Criminal Mischief Read Free Page B

come up yet.”
    “Don’t worry, it will.”
    “You have a dark outlook, Dino,” Stone said.
    “That’s because I’m a great judge of character.”
    Stone winced. “Whose character are we discussing at the moment?”
    “Yours.”
    “Why mine?”
    “You’re the one who’s trying to manipulate Tink.”
    “No, that would be Zanian.”
    “But he’s a good guy. Tink said so.”
    “Whose judgment would you trust between Tink and Charley Fox, who worked at Goldman when Zanian got fired?”
    “Does that make Charley a superior judge of character to Tink?”
    “Charley was working on information gained in the same workplace. Tink is relying on charm.”
    “Isn’t that how you got her into the sack?” Dino asked.
    “That’s different. We’re talking money here.”
    “You think money had nothing to do with your getting Tink in the sack?”
    “We didn’t discuss money. At that time.”
    “Stone, any woman who took a stroll around your house would think you were awash in money.”
    “Now we’re on the subject of my tastes in interior design?”
    “Why not?”
    “We were talking about Zanian.”
    “I thought we were talking about Tink,” Dino said.
    “We were talking about getting Tink and her money out of the clutches of Zanian, who is running a Ponzi scheme. At least, I was talking about that. And am. Do you want to see Tink lose all her hard-earned three hundred grand?”
    “That brings up another matter. How did Tink earn the three hundred grand?”
    “Dino, I don’t care how she earned it. I just don’t want her to lose it.”
    “As far as I can tell, the woman has no visible means of support.”
    “All the more important for her not to lose what she’s got. And what do you care about the visibility of her support?”
    “Do you think she’s a high-priced hooker?” Dino asked.
    “Do you know how long it would take a high-priced hooker to turn three hundred grand’s worth of tricks?”
    “No, do you?”
    “No, and I don’t care.”
    “But you care so deeply about Tink. Or, at least, about her three hundred grand.”
    “I don’t care about her money.”
    “Then why are you so interested in protecting it?”
    “I’m interested in protecting Tink. It’s the same thing.”
    “I could argue that point,” Dino said, “but not without another drink.”
    Stone raised a finger, and a waiter leapt into action.
    Dino took a swig. “Where were we?”
    “I’ve no idea,” Stone said.
    “Have you ever heard of somebody named Sean Delaney?” Dino asked.
    “I may be a little confused by now,” Stone said, “but I’m absolutely certain we were not talking about somebody named Sean Delaney.”
    “Why are you so certain we’re not talking about Sean Delaney?”
    “Because I’ve never heard of him.”
    “That doesn’t mean we couldn’t be talking about him.”
    “Is he related to Tink Dorsey?”
    “You could say that.”
    “No, you could say that. I’ve never heard of him, so I can’t say that.”
    “He’s Tink’s old man.”
    “In what context?”
    “What do you mean, ‘in what context’?”
    “Is he her sugar daddy or her rich uncle?”
    “Neither. He’s a very slick con man.”
    “Why do I care?”
    “Because you care about Tink.”
    “Is he trying to con her?”
    “Of course not, why would he do that? He’s her father.”
    Stone blinked. “Tink’s father is a con man?”
    “How do you think she got so good at it?”
    “Are you saying that Tink is a con girl?”
    “Con woman would be more au courant,” Dino said, “not to mention woke.”
    “Why do you think this?”
    “She could be in cahoots with Viktor Zanian.”
    “ ‘In cahoots’? She’s his victim or is about to be.”
    “Maybe.”
    “ ‘Maybe’? Do you know something I don’t know?”
    “Stone, I know one hell of a lot that you don’t know.”
    “Don’t change the subject. We were on Viktor Zanian for a minute there.”
    “You didn’t catch the six-thirty news tonight, did