Swimming to Catalina

help his left hand deal with the gun. Hegrabbed hold of it with both hands and yanked, and it went off with a roar.
    Stone saw the back of the pilot’s head explode.
    The helicopter began to rotate, at first slowly, then faster and faster.
    Stone couldn’t tell whether it was going up or down, until it hit the water with a crash. With the rear door open, the machine had no chance to float. Stone forgot about Ippolito and started trying to get out. The gun left his hand; he didn’t know if Ippolito had it or if it was going to the bottom.
    Stone broke the surface. He seemed always to be doing that, he thought. How many good suits had he ruined? The black helicopter was gone now, but somehow it was still making noise; the air was filled with the sound of the rotor.
    Then, as Stone watched, Ippolito broke the surface some six feet in front of him. He looked very angry, and he was holding Zip’s automatic, which, Stone reckoned, still had another twelve or fourteen rounds in the clip. Stone ducked under the water.
    His eyes were open, and he saw something good: the water just next to Ippolito exploded, and the pistol that had been in the banker’s hand was sinking fast.
    Stone surfaced. Above and in front of him was an LAPD helicopter; Rick Grant was sitting in its open door, his feet on the strut below him and a shotgun in his hands. The shotgun was pointed at Ippolito, who was angrily treading water.
    Then Stone saw Dino, holding a bunch of life jackets, jump out of the police helicopter. He came up sputtering. “You owe me one Armani suit!” he yelled, handing Stone a life jacket and tossing one to Ippolito.
    Stone grabbed him and kissed him on the forehead.

    “Get off me!” Dino screamed. “The suit will be enough!”
    Other helicopters arrived, and other people were in the water, dealing with Ippolito. Rick’s helicopter had its struts in the water now.
    Stone and Dino started swimming for the chopper.

Epilogue
    Stone sat at the window of his study in Turtle Bay and watched the season’s first snow fall on the gardens behind his house. The phone rang, and he picked it up.
    “Hello?”
    “It’s Arrington.”
    His voice warmed. “How are you?” He had not talked with her in months, because she didn’t want him to.
    “I’m okay. How did the business in L.A. turn out?”
    “Ippolito goes on trial shortly after the first of the year; I’ll be going back out there to testify.”
    “There was certainly enough in the papers about it. I think theWall Street Journal was more upset than anybody.”
    There was something in her voice that bothered him; she seemed to be straining for small talk.
    “I still find it hard to believe that David Sturmack was involved; he and his wife were always so sweet to me.”

    “They haven’t found her yet,” Stone said. “She apparently got to Panama after cleaning out the safe at their house, and she hasn’t been seen since.”
    “Imagine, a woman like her on the run.”
    “She’s very rich, so don’t worry about her; I’m sure she’s making some gigolo very happy.”
    “Vance told me he sent you a tape ofOut of Court; he had it cut especially, so you could see yourself in the movie.”
    “Yes, he did. It was very embarrassing to look at.” He couldn’t take the chat anymore. “What’s happening, Arrington?”
    Her voice changed. “Stone, there’s news.”
    Stone flinched. He had an awful feeling he knew what was coming.
    “Vance’s child was born last night.”
    Stone let out the breath he had been holding. “Congratulations to both of you,” he managed to say.
    “The blood tests left no doubt,” she said. “I want you to understand that; there was no need to go to DNA tests.”
    “I understand,” he replied. A memory flooded over him: he was walking through F.A.O. Schwarz, the big toy store, looking for a first gift for a new baby. He snapped himself out of it. “I understand what you have to do.”
    “I’m glad you do,” she said, then she started to cry.
    “It’s all right, Arrington,” he said. “You’re doing the right thing.”
    “I have to,” she said.
    “I know.”
    “Vance did pay your bill, didn’t he?” she said, incongruously.
    “He reimbursed all my expenses,” Stone said. “Ididn’t send him a bill; I didn’t do it for him.”
    “Stone, I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did.”
    “Don’t worry about that…”
    “Really, Vance and the baby and I owe you so much.”
    Stone was