From the book
Books by Stuart Woods
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Author’s Note
1
Stone Barrington was at dinner at Patroon, a favorite restaurant, with Dino and Viv Bacchetti, his closest friends.
“Stone,” Viv said, “don’t you sometimes wish you were still a cop?” Stone had spent fourteen years on the NYPD, most of them as a homicide detective with Dino as his partner.
“Viv,” Stone replied, “with the kindest possible intention, are you out of your fucking mind?”
Viv burst out laughing.
Dino looked at him with pity. “He wishes he was still a cop every time I tell him about something the department is investigating.”
“The only time I wish I were a cop,” Stone said, “is when somebody is double-parked in front of my house and I’m having trouble getting the car out of the garage.”
“You mean, you want to arrest the driver?” Viv asked.
“No, I want to shoot him.”
“Stone thinks the worst crime we have to deal with is double-parking in his block,” Dino pointed out.
“No, I just think it’s the worst crime within gunshot range of my garage door.”
“That seems a drastic remedy,” Viv said.
“Not when you consider that I’d only have to do it once—word would get around, then nobody would double-park in front of my house.”
“It wouldn’t matter, because you’d be in jail for quite a long time,” Dino said.
“You mean, you’d have me arrested for shooting a double-parker?” Dino had stayed on the NYPD and was now police commissioner of New York.
“Of course. You’d get no special treatment.”
“I didn’t mean I’d kill the guy, just shoot him a little.”
“Then you’d spend less time in jail. With good behavior you’d be out in seven to ten.”
“But I still have a badge.”
“Take a close look at your solid-gold, honorary-detective-first-class badge that was given to you by our former commissioner, now mayor. It’s not engraved with the words ‘Authorized to shoot anybody who annoys him.’”
“Not even double-parkers who block my garage door?”
“Especially not them.”
Stone’s cell phone rang and he looked at the number. “It’s Joan,” he said. “She never calls at this time of night. I’d better get it. Hello?”
“It’s Joan.”
“I...