Page 105 of Black Dog

The phone on the man’s desk rang. He sat down and picked it up. “Hello? Well, hello, there.”

A woman, Herb thought.

The salesman held his hand over the receiver. “Anything else? I’ve got to take this call.”

“No,” Herb said, and the man went back to the phone call. Herb knew when he was licked. He walked out and began looking for a cab on the street.

The salesman pressed a button on the phone. “Thanks, Sheila,” he said. “The coast is clear.” He hung up.

Herb got into a cab and gave the driver an address, then he made a cell phone call. “It’s Herb. I’ve checked the classifieds—nothing there for us. I’ve just come from the Mercedes dealer. Eddie Jr. might have shopped there, but the only salesman on duty is a cop-hater, and he gave up nothing. Yeah, I’m on the way back now. Hang on, can you check new registrations of used Mercedeses from the last day or two? It’s a long shot, but it might give us something.” He hung up and zoned out, until he was back at the office, then he went immediately to a colleague’s cubicle. “Anything?”

“One new registration of a used Mercedes yesterday.A three-year-old obsidian black E55, with 22K on the odometer.”

“Name of owner?”

The man consulted his notes. “Registered to a Delaware corporation, only a PO box for an address in Wilmington.”

“Bingo!” Herb said.

FIFTY-FOUR

Stone hung up the phone and buzzed Joan.

“Yes, sir?”

“Strategic Services just called,” he said. “A used Mercedes like mine was registered yesterday to a Delaware corporation. Sounds like Eddie, doesn’t it?”

“Was there a street address?” she asked.

“No, just a PO box in Wilmington.”

“Oh.”

“I had an idea, though, about how to search the furnished apartments classified, without paying Strategic Services to do it.”

“Great! How?”

“You do it,” Stone said, eliciting a groan. “A thought. Look for apartments with garage space.” He hung up. He called Dino.

“Bacchetti.”

“It’s Stone. Eddie Jr. has got himself some new wheels.” He related the details.

“A smart move, looking for apartments with garage space. Eddie wouldn’t expose his new ride to the elements, would he? Are Mike’s people conducting a search?”

“No, Joan is. She’s too cheap to pay Mike. A woman after your own heart.”

“Tell her to call me if she comes up with something. I’ll have my guys run it down for her.”

“You’re a prince of a guy.”

“Clarke’s, six-thirty?”

“Okay.” They both hung up.

—

They were on their first drink at the bar when Stone became aware that someone, reflected in the mirror, was staring at him. “Oh, shit,” he said to Dino, sotto voce. “Here’s trouble. Check out the mirror.”

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