Everybody counted backward from ten while watching the big ball on TV fall in Times Square, then they sang “Auld Lang Syne,” even if nobody understood the words.
“Whew!” Stone said. “We made it through another one. You ready to go home?”
“I just want to have a look at dessert,” Holly said, leading him through the waning crowd toward the groaning board. “You want some?”
“Maybe half a slice of mince pie,” Stone said, following her.
“The bread pudding looks wonderful,” Holly said, adding some caramel sauce and a scoop of ice cream to hers. She took a big bite of everything. “It is wonderful!”
Stone returned most of his pie to a passing waiter, then went into Dino’s study and collapsed into a comfortable leather chair. The mayor was sitting opposite him.
“Happy new year, Barrington,” the man said. He tended to use last names only when speaking to men: fewer names to remember.
“Yer Honor, the same to you,” Stone replied. “How’ve you been?”
“Tolerable, I guess you could say. I’m trying to sober up enough to get myself out of this armchair.”
“Don’t fight it,” Stone said, “just sit back and enjoy. Can I get you another drink?” While hizzoner was thinking about that, Stone flagged down a waiter and snagged two loaded brandy snifters, handing one to the mayor.
“Better times,” Stone said, raising his glass.
“I’ll sure as hell drink to that,” the mayor replied.
“Tell me, which is more fun—police commissioner or mayor?” The man had held both jobs.
“Fun?” the man exploded. “I don’t think I’ve had a day’s fun in either one. They’re both like a slog through deep snow—or more likely, deep shit.”
“What was your worst day?”
“Every single police funeral I attended,” he replied, “and I attended them all, as commissioner or mayor, most of them shootings, but if somebody’s dog bit him on the ankle and he fell down the stairs, I attended that, too.”
“A sad duty. I’ve attended a few, myself.”
“I hear you were a much better detective than anybody gave you credit for,” the mayor said.
“Those are kind words, sir.”
“Ever wish you’d stuck with it?”
“I didn’t have that opportunity. They elbowed me out at the first opportunity.”
“I remember that,” the mayor said. “I was chief of detectives at the time, but they had that medical report, and there was nothing I could do.”
“Well, I guess I landed on my feet,” Stone said. “I’ve no complaints.”
“I should think not!” the mayor snorted.
Holly appeared. “Okay, I’m stuffed. We can go.”
“Mr. Mayor, may I introduce the secretary of state, Holly Barker? Madam Secretary, His Honor, the mayor of New York City.”
“We met a long time ago,” she said, “when you were a deputy chief of police and I was running the CIA station in the city.”
“Ah, yes,” the mayor said. “I remember when it blew up.”
“There was that,” Holly replied ruefully.
“That was the nastiest explosion we’ve ever had in this town,” he said. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt. Tell me, Madam Secretary, have you ever considered running for President?”
Holly put the back of a hand to her forehead and feigned a swoon. “God forbid,” she said.
“You keep thinking about it,” the mayor said. “I’ll announce my support the first day, for what that’s worth.”
“It would be worth a great deal,” Holly said, “and if the day should ever dawn, I’ll come looking for you.”
Stone, sensing she was uncomfortable, rose and made leaving noises. They said good night to the mayor and to their hosts and lined up for the elevator again.
—
Gloria Parsons made her way to the powder room, locked herself in, set her bag down by the loo, pulled everything down, and sat. As she did, she spotted her cell phone in her bag, which she had neglected for some days. There were two phone messages, and she pressed the button. The first was from Al Teppi, and she listened in horror. “That stupid shit! Doesn’t he know from sarcasm?”
Someone knocked on the door. “Anyone in there?”
“Occupied!” Gloria yelled, pressing the other button. It was Danny. He and Al were both insane, and Danny was asking for another four thousand dollars. Another four thousand? She threw the phone at the bag, pulled up her thong, and wrestled with the door lock, finally getting it open and startling the woman waiting outside.
She ran into the living room, looking around, then spotted Stone Barrington and Holly Barker getting onto the elevator. She yelled his name as the doors closed and the dozen people waiting for the next ride all turned and looked at her.
Benton Blake appeared at her side. “What’s going on?” he asked.
She grabbed his hand and towed him toward the stairs. “Come on!” she hissed.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve got to stop them,” she said.
“Stop who?”
She slammed the fire door behind her, took off her heels, and bolted down the stairs, with Benton in pursuit.
“Gloria, what the hell?”
“Shut up and follow me!” she shouted, and kept running.
—
Crank Jackson loitered behind a large mailbox, which gave him good cover, and watched the door of the apartment building. He took the pistol from his inside pocket and the silencer from his outer pocket and began screwing one into the other. Finally he worked the action, feeding a round into the chamber, and flicked off the safety.
—
Stone and Holly filed out of the elevator with the others, and as they entered the lobby, a blast of cold air blew in.
“It’s going to be freezing out there,” Holly said.
“Don’t worry, I spoke to Fred, and he’s parked just around the corner to the right with the heat on, so you won’t be cold for long.”
Fred got out of the car, dressed only in his suit, and shivered in the night air, watching the corner for his passengers’ approach. As he did he saw a man in a black coat with a hood standing behind a mailbox, staring at the building with interest, with something long and black in his hand.
—
Gloria burst through the downstairs door and into the lobby, her bare feet freezing on the cold marble floor. “Stone!” she yelled, as he disappeared out the front door. She began fighting her way through the crowd of revelers and cops in the lobby.
—
Crank Jackson spotted them coming and raised the pistol, resting it on top of the mailbox. He sighted on Barrington’s forehead and waited for him to reach the corner of the building. As he did, he began squeezing the trigger very slowly.
—
Stone took Holly’s hand and pulled her across his body to the right, to give her some shelter from the side of the building. As he did, he heard two noises almost simultaneously: one, a plip, the other, a very loud bang.