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"My advice would be to put it in tax-free municipals. You've already got a good deal of money in them. If you'd like, I'll take care of it for you."
Matt's indignation had not run completely down.
"You win, we get our pound of flesh. Youlose, tough luck, right?"
"Essentially," Brewster Payne said. "And if you would like some additional advice?"
"Sure."
"I would not tell your mother about this. Right now she thinks of you as her saintly son who went out to the desert to help a sick girl. I would rather have her think that than to have a mental picture of you at the Las Vegas craps tables…"
"Roulette."
"…roulette tables, surrounded by scantily dressed chorus girls."
"It's true."
"What's true?"
"They have some really good-looking hookers out there."
"But you, being virtuous, had nothing to do with them, and were rewarded by good luck at the roulette tables?"
"Absolutely. I have the strength of ten because in my heart, I'm pure."
"When do you go back to work?"
"Tomorrow, probably. I've got to go to Chief Lowenstein's office at half past one. I suspect that someone is going to tell me that when I go back to work, I say I was doing paperwork in the Roundhouse, not running out to Vegas to fetch Precious Penny."
The waiter appeared and interrupted the conversation to take their order.
"Have you plans for tonight?"
"No, sir."
"I think your mother would like to have you for dinner. She's making a leg of lamb."
"Thank you."
"Amy will be there."
"I have just been sandbagged."
"Yes," Brewster Payne said. "I had that in mind when I mentioned the lamb." He handed Matt the Flamingo check. 'Take this, and the cash, to the bank. Cash this, and have them give you a cashier's check for the entire amount of money, payable to First Philadelphia. Give it to me tonight, and I'll take care of it from there."
Matt nodded, and took the check back.
"How much in taxes are they going to get?"
"You don't really want to know. It would ruin your lunch."
****
"I'll have the vegetable soup and the calves' liver, please," Chief Inspector Matt Lowenstein told the waiter.
"Shrimp cocktail and the luncheon steak, pink in the middle," the Honorable Jerry Carlucci ordered.
When the waiter had gone, the mayor said, "You should have had the shrimp and steak. I'm buying."
