“No, let’s look at the pictures and pretend to appreciate them,” Stone replied. “That should bring him to your side.”
>
They walked along a wall, stepping around people and gazing at the big canvases, stopping before a particularly awful one.
“He’s looking our way,” Stone said. “Nod and smile a lot.”
“I’m nodding and smiling,” she said, pointing at a corner of the canvas. “Look, he had the guts to sign it.”
“Well, good evening and welcome,” a deep, Texan voice said from behind them.
Stone turned and tried to look surprised to see Derek Sharpe accompanied by Hildy Parsons. “Hello, Derek, Hildy,” he said. “May I introduce Mitzi Reynolds? She’s recently moved to New York from Charleston, South Carolina.”
“Well, hey, sugar,” Sharpe said, taking her hand, draping an arm over her shoulder and leading her back the way they had come. “Let me show you some of my work.”
“I’d love to see more,” Mitzi said. “I particularly liked the murals on the building.”
“Everybody likes those,” Sharpe said. “It’s a pity I can’t peel ’em off the building and sell ’em.”
Mitzi laughed becomingly. “Oh, I like your composition here,” she said, framing a canvas with her hands.
Then, from behind them, came a female voice. “Well, hello, Mitzi,” it said.
The two couples turned around to find Carrie Cox standing there with a willowy young man.
“Carrie!” Mitzi said, and a big air kiss was exchanged. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“I live here,” Carrie said.
“Isn’t that funny!” Mitzi replied. “So do I!”
“That is funny,” Carrie said. “It was my information that you returned to Charleston yesterday.” She glared at Stone.
“Oh, shit,” Stone muttered to himself.
21
MITZI LOOKED INQUIRINGLY AT STONE. “Excuse me for a moment,” he said, stepping forward, taking Carrie by an elbow and steering her away from Mitzi and the others. She tried to snatch her arm away, but he held on tightly.
“Don’t say anything,” he said, marching her across the room toward an unoccupied corner.
“I’ll say whatever I damn well please,” Carrie spat.
“Not until you’ve heard me out.” He stopped and turned her so that her back was toward the group across the room. “Remember that police operation Dino and I were talking about last night?”
“Sort of,” she said petulantly.
“It’s happening right now, and Mitzi is a part of it.”
Carrie brightened. “Oh, she’s going to be arrested? This I want to see.” She tried to turn around, but Stone stopped her.
“Mitzi is a New York City police officer,” he said.
Carrie screwed her face into an incredulous glare. “That is the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard! You’re going to have to come up with a better story than that.”
“No, I don’t,” Stone said firmly, “and unless you can accept the fact and keep your mouth shut I’m going to throw you out of here right now.”
“And how does a shrimper’s daughter get to be a New York cop?” Carrie demanded.