did he fix the judge? Pay him off?”
    Stone shook his head. “I don’t think Judge Goldstein is the sort who would take a payoff. Lance said the judge was a patriot.”
    “Lance is the CIA guy?”
    “Right.”
    “So he said something to bring out the judge’s patriotic instincts?”

    “Apparently.”
    “What did he say?”
    “I don’t want to know. By the way, did I mention that we’re having dinner with Lance?”
    “Yes. Why?”
    “I don’t know,” Stone admitted. “I’d just as soon not see him again.”
    Holly planted a kiss on his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the bad CIA guy.”
    “I don’t know that he’s bad. I used to think so, but now I’m not sure.” He liked the kiss. He wanted to put his arm around her, but Daisy was staring right at him.
    “Daisy,” Holly said, “get off the bed and lie down.”
    Daisy immediately hopped off the bed and lay down beside the bed.
    “Go to sleep,” Holly said.
    Daisy laid her head on her paws and closed her eyes.
    “Is she really asleep?” Stone asked.
    “Close enough,” Holly said. She turned his head toward her and kissed him on the lips.

13
    S TONE WOKE WITH a crick in his neck, the result of napping most of the afternoon with Holly’s head on his shoulder. That was all they had done, nap, and he wasn’t too happy about that, but somehow, he hadn’t felt it was the right time to go further.
    The sound of his hairdryer was coming from the bathroom, then it stopped, and Holly emerged, stark naked, her underwear in her hands. “I’m going to take Daisy for a nice long walk,” she said. “I’ll be back in time for dinner.”
    “Wear something,” he called after her, while appreciating the sight of her departure. “I wouldn’t want you to get arrested.”
    She laughed and disappeared upstairs.
    Stone got up, still groggy, and got into a shower. He emerged feeling brighter. The phone rang.
    “Hello?”
    “It’s Dino. Dinner?”
    “Sure, meet me at Elaine’s. Lance Cabot will be there.”

    “No shit? The CIA guy?”
    “One and the same.”
    “How’d Herbie’s courtroom appearance go?”
    “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
    “Tell me anyway.”
    Stone told him.
    “I don’t believe