Part 13 (1/2)
”How should I know? I'm a cop, not a priest. It's Mary. How idolatrous can it be?”
”I took the liberty of making some spaghetti. You hungry?”
”Am I hungry? I could eat the sofa. You're a doll.”
”I'll get it for you.”
While Annie changed clothes Frank broiled garlic bread and tossed a salad. Dinner was waiting on the kitchen table when Annie returned.
”You cook and clean up after yourself,” she marveled. ”A miracle.”
”And your loose change is still around.”
Annie laughed, producing two gla.s.ses and a bottle of red wine. Frank watched her put the gla.s.ses on the table and pull the cork. It made a familiar pop and as Annie tipped the bottle Frank laid a hand over her gla.s.s.
”No, thanks.”
”You don't drink?”
Frank shook her head, admiring the carnelian stream Annie poured into the other gla.s.s.
”Only three reasons cops don't drink. They're health nuts, they've found Jesus or they're drunks. Which are you?”
”You're the detective. You figure it out.”
Annie grinned, corking the bottle. The wine's scent tickled every cell in Frank's body. Each one leaned toward Annie's gla.s.s like eavesdroppers in the old E.F. Hutton commercials.
”All right, Miss Hotshot LAPD lieutenant. You can't be a vegan else you wouldn't a made spaghetti sauce with meat, and it tastes like real b.u.t.ter on this bread. Plus, I saw the dressing came out of a bottle. Too many chemicals for a health nut. So I don't think it's that. Still, it's a better shot than the Jesus freak. A Jesus freak wouldn't a asked if praying to Mary was idolatrous. And I've heard what comes outta your mouth. No Jesus freak talks like that.”
Frank grinned.
Wiping spaghetti off her chin, Annie went on. ”And the way your hand shot out over that winegla.s.s makes me think you don't even want to be tempted to drink. How'm I doin'?”
”I think you should get promoted.”
”How long you been sober?” Annie asked around a mouthful.
”Couple months.”
Annie lifted an eyebrow toward her gla.s.s. ”This bother you?”
”No,” Frank lied. As the silence unfolded she added, ”I appreciate your letting me stay here. You're right. It's a lot nicer than a hotel.”
”Heck, I'm the one who's glad. This is delicious.”
”Glad you like it.”
”Who's the lucky person you cook for at home?”
”No lucky person right now.”
Annie nodded. ”It's hard to keep aem around. Men expect you to be secondary to their careers, but turn the tables and their egos can't handle it.”
Deciding to extend the candor, Frank admitted, ”I get around that by dating women. Been lucky so far. Been with cops and an M.E. They know what the job demands so they aren't p.i.s.sed off- well, too p.i.s.sed off-when they don't see you for days on end.”
”Smart.” Annie tapped her temple with a fingertip. ”Why didn't I think a that?”
” aCause your mother would've really had a fit.”
Annie laughed, choking on her spaghetti. Was.h.i.+ng it down with wine she sputtered, ”Oh, G.o.d forbid! Bad enough I'm a cop, huh, but a lesbian? She'd come unglued. She would just come unglued. G.o.d bless her, she'd starve to death, she'd be so busy lighting candles for me. I guess you didn't have to deal with that, huh?”
”Nope. Advantages to dead parents. They'd have probably been all right with it. My mom for sure, and probably my dad, too. They were pretty laid back.”
Frank asked if Annie had caught any more bad guys and she answered, ”Thought I'd take a break. But I gotta say, you're my good luck charm. You show up on Sunday and by Tuesday I got three collars. I ain't lettin' you go home.”
”I've seen how you work. You make your own luck.”
Annie deflected the compliment, asking, ”What did you do today besides make a gourmet dinner?”
”Hardly gourmet. Not much. Figured out which subways to Canarsie. Read. Took a little nap.”
”Nice.” Dabbing the napkin at her mouth, she sat back with her gla.s.s of wine. ”You know, my son's car is sittin' in the garage being a home for rats and spiders. Use that instead a the subway.”
”Why isn't your son using it?”
”Kid thinks he's from California. He had to have a car when he turned sixteen so I bought an old beat-up Nova from a dealer owed me a favor. He drove it six months and realized what a pain it is to drive in the city. I keep it as backup. It's a great surveillance car, but for the most part it sits around gettin' rusty. You take it tomorrow.”
Frank was uncomfortable with so much generosity. She fidgeted, asking, ”You sure?”
”I'm sure. Wait'll you see it. You might want to take the subway. But if you're sittin' there doing surveil all day at least it'll be a little warmer. Supposed to keep snowing through Thursday, maybe Friday.”
Frank nodded. ”Okay. But I'm not sure how I can repay all your generosity.”
”Are you kiddin'? Way I look at it, you're workin' for me for free. Repay me by helpin' me close your father's case. That's my payment.”
”Deal.” Checking her watch, Frank told Annie she was going to an AA meeting.
”Oh, yeah? I got a cousin goes to AA. He's a different man since he stopped drinkin'. Got a beautiful wife, an adorable three-year-old and a baby on the way. Couple years ago, I was sure I was gonna have to escort his mother to the morgue. But he's got his act together now.”
Frank nodded. ”You like ice cream?”
”Doesn't everybody?”