Worst Fears Realized

13

THE KITCHEN GLEAMED WITH RESTAURANT-quality appliances and granite countertops. Sarah seated Stone on a stool where he could watch, then she went to the huge range, poured a generous dollop of olive oil into a skillet, and while it was heating, chopped some plum tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil. When the oil was sizzling, she dropped half a dozen slices of Italian bread into it and fried them on both sides. She arranged a small platter with the bread slices, then spooned the mixture of tomatoes, garlic, and basil onto each slice. She picked up the platter and headed for the door.

“Follow me,” she said.

Stone grabbed the bottle of Amerone and followed her through a swinging door and into a charming little corner dining room, where the table was already set for two.

“This is where the family dines,” she said. “There’s a much larger dining room through there, with a table that seats eighteen.” She nodded at the door.

Stone lit the candles on the table, and they sat down facing the windows, which overlooked Central Park and the lights of the city to the south. He poured them both a glass of wine and raised his glass. “Happy reunions,” he said.

“Hear, hear,” she replied, sipping her wine. “Oh, this is huge. What is it?”

“An Amerone.”

“Luscious. Now eat your bruscetta.”

Stone sliced off a chunk of bread and put it into his mouth. “Wonderful,” he said. “It’s so simple, but it’s really terrific.”

“Glad you approve. I told you I learned a lot in Tuscany.”

“Where exactly were you?”

“In the Chianti country, north of Siena and south of Florence.”

“Do you know I’ve never been to Europe?”

Sarah looked shocked. “I don’t believe it.”

“When I was a cop, I couldn’t afford it, and now I always seem to be too busy.”

“We will cure that condition,” she said. “Just as soon as my show is launched.”

“That might be fun,” he replied, swallowing the last of his bruscetta.

“It certainly will be, I assure you.” She took away his plate. “The main course is in the oven; I’ll be right back.”

Stone sipped his wine and gazed out over the park. He loved his house, he thought, but it didn’t have views like this.

Sarah returned with a hot crockery dish. “Cannelloni,” she said, serving him the little crepes, stuffed with ground pork. She spooned a creamy sauce over them, then served herself.

“You should give up painting for cooking,” he said.

They ate slowly, then Sarah brought out cannoli for dessert. When they had finished their dinner and the wine, she drew him from the table and led him through the apartment and upstairs. “I must show you the guest room,” she purred. She opened a door and led him into an elaborately decorated bedroom, then stopped and put her arms around his neck. “Now,” she said. “Another dessert.” She kissed him.

Stone thought he had never felt so good. The dinner had been perfection, and now, as he felt her breasts against him, felt her tongue in his mouth, he…

A loud buzzing noise interrupted them.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“The house phone,” she replied between kisses. “Ignore it.”

“I think you’d better answer it,” Stone said.

“Forget it.”

“Sarah, this could be important.”

“Oh, all right!” she said, breaking away and going to the phone. “Hello? Yes, Dan? No, I can’t right now. No, it’s impossible.”

“What is it?” Stone asked.

She covered the receiver. “It’s the desk man downstairs; he wants me to come down there and talk to the police.”

“Tell him you’ll be right down,” Stone said.

“Are you mad?”

“Please, tell him you’ll be right down.”

“I’ll be right down,” she said, then hung up the phone. “What on earth is going on?” she asked. “Why would the police want to see me?”

“You stay here; I’m going downstairs,” Stone said.

“When will you be back?” she asked plaintively.

“As soon as I possibly can. In the meantime, don’t open the door to anyone except me, and I mean anyone.”

“Stone, you’re beginning to frighten me.”

“Don’t worry, everything will be all right. I’ll be right back.” He ran down the stairs, let himself out of the apartment and into the foyer, then rang for the elevator. He looked up at the lights, expecting to see it move. It remained on the ground floor. He rang again, but the car did not move. He tried a door to his left, found a staircase, and started down.

As he ran quickly down the stairs he removed the pistol from his belt, worked the action, and put the safety on. He had started at the sixteenth floor, and it took him some minutes to reach the bottom. Finally at the lobby level, he put an ear to the door and listened. Nothing.

He opened the door an inch and peered into the lobby. It was empty. No one was at the desk across the way, and he could see the elevator car, standing with the door open. He flipped the safety off the pistol and, holding it in front of him with both hands, stepped into the lobby. He looked carefully behind the furniture and found nothing, no one, then he went to the desk and looked over it.

“Good God!” he said aloud. He flipped up the desktop and opened the half door that gave access to the area behind the desk. The cop and the desk man both lay on the floor, and there was a lot of blood. He checked both for pulses; they were dead.

He stood up and noticed two things for the first time. There was a bullet hole in one of the glass doors, and outside the building and to his right, lights were flashing. He walked outside and saw an unmarked police car standing a few yards up the street, the driver’s door open and a red light on the dashboard flashing. Traffic was moving unhindered down Fifth Avenue. Where the hell are Kelly and Anderson? He walked toward the car, passing two civilian cars on the way.

“Mr. Barrington?”

The voice spun him around. The doorman emerged from where he had been crouched between two parked cars. “Mr. Barrington, this is awful.”

“What happened?” Stone demanded.

“I let a man with a parcel to deliver into the lobby. He went to the front desk and, without a word, shot the police officer, then he held the gun to Dan’s head, and I saw Dan pick up the telephone. I ran outside, and then I heard a second shot.”

“Then what happened?”

“About a minute passed, and I heard more shots; then the man I had let in burst out of the building, ran across the street, and vaulted over the wall into the park. A few seconds later, the police officer who was running the elevator came out, looking up and down the street. I yelled that the man had gone into the park, and the officer went after him. Then I saw the red light start flashing in that car, there, and another man, I suppose a police officer, got out of the car and ran after the other two.”

“Do you know if the man in the car called for help?” Stone asked.