Part 52 (1/2)
Alex looked at Colt.
”What the h.e.l.l is the matter with you, Alex?” Colt snapped.
”Sorry, Stan,” Alex said.
”Stan, this is Jesus Martinez, a detective from Special Operations. ”
”I'm pleased to meet you,” Colt said, sounding as if he meant it.
”He's half of your chast.i.ty squad,” Matt said. ”The other half will relieve him at midnight.”
Colt chuckled, and held out his hand to Martinez.
”If you can get rid of these two,” he said, ”I've got some phone numbers and we could have a party.”
Matt shook his head.
”Hay-zus,” he said. ”This is Olivia La.s.siter from Northwest. ”
They briefly shook hands. It was obvious from the surprise on Alex's face that he had taken one look at Olivia and a.s.sumed Stan Colt's trolling for companions.h.i.+p had been successful.
Eddie the photographer and Jeannette the secretary were in the room.
”Have you made a decision about dinner?” Jeanette asked.
”Yeah. Here. You're not invited,” Colt said. ”Just me and the detectives. You've got a menu?”
She went to a sideboard and returned with a menu and handed it to him. He handed it to Olivia.
”Does Jesus get to stay?” Colt asked.
”Yes, he does,” Matt said.
”Good. Okay. Thank you. That's all. I'll see you in the morning,” Colt said.
They all filed out of the suite.
Matt noticed that they had not-except for the surprise on Alex's face-acknowledged the presence of him, Hay-zus, or Olivia at all.
”They're necessary,” Colt said when they were gone. ”And they do what they're supposed to do well, but sometimes, having them around my neck all the time is worse than the G.o.dd.a.m.n press.”
Colt lay down on the couch and gestured for the others to sit down.
”I was about to ask you if they have a cheese steak sandwich on there, Olivia. But it has now occurred to me that if they do, it'll be a Ritz-Carlton cheese steak, not a real one. Like from D'Allesandro's on Henry Avenue?”
”I can't believe these prices,” Olivia said.
”Well, don't worry about them, everything's on the studio, ” Colt said. ”I wonder, could we send out for a cheese steak?”
”It would be cold by the time it got here,” Matt said.
”Well, maybe later on,” Colt said.
Olivia handed the menu to Matt.
”Inspire me,” she said.
”I think you already do, baby,” Colt said. ”Give me the menu.”
Matt handed him the menu.
He glanced at it quickly.
”Anybody doesn't like shrimp c.o.c.ktails?”
No one spoke.
”Anybody morally or intellectually opposed to filet mignon?”
No one spoke.
”Anyone determined to ruin a good steak by cooking it well done?”
No one spoke, but Matt and Olivia chuckled.
”Well, that wasn't hard, was it?” Colt said, and walked to the sideboard and picked up the telephone.
”This is Mr. Colt in . . . I have no idea where I am, but I'll bet you can find out. What we need right away is four shrimp c.o.c.ktails; four filet mignons, medium rare; all the appropriate side dishes; and a couple of nice bottles of cabernet sauvignon. Thank you very much.”
He hung up.
”Okay,” he said. ”You can start now, pause while they set up the table, and then continue, okay, Detective La.s.siter?”
”Fine,” Olivia said.
”Can I call you Olivia, or will your boyfriend here think I'm making a pa.s.s at you?”
”I'm not her boyfriend,” Matt said.
”He's not my boyfriend,” Olivia said, simultaneously.
”Methinks thou dost protest too much,” Colt said in a surprisingly creditable British Shakespearean accent.
”Hay-zus,” Matt said, quickly. ”The commissioner wants Mr. Colt to see how-”
”Hey, I thought we were friends. What's this 'Mr. Colt' s.h.i.+t?”
”The commissioner wants Stan Stan to see how Homicide works a job,” Matt went on. ”La.s.siter was next up on the wheel at Northwest when the Thirty-fifth uniform called in what turned out to be the Williamson homicide. For a couple of reasons, she's been detailed to Homicide for the job, and Captain Quaire told her to bring to see how Homicide works a job,” Matt went on. ”La.s.siter was next up on the wheel at Northwest when the Thirty-fifth uniform called in what turned out to be the Williamson homicide. For a couple of reasons, she's been detailed to Homicide for the job, and Captain Quaire told her to bring Stan Stan up to speed on the job.” up to speed on the job.”
”I wondered what was going on,” Martinez said.