Part 59 (1/2)

”Thanks, Jen. I was hoping you'd volunteer.” She knew she could have dropped a hint and made it happen anyway, but this was nicer.

She then went around and had a few last words. It felt like a good-bye and she didn't want it to. But it did.

Ten minutes later, while Stone waited in her double-parked car, she and Jennifer took the elevator up to her Barrow Street apartment.

”Where did you find that man?” Jennifer asked as soon as they got on.

”He seems nice. Interesting. He's not a client, is he? And, pardon me for noticing, no wedding ring.”

”He actually found me,” Ally declared, punching her floor. ”It's a long story, but he was a guy I was deeply in love with for about fifteen minutes back around college. The old flame I told you about, remember?

Then we started getting on each other's nerves. We're both going easy on the personal details right now, but I've got a hunch he's got n.o.body else percolating. Which, incidentally, goes for me too, or hadn't you noticed.”

They stepped off the elevator and she unlocked the door to her apartment. Knickers exploded with delight.

”Hi, baby.” She reached down and ruffled the sheepdog's ears.

”I really love her,” Jennifer said as she reached down to pet her too.

Knickers began a dance of joy, then ran to search for her rubber ball behind the couch, hoping for a game of fetch with Jennifer.

”By the way, I can't tell you how I appreciate your taking her. She's going to love being at your place awhile. I'm sure she gets bored crazy being here all the time. I probably should get a puppy or something to keep her company, but then she'd be jealous. And I'm not about to get a stupid cat.”

”She loves me because she knows I love her,” Jennifer said. ”I always play with her when you bring her into the office. At least I think she loves me. This may turn out to be the test.”

Ally headed into the bedroom, opened a drawer, and took out some black sweats.h.i.+rts. Those and black jeans were her favorite things to wear around the house. She slept in a T-s.h.i.+rt and panties, so it wasn't hard to put together her evening ensemble. Besides, if something went wrong with the experimental stem cell procedure, it wouldn't matter a d.a.m.n what she was wearing.

She threw the clothes into a blue gym bag and headed for the bathroom to fetch some toiletries. By the time she got back to the living room, Jennifer had a measuring cup and was shoveling Science Diet into a large plastic bag.

They delivered Jen and Knickers back to the office. After she gave them both a farewell hug, she came around and slipped into the Toyota's driver's seat, moving Stone across.

”I'm actually feeling better now, so I'll drive as long as I can. And by the way, I'm famished. How about that turkey sandwich?”

”Thought you'd never remember.”

Five minutes later, they were headed up the West Side, with Ally at the wheel. She checked the gas and was relieved to see that she still had two-thirds of a tank. Stone was leaning back in the seat looking at her.

”You know, it's easy for me to say, but trying the stem cell procedure on your heart is probably the right thing for you to do. Still, though, it makes me nervous. If there's a medical glitch of some kind then . .

. I mean, what the h.e.l.l is going on with Kristen?”

”I'm going to confront him about that,” she said ”I d.a.m.ned well want some answers before I just turn myself over to him.”

After they crossed the George Was.h.i.+ngton Bridge, she began feeling slightly better. Maybe, she thought, whatever it is is going to pa.s.s.

As they headed north up the tree-shrouded highway, she decided to ask him a question that had been nagging at her mind.

”Stone, I know you hate to have these talks, but something about you doesn't quite compute for me right now. There's a kind of unnatural intensity about your pursuit of Winston Bartlett and his stem cell work. And the same goes for his reaction to you. Way back when, I never really thought I knew you, and it's still true. I mean, is this all just about a book on stem cell technology? Or is it something more?”

The question was followed by a long moment of silence as he looked away, into the forest, and appeared to wrestle with his thoughts.