He had just gotten out of the shower when the phone rang. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Carrie.”
“Good afternoon.”
“Dinner tonight?”
“I can’t; business.”
“Cop business?”
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
“How much longer is this going to go on?”
“I hope not much longer.”
“Me, too. I’ve been working hard, and I miss you.”
“Same here,” he said, but he didn’t sound very convincing.
“You sound funny.”
“I just had a massage, and I’m half asleep.”
“Oh.”
“Any movement from Max?”
“Not a peep out of him. Tomorrow’s the last day I’m using the Leahys. I really don’t feel threatened.”
“I would advise you to keep them on for another week, at least.”
“They’re expensive!”
“You can afford it. Max’s check cleared, didn’t it?”
“It’s already in T-bills,” she said.
“Keep them on for another week.”
“We’ll see. Bye-bye, sweetie.” She hung up.
Stone struggled out of bed and into some clothes. He was about to leave his bedroom, but he remembered something. He went to his sock drawer, retrieved the ear bug, and slipped it into the ticket pocket of his jacket.
He arrived at Rita’s apartment on time, and Mitzi greeted him with a big kiss. She leaned into his left ear. “You were sensational last night.”
“So were you,” he said, “but you don’t have to whisper; the bug’s in my pocket.”
“Mine’s in my ear,” she whispered, “so be careful.”
Stone nodded.
Mitzi held out her hand. “Give it to me,” she mouthed.
He dug out the bug and handed it to her, and she stuffed it into his right ear and pushed it home with the tip of her little fingernail.
“All set, guys,” she said. “They should be along in about twenty minutes,” she said to the air. “In the meantime, all you’re going to hear is the clink of ice cubes.” She went to the bar and poured them each a Knob Creek.