Stone and Holly arrived at Dino and Viv’s Park Avenue apartment on schedule. Many hugs and kisses ensued.
“The wine you sent arrived,” Viv said to Stone, “but if we serve it, our guests will think Dino is on the take.”
“A simple, unpretentious California Cabernet,” Stone said.
“Caymus Special Selection? Simple? Unpretentious?”
Stone looked around at the collection of retired police officers and politicians. “Most of your guests will never have heard of or really appreciate it,” Stone said. “Still, it’s nice to be good to them. When they taste it they’ll approve.”
“They’d better,” Viv replied.
“I was led to believe we would find you only in the kitchen,” Stone said.
“Dino, the angel, hired a support team. All I have to do is instruct them or, maybe, slap them around a little. If my mother were here, she’d believe she cooked it all.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Holly,” Viv said, “you look fabulous!”
“When I was appointed, the President insisted I dress like a grown-up,” Holly replied.
“Some grown-up!”
Dino extracted himself from a nest of blue suits and joined them. “Stone, the wine is sensational! Did you make it yourself?”
“My feet are still red from the crushing of the grapes.”
“I heard you had a visit from our colleagues at the state police.”
“I did.”
“It was true, as I told you, that Teppi had never been arrested, but, as it turns out, he’s been questioned more than a dozen times. The slippery type.”
“All too clear.”
“I ran Gloria Parsons’s name, too, but all we could convict her of is sleazy journalism.”
“That’s pretty clear, too.”
“I heard you got a standing ovation at Patroon last night.”
“That was for Holly.”
“That’s not how I heard it.”
“I hope to God you’re wrong.”
“I think it was for Stone, too,” Holly said.
The Bacchettis were pulled away in different directions and Stone and Holly found themselves afloat in a collection of Hermès neckties and large wristwatches. The wives all seemed to be clad in red.
They found seats at a card table, which saved them from having to eat from their laps, and the food was as good as Viv’s mother would have expected. It was hard not to eat too much, and when they left at half past three, Viv pressed a box of leftovers on them. “So you won’t have to dine out tonight.”
—
As they left the building they encountered a knot of media types and a couple of TV cameras confined to the gutter by half a dozen NYPD uniforms. Strobe lights flashed, and Stone caught a glimpse of Alphonse Teppi in the middle of the throng, for no apparent reason.
“Who’s the lizard?” Holly asked.
“He is what he appears to be,” Stone said. “He came to see me and suggested that I somehow get some acquaintances of his released from prison, and the sonofabitch recorded the conversation, which was played back to me by a couple of New York State cops. Fortunately, I was sufficiently abusive of him as to appear innocent in their eyes.”
“Is that the Teppi Dino mentioned?”
“Try and forget his name.”
Fred had the car door open, and they were inside before too many photos could be taken.
“I hope you’re getting used to the attention of the media,” Stone said.
“It seems to happen only when I’m with you.”
They took a drive down Fifth Avenue on the way home; the trees in Central Park were mostly bare but showed a lingering bit of color here and there.
“I miss the leaves,” Holly said.
“They’ll be back in the spring—happens every year.”
—
Viv had been right, they dined in the late evening on leftovers and a good bottle of wine. Later, in bed, they found a movie on TV.
“I’m glad you’re not a football nut,” Holly said.
“Only when I care who wins. NYU didn’t have a football team.”
“Did you notice that there was a gang of men in Dino’s study watching a game?”
“It’s the Thanksgiving affliction,” Stone replied.