Part 18 (1/2)
”One step up,” he said.
”Thank you,” Matt said.
”You at Bustleton and Bowler?”
”No. But I'm headed there.”
”When you get there, don't leave until we talk.”
”Yes, sir.”
”Don't call me sir, Matt. I've told you that.”
The phone went dead. Matt hung it up and turned to face the people waiting for him to report.
”As of six this morning they upgraded her condition from 'critical' to 'serious,' ” he said.
”Thank G.o.d,” Soames T. Browne said.
”Mother, I'm sure Penny would want us to go through with the wedding,” Daphne Browne said.
”Why did this have to happen now?” Mrs. Soames T. Browne said.
Matt started to say, d.a.m.ned inconsiderate of old Precious Penny, what? but stopped himself in time to convert what came out of his mouth to ”d.a.m.ned shame.”
Even that got him a dirty look from Amanda.
”What do you think, Matt?” Soames T. Browne said.
”It's none of my business,” Matt said.
”Yes it is, you're Chad's best man.”
”Chad's on his way to Okinawa,” Matt said. ”It's not as if you could postpone it for a month or so.”
”Right,” Daffy Browne said. ”I hadn't thought about that. We can't postpone it.”
”I think Matt is absolutely right, Soames,” Mrs. Browne said.
”That's a first,” Matt quipped.
”What did you say, Matthew?” Mrs. Browne asked icily.
”I said, you're going to have to excuse me, please. I have to go to work.”
”You will be there tonight?” Daffy asked.
”As far as I know.”
”I wanted to ask you, Matt, what happened last night,” Soames T. Browne said.
”I don't really know, Mr. Browne,” Matt said.
And then he walked out of the kitchen. Amanda's eyes found his and for a moment held them.
Peter Wohl leaned forward, pushed the flas.h.i.+ng b.u.t.ton on one of the two telephones on his office coffee table, picked it up, said ”Inspector Wohl” into it and leaned back into a sprawling position on the couch, tucking the phone under his ear.
”Tony Harris, Inspector,” his caller said. ”You wanted to talk to me?”
”First things first,” Wohl said. ”You got anything?”
”Not a G.o.dd.a.m.n thing.”
”You need anything?”
”How are you fixed for crystal b.a.l.l.s?”
”How many do you want?”
Harris chuckled. ”I really can't think of anything special right now, Inspector. This one is going to take a lot of doorbell ringing.”
”Well, I can get you the ringers. I had Dave Pekach offer overtime to anybody who wants it.”
”I don't have lead f.u.c.king one,” Harris said.
”You'll find something,” Wohl said. ”The other reason I asked you to call is that I have sort of a problem.”
”How's that?”
”You know a lieutenant named Lewis? Just made it? Used to be a sergeant in the 9th?”
”Black guy? Stiff-backed?”
”That's him.”
”Yeah, I know him.”
”He has a son. Just got out of the Police Academy.”
”Is that so?” Harris said, suspicion evident in his voice.
”He worked his way through college in the radio room,” Wohl said.
”You don't say?”
”The commissioner a.s.signed him to Special Operations,” Wohl said.
”You want to drop the other shoe, Inspector?”