He started grinding away at her heels, applying lots of pressure. Why would he do that? He doesnt know where we are. What did they find? What did you do with that? Proceed with the examination of this witness. Touching, I said. After his late father. Mason hung up, looked at his wristwatch, said to Della,Well, youd better stay on, too. Ill buy you a dinner. So do I, thought Devine. Oh, yeah, Herbie said. He just called. Stone picked up the gun and put it behind the door.There, dear, is that better? Sergeant Young, Stone said. Then youre not reporters. Youre troublemakers. We took mubfins car, the big brown 450 SEL Mercedes that he drove carelessly, almost recklessly, the way a lot of people drive leased cars, secure in the knowledge that somebody else will have to pay for the skinned paint or the nicked bumper. Drake switched off the loudspeaker, took one of the headphones from his ear, said,Hi, Perry. How are you, Della? Just a monitoring chore. She nodded. Saw his picture in the paper the other day. Hes some kind of mucky-muck in the Bradshaw campaign. I found it, put a spoonful in my coffee, stirred it, and said,Sally still lives here, doesnt she? Back when she was on the city council here — that was quite a while ago — she really fought to get us cabbies better wages. Ive always appreciated that. Im just glad shes all right. You wanted to know about my fare from the hotel, right?’.