by Stuart Woods
“Dispatch; who’s calling?”
“My name is Barrington, I’m a retired police officer.” He gave the address. “There’s an officer down here, along with a civilian, both dead. Two other officers have pursued the perp into Central Park. Stand by.” He turned to the doorman. “What did the man you let into the building look like?”
“He was small, and he was wearing a parka with the hood up. I didn’t get all that good a look at him.”
Stone turned back to the microphone. “The perpetrator is a white male, small of stature, wearing a parka with the hood up, and is armed and dangerous. One of the two officers in pursuit is wearing an elevator operator’s uniform, and the other is in plain clothes. You want to get major backup into the park between Seventy-second and Seventy-ninth Streets and get a patrol car to the building. Also, find Lieutenant Dino Bacchetti of the Nineteenth Precinct and tell him to get over here fast.”
“Where will you be?”
“I’ll secure the lobby of the building and wait there.”
“Got it; over and out.”
Stone put down the microphone. “Come with me,” he said. “You and I will wait in the lobby for the police to arrive.”
“Yes, sir,” the doorman said.
They went back into the building, and Stone went to the elevator. “I wonder why the killer didn’t take the elevator upstairs,” he said.
The doorman looked into the car. “It’s locked,” he said, “and the police officer must have the key.”
“Is there another key?” Stone asked.
“In the top drawer of the desk,” the doorman said, pointing. He clearly had no wish to go over there.
Stone retrieved the key and put it into his pocket. He could hear sirens approaching from a distance. He picked up the house phone, consulted a list of occupants, and called Sarah’s apartment. The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer.
14
S TONE HUNG UP, CHECKED THE NUMBER, then dialed again. Still no answer. He looked up to see uniforms piling out of two police cars outside and running toward the front door with weapons drawn. He realized that they probably wouldn’t know him and that to them, he was a civilian with a weapon. He put his pistol down on the desktop, moved away from the desk, dug out his ID, and held it out in front of him with one hand, while holding the other hand in the air. “I’m on the job!” he shouted, because he knew that would stop a nervous cop from shooting him. They stopped running.
“What’s going on here?” a sergeant asked.
“I’m a retired police officer,” Stone said. “That’s my weapon on the desk. There’s an officer and another man on the floor behind the desk, both shot, both dead. This man is the building’s doorman.”
The sergeant lowered his weapon. “Your name’s Barrington, isn’t it? You were in the Nineteenth with Bacchetti?”
“That’s right.”
The sergeant looked behind the desk. “Jesus Christ!” he said. “Who shot these two men?”
“The doorman here saw the perp run out of the building, across the street, and over the wall into the park. Detectives Anderson and Kelly pursued him. I called it in from Kelly’s car; I asked for backup in the park between Seventy-second and Seventy-ninth. I also asked the dispatcher to find Bacchetti and tell him to come here.”
“So there’s nothing for us to do but wait for the medical examiner?”
“That’s right, except I’d like for two men to come upstairs with me. I was having dinner on the sixteenth floor when this happened, and I asked a young lady to stay there, but she’s not answering the phone.”
The sergeant turned to his men. “Garcia, you come with me; the rest of you stay here and secure this scene.”
“Can I pick up my weapon?” Stone asked, pointing.
“Sure,” the sergeant said.
Stone turned to the doorman. “Is there a passkey for sixteen?”
“In the key safe on the wall behind the desk,” the man said, pointing.
Stone went behind the desk, stepped over the bodies, located the passkey, grabbed his pistol, and headed for the elevator, digging for the key. He unlocked it and pressed the button for sixteen.
“My name’s McElhenny,” the sergeant said.
“I remember you,” Stone replied. “You were a rookie when I left the force; you’ve moved up.”
“What the hell is going on here, Mr. Barrington?” the sergeant asked.
“Somebody’s dogging Bacchetti and me; he followed me here tonight, and Anderson and Kelly were laying for him. It didn’t work.”
“Is this the perp who tried to harm Bacchetti’s wife?”
“The same.” The elevator stopped, and the men stepped into the private foyer of the apartment.
“Wow,” McElhenny said softly, looking around him.
“Inside there should be one woman; she was upstairs when I left. There are also two servants, a man and a woman, who live in, but I don’t know where their quarters are. I suggest the two of you search this floor, and I’ll check upstairs. Follow me upstairs when you’re sure there’s nobody down here.”
“Right,” the sergeant said.
Stone inserted the passkey into the lock and swung the door slowly open. He walked through the gallery as quietly as possible, but the three sets of shoes made noise on the marble floor. In the living room, Stone pointed to the two men, then around the apartment; he pointed to himself, then at the stairs.
The two cops started their search, weapons drawn.
Stone flipped off the safety on his pistol and started quickly and quietly up the carpeted stairs. The door to Sarah’s room stood open. He stuck his head around the doorjamb and quickly withdrew it. He had seen only the bed, which was now turned down. He stepped into the doorway in a crouch, the pistol held out before him. He took two steps into the room, and from his left came a piercing scream.
Stone swung the pistol around and found it pointed directly at Sarah Buckminster, who was entirely naked.
