profile case for me, I’m sure. And speaking of Frank Fullam…” She dug into her purse and produced a folded envelope. “I had to go see him earlier. He gave me this to give to you.”
“What is it?”
“Consulting fee. After everything last night, he figured you had it coming.”
Donovan opened the envelope and saw it was a folded sheaf of papers with a check paper-clipped to it. The amount was not huge, but it was a nice, unexpected bonus.
“I looked the paperwork over,” she went on. “It’s all standard for police consultants. You have to sign them and get them back to him before you can cash the check.”
“Really?” Donovan looked dubious. “I was thinking I could do more good outside the system. You know, to avoid having the mayor kick me off the case.”
She grimaced. “Doesn’t work that way, either. Hugh Yarborough, the Chief of Detectives and Frank’s boss, was not amused that he brought civilians along on the stakeout. Father Carroll is already registered with the NYPD as an official consultant; you aren’t. You sort of have to sign these to keep him off the hook.”
“He works at Midtown North, right?” Donovan disliked being constrained but didn’t want to see Fullam get in trouble. “I’ll drop these off tomorrow.” He stuck the envelope in his pocket. “Why did you have to go see him?”
“Sketch artist. I got a pretty good look at Charming Man, or Mister X, or whoever he is. Hopefully Frank can make something out of it.” She finished her martini and waved for another round. When it came, she took another big swallow. “He told me what you did at the shark tank last night.”
“Not much. They got away.”
“He said you swung out on a rope over the tank while the sharks were still feeding.” Donovan could feel the weight of her disapproval. “What is wrong with you? What were you thinking ?”
“That I could catch them.” He downplayed it even as his heart raced at the memory. “They were getting away, the other exits were blocked. It was the only way.”
“ Sharks , Donovan? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?”
“I couldn’t let them just get away with it. I had to do something.”
“Famous last words.” She took a deep breath. He could see the stress tightening her face, clouding the gold flecks in her eyes. “Well, talk to Frank. Maybe as an official consultant to the NYPD, you can get a carry permit or something.”
“Maybe.” The thought gave him pause. In spite of the circumstances that had created the possibility, and in spite of Joann’s perspective, he found himself intrigued by the idea. “I’ve never had a problem riding the subway late at night, or walking home after work, but this is a whole new world. A gun might not be a bad idea.”
“It is a whole new world, and a dangerous one. If you insist on being part of all this—and despite my fears, Frank seems to think you handled yourself pretty well—I want to be sure you come back to me in one piece at the end of the day.”
“Yeah, I’m a fan of that idea, too.”
“You’re my respite from all the political bullshit I face at work. You’re my connection to normal life, where people don’t shoot at each other, or chop each other to bits, or,” she raised an eyebrow, “jump over shark tanks. I need it. I need you.” She sipped again and waved a hand in front of her face as though erasing a blackboard. “I don’t want to think about investigations or work or the mayor or sharks anymore. We have really important issues to discuss. We have to set a firm date for the wedding. I was thinking next spring, maybe the beginning of April. April second , not the first.”
“We don’t want getting married to make us…April Fools?” He sipped his drink. “Careful. Might smile. Can’t have that.”
She stared glumly into her martini. “After today, it’s going to be a while before I smile.”
He leaned in and kissed the back of her neck, grinning at the
“What is it?”
“Consulting fee. After everything last night, he figured you had it coming.”
Donovan opened the envelope and saw it was a folded sheaf of papers with a check paper-clipped to it. The amount was not huge, but it was a nice, unexpected bonus.
“I looked the paperwork over,” she went on. “It’s all standard for police consultants. You have to sign them and get them back to him before you can cash the check.”
“Really?” Donovan looked dubious. “I was thinking I could do more good outside the system. You know, to avoid having the mayor kick me off the case.”
She grimaced. “Doesn’t work that way, either. Hugh Yarborough, the Chief of Detectives and Frank’s boss, was not amused that he brought civilians along on the stakeout. Father Carroll is already registered with the NYPD as an official consultant; you aren’t. You sort of have to sign these to keep him off the hook.”
“He works at Midtown North, right?” Donovan disliked being constrained but didn’t want to see Fullam get in trouble. “I’ll drop these off tomorrow.” He stuck the envelope in his pocket. “Why did you have to go see him?”
“Sketch artist. I got a pretty good look at Charming Man, or Mister X, or whoever he is. Hopefully Frank can make something out of it.” She finished her martini and waved for another round. When it came, she took another big swallow. “He told me what you did at the shark tank last night.”
“Not much. They got away.”
“He said you swung out on a rope over the tank while the sharks were still feeding.” Donovan could feel the weight of her disapproval. “What is wrong with you? What were you thinking ?”
“That I could catch them.” He downplayed it even as his heart raced at the memory. “They were getting away, the other exits were blocked. It was the only way.”
“ Sharks , Donovan? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?”
“I couldn’t let them just get away with it. I had to do something.”
“Famous last words.” She took a deep breath. He could see the stress tightening her face, clouding the gold flecks in her eyes. “Well, talk to Frank. Maybe as an official consultant to the NYPD, you can get a carry permit or something.”
“Maybe.” The thought gave him pause. In spite of the circumstances that had created the possibility, and in spite of Joann’s perspective, he found himself intrigued by the idea. “I’ve never had a problem riding the subway late at night, or walking home after work, but this is a whole new world. A gun might not be a bad idea.”
“It is a whole new world, and a dangerous one. If you insist on being part of all this—and despite my fears, Frank seems to think you handled yourself pretty well—I want to be sure you come back to me in one piece at the end of the day.”
“Yeah, I’m a fan of that idea, too.”
“You’re my respite from all the political bullshit I face at work. You’re my connection to normal life, where people don’t shoot at each other, or chop each other to bits, or,” she raised an eyebrow, “jump over shark tanks. I need it. I need you.” She sipped again and waved a hand in front of her face as though erasing a blackboard. “I don’t want to think about investigations or work or the mayor or sharks anymore. We have really important issues to discuss. We have to set a firm date for the wedding. I was thinking next spring, maybe the beginning of April. April second , not the first.”
“We don’t want getting married to make us…April Fools?” He sipped his drink. “Careful. Might smile. Can’t have that.”
She stared glumly into her martini. “After today, it’s going to be a while before I smile.”
He leaned in and kissed the back of her neck, grinning at the
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