I took a few seconds to appreciate the gorgeous blonde comment. Then I slugged him. “You’re truly a jerk.”
He laughed and hugged me tighter. “I love it when you call me names.”
I smiled and touched his cheek. “In that case, you’re a complete ass.”
“Mmm. Music to my ears.”
I grabbed his lapel and whispered, “For a cop, you know a lot about larcenous behavior.”
“It’s part of the training.”
“I think you live closer to the edge than you let on.”
He gave me an innocent smile before pulling the restaurant door open and pushing me inside.
“I need a drink,” I said, breaking away from him.
“Fat chance of finding alcohol in a vegetarian restaurant,” he complained.
“Hey, vegetarians drink wine,” I insisted, taking off my jacket as we passed through the foyer. “It’s like the staff of life or something.”
“Isn’t that bread?”
“Whatever.”
Despite the sunny day outside, the restaurant was as dark as a cave, its walls and ceiling lined in thick redwood panels. The darkness suited my mood.
“Ah, delightful,” he said, and led me to the fully stocked bar that ran the length of the room on the far side. We grabbed two stools and sat, the only two customers in the bar.
I studied the wine list and finally decided on a glass of the 2004 Concannon Petite Syrah. Derek ordered a very dry Belvedere martini with a lemon twist, shaken, not stirred. Why was I not surprised?
We didn’t speak until our drinks were served. As soon as the bartender walked away, I turned to Derek. “Maybe Minka already called the police. Don’t you think we should lie low for a while?”
“Lie low?” he said with a smirk. “Now who’s living on the edge?”
“It was just a thought.”
Derek took one sip of his martini, then said, “From everything I’ve heard about this Minka, we oughtn’t depend on her to do the right thing.”
“Good point.”
He pushed his barstool away and stood. “I’ll go make the call.”
I grabbed his arm. “No, I’ll make the call.”
“It’s no problem.” He tapped his head. “I know the number. Nine-one-one. See?”
“Very funny,” I said. “Don’t you think it should be an anonymous phone call?”
“It will be.”
“Not if you make it,” I said. “When Inspector Jaglow plays the dispatcher’s tape back and hears a distinguished British accent, he’ll know it’s you.”
Derek smiled crookedly and patted his chest. “I’m touched you think I’m distinguished.”
“I didn’t say you were… Oh, never mind.”
“I won’t be long.” He started to walk away.
“You stay right here.” I jumped off my stool. “All you need to do is open your mouth and they’ll know it’s you.”
“I’m perfectly capable of disguising my voice,” he said imperiously.
“Right, Double-O.” I shook my head in disbelief. “Shaken, not stirred. Give me a break.”
He pulled me back. “All right, listen. I’m not calling anonymously. I’m telling Jaglow I overheard your conversation with Baldacchio and went to see him before you got there. I found the body.”
“Oh.” That made sense. “But what about me?”
“What about you?”
“Are you going to tell him I was there?”
He pierced me with a look. “Are you going to do everything I tell you to do from now on?”
“Probably not.”
His lips twisted. “Then I’ll have to think about it.”
“That’s blackmail.”
He grinned. “Such an ugly word, but yes.”
“All right, all right. Just go.” As I watched him walk away, I realized I didn’t care whether the police knew I’d been there. The most important thing right now was that they took care of Enrico and tracked down Abraham’s killer.
As soon as Derek came back, he said, “It’s best if you go back to work this afternoon.”
I took a hearty gulp of wine. “As though nothing happened?”
“Exactly,” he said as he paid the bill.
“I’m not sure I can lie about this.”
“I’m well aware of your status as the world’s worst liar,” he said. “And I know you had nothing to do with his death. But if the police find your fingerprints, it could make things difficult. Are you prepared to deal with it?”
As I pushed the barstool back I thought about it. “I know I’m innocent so I’ll deal with it. I just want the police to find this killer before he strikes again.”
I made it back to the Covington in less than twenty minutes. Ian was nowhere to be found and I was just as happy not to have to confront him this afternoon. I’d give him a day to calm down. Not to mention I could use a day to calm down, myself. Of course, there was a strong chance Ian would grow more frantic once he realized the police would be going through Enrico’s house looking for clues-like a five-thousand-dollar check with Ian’s name on it, for example-with a magnifying glass and tweezers.