'Will you require any sort of restraints?'
'I don't know,' he replied. 'Best be ready, though.'
'We'll expect you shortly. Do you know how to get into the garage?'
'Yes.'
'You'll be met there and brought up in the elevator.'
'Good.' Stone hung up, got his arms under Dolce, and picked her up. 'Let's get her to the car,' he said.
Dino closed the front door behind them, then got into the rear seat of the station wagon, helping Stone move Dolce's unconscious form into the car, then Stone went around to the driver's side.
'I hope to God we can get out of here before the cops show up,' Dino said. 'Some neighbor must have heard the shots.'
Stone started the car and headed down Mulholland. 'They'll find an empty house,' he said.
'And a mess. Eduardo had better send somebody up there to clean up.'
'I'll mention it to him.'
They got as far as Sunset Boulevard before Dolce began to come to.
'Easy, Dolce,' Stone said. 'You just lie here and rest.'
'Stone?' she said.
'I'm here, Dolce,' he said from the front seat. 'Just lie quietly. We'll have you home soon.' He turned up Sunset and began making his way toward the Judson Clinic.
'Where's home?' she asked dreamily.
It was a good question, Stone thought, and he didn't have an answer.
There were two beefy men in orderlies' uniforms waiting in the garage with a gurney. Stone stopped the car, got out, and helped Dino remove Dolce.
'Where are we?' she asked. Her hand went to the back of her neck. 'I've got a headache.'
'We'll get you something for that,' one of the orderlies said. 'Why don't you hop up here and we'll get you upstairs and to bed.'
'I don't want to go to bed,' she said, looking around the garage. 'It's early, and I'm a late person.'
'We won't need the gurney,' Stone said. 'Come on, Dolce, let's go upstairs and get you something for your headache.' He reached for her arm, but she stiffened and tried to pull away.
Dino stepped up and helped hold her as they got her onto the elevator.
An orderly pressed a button. 'We've got a room ready,' he said.
'What hotel is this?' Dolce asked
'The Judson,' an orderly replied.
'Never heard of it. I want to go to the Bel-Air.'
'The Bel-Air is full,' Stone said.
'Never mind, Papa keeps a suite there; I want to go to the Bel-Air.'
'Eduardo said to take you here,' Stone said. 'He'll come and see you in the morning.'
The elevator stopped, and the party moved down the hallway, with Stone and Dino holding tightly onto Dolce. They got her into a room, where a nurse was waiting.
'Oh, no,' Dolce said, struggling. 'I know this place. I've been to a place like this.'
The nurse came forward, a syringe in her hand.
Stone turned Dolce's face toward him. 'It's going to be all right,' he said.
She whirled, when she felt the needle in her arm, but Stone and Dino held her tightly.
'Oh, no,' Dolce said again. 'I don't want to…'
'Put her on the bed,' the nurse said to the two orderlies, and in a moment they had her stretched out. She turned to Stone and Dino. 'She'll be out in a minute, and she'll sleep for twelve hours.'
Stone stood at the bedside and held her hand until her eyes had closed and she was breathing deeply.
A few minutes later Stone and Dino took the elevator back to the garage and got into the car.
'I don't ever want to have to do that again,' Stone said. 'Then you'd better get a divorce,' Dino replied.
Chapter 58
Stone looked in the bathroom mirror; he did not much like himself this morning. Watching Dolce being sedated had shaken him badly, and later, explaining to Eduardo what had happened had not improved his state of mind. He had not slept much, and he was due at Marc Blumberg's office to prepare for tomorrow's hearing. He got into a hot shower and let the water run. The phone was buzzing when he got out.
It was Eduardo. 'I saw her early this morning,' he said.
'How was she?'
'Still sleeping; I just sat and looked at her. Her own doctor will be here today.'
'Is there anything I can do, Eduardo?'
'Everything is being done that can be done. Later, if her doctor thinks you could be helpful, perhaps you could see her.'
'Of course.'
'I would like to take her to New York as soon as she is able to travel. Dr. Judson said he would consult with her doctor about that. If possible, I will take her home to Brooklyn and have her treated there.'
'Perhaps she would be happier there,' Stone said, not knowing what else to say.
'Stone, there is something else I must tell you about.'
'What is it, Eduardo?'
'When I was at your house in New York we talked about the blood tests you took when Arrington's child was born.'
'Yes, I remember.'
'The tests were conducted by a laboratory here, in Los Angeles, called Hemolab.'
'Yes, I think so.'
'I think you should know that tests conducted by this company have, in the past, been known to be… manipulated. I cannot go into any detail about this, and I cannot discuss my reasons. Suffice it to say that this information is not just my opinion, but more substantial.'
Again, Stone didn't know what to say.
'I don't know if, in your case, the results were accurate or not, and I have no way of investigating. You might wish to have the tests repeated by another laboratory.'
'Thank you, Eduardo; I'll give that some thought.' He would certainly do that.
'I must go now.'
'I'll call you tonight to hear about Dolce.'
'Thank you; I'll be in my suite all evening. Good-bye.'
Stone hung up and sat on the bed, rattled by what Eduardo had said. He looked at the bedside clock: nearly eight; he was due at Marc Blumberg's office at nine to prepare for the hearing the following day. He shaved and dressed, then he called Dino.
'How you doing, pal?' Dino asked.
'I've been better.'
'What do you need?' Dino could always read him.
'I'd appreciate it if you'd do something for me.'
'Name it.'
'Wait until midafternoon, then call the office of a Dr. Lansing Drake, in Beverly Hills. Tell him Arrington recommended him, that you're having abdominal pains, and that you'd like to see him late this afternoon. Then call
