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“Well, then,” she said.
There was a pause in the action while Fred took away their dishes, then an enthusiastic resumption. They could not bring themselves to leave the sofa, but their clothing did.
—
Much later, Bridget sat up. “I have an early meeting tomorrow morning,” she said. “I should go.”
“I wouldn’t eject you into the storm,” Stone said. “Just listen to that rain. We could move to the master suite, where I possess an alarm clock.”
“I guess that will have to do. Anyway, I have a change of clothes in my bag.”
“Clever girl,” Stone said, picking up the bag and leading her upstairs, where the action resumed.
—
The next morning, Stone found Joan waiting in his office when he came downstairs. “Good morning,” he said.
“Maybe not,” Joan replied. “Eddie Jr. is out on bail.”
“I heard.”
“And he’s waiting outside to see you.”
“Kindly throw him out into the street.”
“I heard that,” a voice said. Stone looked up to find Eddie Jr. standing in the doorway.
“Oh, good. Then Joan won’t have to explain it to you.”
“I’m here about my trust.”
That was legitimate business, Stone supposed. “Go ahead.”
“Why is it I can get two million dollars from my trust as bail, but I can’t get a hundred thousand for clothes and other necessities.”
“Because the two million is in the hands of the court, not yours, and you can’t spend it. By the way, have you read the conditions of your bail?”
“They’re in my pocket.”
“Yes, but have you read them?”
“It’s on my list of things to do.”
“Well, you’d better move it to the top of your list. Because if you violate one of them, even a little, like leaving New York City, you will be arrested and your two million will vanish in a puff of smoke. And by the way, the Hamptons are not located in New York City.”
“That seems extreme.”
“The court thinks of them as extremely reasonable. And if you violate that or any other of the rules, I will, as an officer of the court, be required to report it to the judge, who will not be understanding.”
“You’d do that, wouldn’t you?”
“Most certainly.”
“Eddie,” Joan said, “why don’t you go lay your head wherever you’re laying your head these days. After, of course, a shower and a scrub.”
“I didn’t like the plumbing facilities in jail,” Eddie explained, “nor the company.”
“Joan,” Stone said. “If he’s not in the street within thirty seconds, you have my permission, as an officer of the court, to shoot him.”
