The Mugger 87th Precinct Series, Book 2 - By Ed McBain Page 0,13

room, carrying a bottle of beer and a glass.

“Did you want one, honey?” he asked Molly.

“No, I’ve got to be careful.” She turned to Kling. “The doctor says I’m putting on too much weight.”

Bell poured the beer for Kling. He handed him the glass and said, “There’s more in the bottle. I’ll leave it here on the end table for you.”

“Thank you,” Kling said. He lifted his glass. “Well, here’s to the new baby.”

“Thank you,” Molly said, smiling.

“Seems every time I turn around, Molly’s pregnant again,” Bell said. “It’s fantastic.”

“Oh, Peter,” Molly said, still smiling.

“All I have to do is take a deep breath, and Molly’s pregnant. She brought in a specimen of me to the hospital. The doctors told her I had enough there to fertilize the entire female population of China. How do you like that?”

“Well,” Kling said, a little embarrassed.

“Oh, he’s such a man,” Molly said sarcastically. “It’s me who has to carry them around, though.”

“Did she tell you a little more about Jeannie?”

“Yes,” Kling said.

“I’ll get her for you in a few minutes.” He looked at his watch. “I got to be taking the cab out soon, and I’ll drop Molly off at a movie. Then you and Jeannie can talk alone—until our sitter gets here, anyway.”

“You drive a lot at night?” Kling asked, making conversation.

“Three, four times a week. Depends on how good I do during the day. It’s my own cab, and I’m my own boss.”

“I see,” Kling said. He sipped at the beer. It was not as cold as Bell had advertised it. He began to doubt seriously any of Bell’s advance promotion, and he looked forward to meeting Jeannie with vague skepticism.

“I’ll get her,” Bell said.

Kling nodded. Molly tensed where she sat on the edge of the sofa. Bell left the room and walked through the apartment. Kling heard him knocking on the closed door, and then heard his voice saying, “Jeannie? Jeannie?”

There was a muffled answer, which Kling could not decipher; then Bell said, “There’s a friend of mine I’d like you to meet. Nice young feller. Come on out, won’t you?”

There was another muffled answer, and then Kling heard a lock being unsnapped and a door opening and a young girl’s voice asking, “Who is he?”

“Friend of mine,” Bell said. “Come on, Jeannie.”

Kling heard footsteps coming through the apartment. He busied himself with the glass of beer. When he lifted his head, Bell was standing in the doorway to the room, the girl beside him— and Kling no longer doubted his veracity.

The girl was a little taller than Molly. She wore her blonde hair clipped close to her head, and it was the blondest hair Kling had ever seen in his life. It was almost yellow, like ripe corn, and he knew instantly that she had never touched it. The hair was as natural as her face, and her face was a perfect oval with a slightly tilted nose and wide, clear blue eyes. Her brows were black, as if fate hadn’t been able to make up its mind, and they arched over the blue eyes, suspended between them and the yellow hair, strikingly beautiful. Her lips were full, and she wore a pale-orange lipstick, and her mouth was not smiling.

She wore a straight black skirt and a blue sweater, the sleeves showing up to her elbows. She was a slender girl, but a slender girl with the remarkable combination of good hips and firm, full breasts that crowded her sweater. Her legs were good, too. Her thighs were full, and her calves were beautifully curved, and even the loafers she wore could not hide the natural splendor of her legs.

She was a woman, and a beautiful woman.

Peter Bell hadn’t lied. His sister-in-law was a knockout.

“Jeannie, this is Bert Kling. Bert, I’d like you to meet my sister-in-law, Jeannie Paige.”

Kling got to his feet. “How do you do?” he said.

“Hi,” Jeannie answered. She did not move from where she stood alongside Bell.

“Bert’s a cop,” Bell said. “Maybe you read about him. He got shot in a bar downtown.”

“Outside the bar,” Kling corrected.

“Sure, well,” Bell said. “Honey, your sister and I have to go now, and Bert only just got here, so I thought you wouldn’t mind talking to him a while—until the sitter gets here, huh?”

“Where are you going?” Jeannie asked.

“I got to hack a while, and Molly’s taking in a movie.”

“Oh,” Jeannie said, looking at Kling suspiciously.

“So okay?” Bell asked.

“Sure,” Jeannie replied.

“I’ll take off this apron and comb my