Part 54 (2/2)
”So what were you thinking just now?”
”How things really are?” he asked. ”The naked truth?”
She nodded.
”I want to take your clothes off,” Matt said.
”Just like that?”
”You asked.”
She pushed herself off the bed and stood up.
”I'll take them off,” she said. ”You tend to rip them.”
”If you don't want-” Matt began, now chagrined.
”When I was crying, honey,” Susan interrupted, ”I was thinking, Why doesn't he put his hand up my dress when I desperately want him to, need him to? Why doesn't he put his hand up my dress when I desperately want him to, need him to?”
Matt had a sudden, unpleasant thought.
What that could be is, ”I will f.u.c.k a gorilla and pretend I love it if it will keep me from going to the slam.”
Three minutes later, as he lay spent on top of her, he knew that wasn't true and was deeply ashamed of himself.
Officer Paul Thomas O'Mara stood in the door to Inspector Peter Wohl's office, waited until Wohl had finished speaking on the telephone, and then announced, ”There's a Dr. Payne on three, Inspector. You want to talk to her?”
”I think I can find time to work the good doctor into my busy schedule, Tommy, ” Wohl replied. ”Thank you very much, and please close the door.”
Then he picked up his telephone and punched the Line Three b.u.t.ton.
”Peter?”
”I have this problem, Doctor,” he began. ”I wake up in the morning, alone in my bed-”
”You want to buy me lunch?”
”You have the same problem, do you? Your place or mine?”
”Here.”
”You're at home?”
”I'm at the hospital.”
”The last time we ate there, as I recall, the guy playing the violin was on strike, the champagne was warm, and they were out of everything but dry sandwiches and ice cream in little paper cups. Doesn't Ristorante Alfredo seem a much better idea?”
”You have trouble remembering that I work for a living, don't you?”
”I've offered to take you away from all that.”
”This is serious, Peter.”
”You haven't had another case of introspection, have you? While I'm gnawing on a dry sandwich, you're not going to give me that 'this is just not going to work out, Peter' speech, are you?”
”I don't think I will,” she said chuckling, ”but that's not what I want to talk to you about.”
”Okay, Doc. What time?”
”When can you get away?”
”Anytime from right now.”
”You could come right now?”
”The never-ending war against crime will have to wait. My lover calls.”
”G.o.d, you're as bad at Matt.”
”If this is about him, I don't have anything to tell you. I just finished talking to Jack Matthews-I was talking to him when you called-and he said that as of half past seven this morning, Matt had nothing to report.”
”It's not about Matt. Can you come right now?”
”You sound serious. Yeah. I can be there in fifteen minutes.”
”Please, then, Peter.”
”No farewell declaration of affection?”
”I'll be in my office.”
”I guess not,” Peter said. ”But nevertheless, I will come instantly, borne on the wings of love.”
”Oh, G.o.d,” Amy said and hung up.
Inspector Wohl swung his feet, clad in highly polished loafers, off his desk and left his office. Officer O'Mara stood up at his desk.
”Until further notice, I'll be with Dr. Payne at University Hospital,” Wohl told him. ”You have her number. Try to keep everybody in Special Operations from knowing that.”
”Yes, sir. You're unavailable.”
”I didn't say that, Tommy,” Wohl said patiently. ”Just use a little discretion. Don't tell everybody everybody who calls where I am.” who calls where I am.”
”Yes, sir.”
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