Final justice - W.E.B. Griffin [147]
The car's arrival, Stan Colt in the front seat, and the movement of the press had also been seen by Sergeant Al Nevins of Dignitary Protection, who had apparently stationed himself and two uniforms just inside the hotel's door. The three of them walked quickly to the car. Nevins opened the door, and when Colt got out, the three of them made a wedge and escorted Colt into the hotel. Once he was through the door, the uniforms barred the press from following him.
Matt and Olivia got out of the car and went into the hotel.
Nevins was standing by an open elevator door.
Matt made the introductions. "Sergeant Nevins, Detective Lassiter."
"How are you?" Nevins said, but his surprise that Olivia was a cop was evident on his face.
Stan Colt was in a rear corner of the elevator, hiding himself as best he could. Matt and Olivia got on the elevator and the door closed.
Detective Jesus Martinez was sitting on a chair outside the double doors of the Benjamin Franklin Suite, reading the Philadelphia Daily News. When he saw them, he stood up and knocked on the door.
"What the hell are you doing out here?" Matt asked.
"This is where the guy inside told me to wait," Jesus said.
"You had your dinner?"
Martinez shook his head, "no."
The suite door opened a crack, and Alex peered out, then saw Colt and opened the door all the way.
Matt signaled for Jesus to follow him into the room.
"Detective Martinez is not a rent-a-cop," Matt announced. "He doesn't sit in the corridor. Clear?"
Alex looked at Colt.
"What the hell is the matter with you, Alex?" Colt snapped.
"Sorry, Stan," Alex said.
"Stan, this is Jesus Martinez, a detective from Special Operations. "
"I'm pleased to meet you," Colt said, sounding as if he meant it.
"He's half of your chastity squad," Matt said. "The other half will relieve him at midnight."
Colt chuckled, and held out his hand to Martinez.
"If you can get rid of these two," he said, "I've got some phone numbers and we could have a party."
Matt shook his head.
"Hay-zus," he said. "This is Olivia Lassiter from Northwest. "
They briefly shook hands. It was obvious from the surprise on Alex's face that he had taken one look at Olivia and assumed Stan Colt's trolling for companionship had been successful.
Eddie the photographer and Jeannette the secretary were in the room.
"Have you made a decision about dinner?" Jeanette asked.
"Yeah. Here. You're not invited," Colt said. "Just me and the detectives. You've got a menu?"
She went to a sideboard and returned with a menu and handed it to him. He handed it to Olivia.
"Does Jesus get to stay?" Colt asked.
"Yes, he does," Matt said.
"Good. Okay. Thank you. That's all. I'll see you in the morning," Colt said.
They all filed out of the suite.
Matt noticed that they had not--except for the surprise on Alex's face--acknowledged the presence of him, Hay-zus, or Olivia at all.
"They're necessary," Colt said when they were gone. "And they do what they're supposed to do well, but sometimes, having them around my neck all the time is worse than the goddamn press."
Colt lay down on the couch and gestured for the others to sit down.
"I was about to ask you if they have a cheese steak sandwich on there, Olivia. But it has now occurred to me that if they do, it'll be a Ritz-Carlton cheese steak, not a real one. Like from D'Allesandro's on Henry Avenue?"
"I can't believe these prices," Olivia said.
"Well, don't worry about them, everything's on the studio, " Colt said. "I wonder, could we send out for a cheese steak?"
"It would be cold by the time it got here," Matt said.
"Well, maybe later on," Colt said.
Olivia handed the menu to Matt.
"Inspire me," she said.
"I think you already do, baby," Colt said. "Give me the menu."
Matt handed him the menu.
He glanced at it quickly.
"Anybody doesn't like shrimp cocktails?"
No one spoke.
"Anybody morally or intellectually opposed to filet mignon?"
No one spoke.
"Anyone determined to ruin a good steak by cooking