Page 98 of Near Miss

Ed handed her the drink he had poured for himself, then started over.

“Was that really Gromyko’s widow on TV?” she asked.

“As far as we know,” Stone replied.

Stone switched to CNN and found the same graveside cleavage staring at him.

“She’s an all-star,” Viv said.

Mary, the housekeeper, rescued them from the news. “Dinner’s on,” she said.

“That would be lobster,” Stone said. “It’s always lobster thefirst night back.” He found himself seated next to Carly, with Dino on her other side.

“Did you have a refreshing nap, Carly?” Viv asked sweetly.

“Indeed, I did,” Carly said. “The rain does it for me every time.”

“You know, one of my detectives told me something I didn’t know about Russian crime families,” Dino said.

“That would be just about everything,” Viv said.

“He said that a childless young Russian widow becomes the ward, so to speak, of the succeeding family head, and that he is obligated to give her a child.”

“Well,” said Viv, “that’s useless information, if I ever heard it.”

Dino jerked a thumb at her. “She says that about every bit of news I bring home.”

“I don’t argue sports with you,” Viv said. “Unless Mrs. Gromyko qualifies as a sport.”

Ed Rawls spoke up. “I got a glimpse of Greco’s wife on the island today.”

“How’s her cleavage?” Dino asked.

“Oh, Dino,” Viv said, “shut up.”

“That’s my cue to shut up,” Dino said, and did.

On his way back to his place after dinner, Ed Rawls’s phone rang with an unfamiliar number. He let it go to voicemail and then played back the message.

“It’s Peter Greco. If you could, please call me back.”

Curious, he hit redial.

“Hello?” The male voice on the other end was the same voice that had left the message.

“Mr. Greco.”

“Mr. Rawls, thank you for returning my call. I was wondering if you might have time to discuss a job.”

“Sorry, not interested.”

“Could we at least meet so that I could explain the parameters?”

“I don’t work for the mafia.”

“This would be both for and against. All I’m asking is that you hear me out.”

Despite himself, Ed was interested. “Tomorrow morning, tenam. Grindle Point Lighthouse.”

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