“What precinct?”
“The First.”
“Who’s your boss?”
Stone gritted his teeth. “Lieutenant Doyle. I’m on special assignment.”
“What kind of special assignment?”
“If I was allowed to tell you that it wouldn’t be special,” Stone explained. It went on like this until Dino arrived.
Dino showed his ID. “You two,” he said, pointing two fingers at the detectives, “listen up.”
The detectives tried to look attentive.
“I’m taking care of this,” Dino said. “There’s no report to make.”
“We gotta make a report, Lieutenant,” one of them said softly. Dino was well-known in the department, and they were being appropriately deferential.
“You don’t gotta do nothing,” Dino said, “except forget this. Mention it to nobody, and if anybody mentions it to you, refer them to me at the Nineteenth. Believe me, you don’t want to be involved in this one.”
The two detectives looked at each other, then back at Dino. They nodded simultaneously, got up, and left the house.
“Thank you, Dino,” Carrie said. “That was sweet of you.”
Dino patted her on the head. “Don’t you worry about it, sweetheart.” He looked at Stone. “You want a lift?”
“Please,” Stone said, getting up.
“You’re leaving?” Carrie asked, looking surprised.
“There’s nothing more for me to do here,” Stone said.
“But plenty for you to do in your bedroom,” she said, pouting.
“My bedroom is none of your business,” Stone said. “Now shut up and let Dino do his work.”
Stone and Dino left the house and walked down the front steps. “You’re sure it’s the ex-husband?” Dino asked Stone.
“No. Apparently, Carrie has treated the entire cast of her show like shit. It could be anybody.”
“I’ll have the airports watched.”
“Just Teterboro,” Stone said. “The guy flies himself.”
“That makes it easier.”
“He’s off the ground by now, but the tower will have a record of his departure.”
“Where does he land in Atlanta?”
“Probably Peachtree DeKalb,” Stone replied.
“I’ll pull a favor and get him talked to. How long would his flight take?”
“He flies a King Air. Say, three hours. All this happened between five thirty and six. If
he went straight to Teterboro, he’d be in the air by seven. You’ve got a shot at having him met.”