“Stone! What the hell are you doing?”
Stone pointed the pistol at the floor. “Are you alone? Is anybody in the house?”
“Of course, I’m alone; did you think I’d brought in another man as soon as you left?”
Stone took a deep breath and let it out. He put the pistol back on safety.
“What is going on?” she demanded.
“Why didn’t you answer the house phone?” he asked.
“Because I was in the shower,” she said. “I was a little sweaty from cooking, and I wanted to be fresh.”
Stone put his arms around her and held her for a moment. “I’m sorry I frightened you. You’d better get dressed and come downstairs,” he said. “The police are here.” He left her to get dressed. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, the two cops were emerging from different rooms.
“All clear down here,” the sergeant said. “Did you find anything?”
“The woman is all right; she’s upstairs. I expect the servants are still in their quarters.”
There were hurried footsteps from the direction of the gallery, and all three men swung their weapons in that direction. Dino came around the corner. “Hey, it’s Bacchetti!” he cried, holding out his hands, one of which held a pistol. Everybody relaxed. “Is everything okay here?” Dino asked.
“Yes,” Stone replied. “Sarah didn’t answer the phone when I called from the lobby, and I was worried about her.”
“What the hell happened downstairs?” Dino asked.
“Our perp showed, pretending to be delivering a package; the doorman let him into the lobby. Apparently, he walked over to the desk, shot your cop, then held the gun to the desk man’s head and forced him to call up here and ask Sarah to come downstairs. I went instead and found the two men dead behind the desk. The doorman says that Anderson and Kelly pursued the perp into the park. I called for backup. That’s it.”
“You think he knew we were watching the place?” Dino asked.
“My guess is no. I thi
nk he shot the cop just to get the desk man’s attention. I don’t know where Anderson was when he came in; the elevator was locked.”
“That’s pretty fucking ruthless,” Dino said. “Our man has moved up from knives to guns, and he’s getting more dangerous.”
“Looks that way.”
Dino looked up at the staircase, causing Stone to turn around. Sarah was coming down the stairs.
“Sarah, you remember Dino Bacchetti,” Stone said.
“Of course,” she said, shaking Dino’s hand.
“And this is Sergeant McElhenny.”
“Sergeant,” she said. “Now will someone tell me what is going on?”
“It’s bad, I’m afraid,” Stone said. “The man I told you about has shot a police officer and your desk man, Dan, downstairs. The police are searching the park for him now.”
“Dan? That sweet man?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
Sarah’s knees seemed to go weak, and she collapsed onto a sofa. Stone sat beside her. “Listen to me,” he said. “We’ve got to get you out of here right now. I want you to pack your bags as quickly as possible, and we’ll get Dino to drive us to my house.”
“But why do I have to leave here?” she asked. “Surely I’m not in any danger.”
“This is all my fault, and I apologize. I told you that this man is hurting people close to Dino and me. I’m afraid you’re at risk, now; he knows where you live.”
Dino spoke up. “Stone is right, Sarah; we’ve got to get you out of here. Is there a garage in this building?”
“Yes,” she said. “The entrance is around the corner.” She pointed downtown.
“I’ll pull my car in there and pick up you and Stone.”
“Ask the doorman for a card that opens the garage door,” she said. She seemed quite calm.
“I’ll be down there in ten minutes,” Dino said. “I just want to make sure everything’s being handled in the lobby. McElhenny, you and your man stick with them until I can get them in the car.”
“Yessir, Lieutenant,” the sergeant replied.
Sarah stood up. “I’ll get packed,” she said, then went back upstairs.
Stone went up to help her with her bags.
“I’ll just take a few things,” Sarah said, throwing clothes into a bag. “I can come back for the rest later.”
“I don’t want you to come back here until this guy has been caught,” Stone said. “Bring everything.”
Ten minutes later, they were stepping out of the elevator into the garage, the uniforms ahead of them, weapons drawn. Dino stood by his car, the trunk open. They stowed Sarah’s luggage, and a moment later were headed down to Turtle Bay.
“At least we know he’s not watching the house now,” Dino said. “He’ll still be in the park, if they haven’t already caught him.”
“I hope you’re right,” Stone said.
15
T HEY FELL EXHAUSTED INTO BED AND went immediately to sleep. Stone hadn’t felt terribly affectionate after the events of the evening, and he assumed Sarah hadn’t either. Then, sometime before dawn, he began having an erotic dream about Sarah. He was very nearly at climax when he realized that he wasn’t asleep, and that it wasn’t a dream. He opened his eyes. Sarah’s honey brown hair spilled over his belly; he was in her mouth, and his hand was stroking her buttocks.
“No, not yet,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “There’ll be nothing left for you.”
“I want a lot left for me,” she whispered, kissing him and pulling him on top of her. Stone tried to restore some calm to his body while kissing her breasts, but soon it was obvious that he could wait no longer. They came together, noisily, in less than a minute, then collapsed facing each other. She snuggled into his arms, mixing her sweat with his.
“You are so American,” she said.
“How so?”
“You’re noisy, like me. Englishmen never talk in bed, never say anything sexy.”
“Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am?”
“Just wham, bam.”
Stone laughed. “What about Italian men?”
“Very automotive,” she said. “There’s an old joke that an Italian man uses a sports car as an extension of his penis, whereas an Englishman uses it as a substitute.”
“It sounds as though your best interests lie in the United States,” he said. “I don’t even own a car.”
“That explains a lot.” She laughed.
“Though I’ve been meaning to buy one. I do have a garage, after all.”
“It would be a pity to have an empty garage,” she said. She took him in her hand and began kneading gently. “Perhaps I’d better have one last go at you before you start dissipating your energies in fast driving.”
“I’m older than I used to be, you know. It might not work again quite so quickly.”
“Oh, I think it will.” She squeezed. “See? It’s responding very nicely.”
“I believe you’re right,” Stone said, breathing harder.
She rolled on top of him. “I’ll drive,” she said.
Stone regained consciousness with the doorbell ringing in his ears. He rolled over and glanced at the bedside clock: 7:15. He punched the intercom button on the phone. “Yes?” he grumbled.
“This is Detective Thomas Deacon of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office,” a deep voice said.
That had a familiar ring, Stone thought. It took him a moment to remember that Dino had pointed the man out at the party at Martin Brougham’s house. He’d disliked him on sight.
“I want to talk to you,” Deacon said.
“Did you ever hear of business hours?” Stone asked.
“Most people are up by this time.”
“Come back after nine o’clock,” Stone said. He looked over at the sleeping Sarah, lying naked, her breasts exposed. “Make that after ten o’clock.” He punched off the intercom.
The doorbell sounded again.
“What?” Stone growled.
“I want to talk to you right now, Barrington.”
“Go fuck yourself,” Stone said, switching off the intercom. He rolled over, gathered Sarah in his arms, and fell asleep again.
Next, it was the phone, and this time it was after nine.
“Hello?”
“It’s Dino.”
“Hi. Any luck catching our perp last night?”
“None,” Dino said. “My people scoured the park half the night; he must have found some hole to crawl into. They’re still watching all the exits; he might try to walk out this morning.”
“Did you find out what happened to Andy Anderson last night?”
“He had locked the elevator and gone to the staff john. When he heard the shots he got himself together as quickly as he could and went into the lobby with his weapon drawn. There was an exchange of shots; Andy thought he might have nicked the guy, but he was out of the building and into the traffic and over the wall, and Andy couldn’t fire again for fear of hitting somebody else. My guess is that Kelly was cooping in the car and was slow to react, then didn’t call for backup. Good thing you thought of that.”
“I hope this experience has rattled the perp,” Stone said. “Maybe he’ll think twice before trying it again.”
“Especially if Andy put a bullet in him; that’s twice he’d have been shot, after Mary Ann fired at him. It’s a shame nobody got him in the center of the chest.”
“You remember that guy Deacon you pointed out to me at Martin Brougham’s house?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, he rang my doorbell at the crack of dawn this morning.”
“What did he want?”
“I don’t know; I told him to get stuffed.”
“Must be something about the Susan Bean killing.”
“If so, he’s a little slow on the uptake, isn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“Has he called you?”
“No.”
“I think I’ll just refer him to the precinct.”
<
br /> “No need to piss him off unnecessarily, Stone.”
“Why not? He’s pissed me off. You and I never pounded on people’s doors at seven o’clock in the morning, did we?”
“Not unless we were arresting them. He’ll probably come back with a SWAT team. By the way, Martin Brougham is the new chief deputy DA.”
“I hadn’t heard.”
“It’s being announced this afternoon. Rumor is, the old man is going to retire and is giving Brougham a head start on the election.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Stone said. “Only death will get the old man out of office. Maybe not even that.”
“You want some dinner tonight?”
“Let me call you later in the day. Do you still have people on me?”
“I’ve got two cars on your block right now; one of them doesn’t look like a cop car,” Dino said. “If you’re followed, that one will follow the follower.”
“Thanks, Dino,” Stone said. “I appreciate that. I don’t want to get Sarah hurt. Can you have one of them stick with her for a few days?”
“Sure. After all, he seems to be going after people close to us, not you and me. I’ll have Anderson and Kelly stick with her.”
“Thanks.”
“I gotta go. Call me later about dinner.”
“Will do.” Stone got up and dragged himself into a shower, while Sarah slept on. He shaved, got dressed, and went down to the kitchen. He made himself some coffee, toasted a bagel, and opened the Times. It was too soon for them to report the events of the night before, but there were accurate, if incomplete articles on the killings of Susan Bean and his neighbor, Miranda Hirsch. There were obituaries on both, as well.
The doorbell rang, and Stone punched the intercom. “Yes?”
“This is Thomas Deacon. Is it late enough for you now?”
“Walk around the railing to my office entrance,” Stone said. “I’ll meet you there.” He hung up, grabbed his coffee, and headed downstairs, wondering what the hell the man wanted.
16
S TONE LET DEACON AND ANOTHER MAN IN through the street-level entrance, led them to his office, and pointed at two chairs. “Okay,” he said, sitting down. “What do you want?”