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Stone and Dino met for lunch at P.J. Clarke’s.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Dino asked. “You sounded funny on the phone.”
“Funny ha ha or funny queer?”
“Funny queer. Ha ha.”
“You’re right. Marla Rocker has a problem, maybe a very serious problem. I’ve moved her into my house for a few days while we sort this out.”
“You mean, while I sort it out.”
“I mean, I’ll sort out her problems, but you can make the arrest.”
“Gee, who do I get to arrest?”
“A man named Ed Abney.”
“And who the fuck is Ed Abney?”
“He runs a publicity agency called Bright Lights, Ink, with a ‘k.’”
“Cute. Did he issue an illegal press release?”
“You know the actress found dead in the apartment in your precinct a couple of days ago?”
“You’re just wondering if I know what goes on in my precinct, aren’t you?”
“Well, yes.”
“Annette Redfield.”
“You win this,” Stone said, handing him a French fry.
Dino ate the French fry. “I want to thank everybody who voted for me.”
“Ed Abney scared Annette Redfield enough so that she was about to flee the city to get away from him.”
“And you know this how?”
“Remember the other night at Marla’s opening-night party?”
“Yes.”
“She saw Abney there with Redfield. Abney has been sort of stalking Marla, in spite of her asking him to go away. Redfield followed her into the ladies’ john and told her to watch out for him, that he has a history of violence with women. Apparently, she was talking about herself, since she was about to make a run for it.”
Dino got out his cell phone and pressed a speed dial button. “Viv? Bacchetti. We’ve got a suspect in the Annette Redfield strangling, name of Ed Abney.” He gave her the name of Abney’s agency and told her about Marla’s conversation with Redfield at Sardi’s. “No, don’t pick him up just yet. I want to know if Abney has an arrest record and if he has any TROs out on him. Call me back with results before you make an arrest. Thanks, kiddo.” Dino hung up.
“So you’ve got DeCarlo on speed dial now?”
“It makes it easier to dial her.”
“I’ll bet. How many of your other detectives do you have on speed dial?”
Dino ignored that one. “What are you doing about Marla?”
“I’m keeping her at my house, and I sent Allison to court to get a TRO against Abney.”
Dino looked at his watch. “How long ago?”
