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“Once I close out my contracts and you’ve done what you’ve been paid to do, I’ll talk with you all you want.”
The man picked up a tiny hamburger and popped it into his mouth. He washed it down with a big gulp of soda. Then he looked at Alex and said, “You’ll have me, Laszlo here, and my cousin Julio whene
ver you need us.”
Alex eyed Laszlo. He was the surly, emotional type that made this job miserable sometimes. She hoped his older friend could keep him in line.
Chapter 38
After meeting with the Dominicans, Alex used the entire afternoon to gather more information on Bennett. By following him to meet his grandfather—who, she learned, was a priest—she had the opportunity to photograph the churches in the neighborhood where Bennett lived and his grandfather worked. She loved the architecture of churches and relished the opportunity to mix pleasure with business.
Late in the afternoon, when she was tired of waiting for Bennett to emerge, Alex strolled into Central Park. She eyed a cop on horseback who was checking her out, then was distracted by a group of tourists riding horses with a guide. Horses right in Central Park!
Clemency and Gabriela could ride better than any of these adults, Alex thought. She knelt down and snapped half a dozen quick photos of the group with the sun casting wild beams of light through the trees. It was a wonderful sight.
Then she heard a man’s voice say, “Are you a spy conducting surveillance or just a fan of horses?”
The voice startled her, and she turned quickly, rising to her feet. She stared for a moment. It was the policeman sitting atop his bay horse, more than sixteen hands tall. The horse’s placid eyes took her in.
Alex said, “Excuse me?”
“I said, are you a spy or just into horses?”
“Both.” She hated to lie.
It was hard for a man not to look sexy on top of a horse, but this policeman also had broad shoulders and a square jaw. He looked like a recruiting poster. He gave her a smile, showing his perfect white teeth.
Alex felt herself flush slightly. She liked the way his eyes stayed on her face. It showed a good upbringing.
She stepped closer to him and ran her hand along the horse’s graceful neck. “What’s his name?”
“Traveller.”
“Just like Robert E. Lee’s horse.”
The cop stared at her, then said, “That’s exactly right. Almost no one gets that.”
“I bet the horse people do.”
“The horse people and the Civil War nuts.”
On impulse, she said, “How do I rent a horse here?”
“You know how to ride?”
“I’ve been around horses my entire life.”
The cop said, “What do racehorses eat?”
Alex smiled. “That’s the oldest joke around. Fast food.”
“Okay, that’s one. What goes in the horse’s mouth?”
“The bit.” She tried to look insulted, but this guy was too adorable.
The cop said, “Finally, the most important question. Will you go out with me?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s see how the ride goes.”
