Part 10

Tom hailed a taxi as soon as they walked outside. One pulled up and
they got in. Tom gave him the address of a deli and off they went.

Cassy couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She was hoping to
dine at somewhere famous for lunch, not at some old deli. They had delis in
Florida, lots of them.

They picked up the food and kept driving. Tom and George, the driver,
chatted, while Cassy just sat there thinking about Greer Garnett. It was
obvious that she was the apple of her parents' eye, especially to her father.
What was it like to be daddy's little girl? She looked over at Tom and smiled.
Boy or girl, this baby would have a wonderful father.

She didn't realize they were leaving the city and going up a steep incline.
She was shocked to see where they had stopped: the base of the
HOLLYWOOD sign. They got out of the car and the taxi drove off.

"Great idea, Tom, now we're stranded."

"Relax Cass, George says the cabbies make the drive up here all day long.
We will not be stranded. How about we eat?"

"Fine." The woman was too hungry to argue. "Pass me some potato salad."

They ate and enjoyed the spectacular view in front of them. "This was a
good idea, Tom. Thank you."

"I'm full of good ideas." He took another piece of chicken. "I'll tell you
what, since we have the rest of the afternoon free, and eating here
and visiting the Mann's Chinese theater were both my ideas, how about you
decide what's next?"

Cassy thought about it for a second. "You mean whatever I want to do,
you're game?"

"That's right." Tom saw the look in her eye. "No Cass, please not that."

"Your rules, Ryan. Not mine."


"I hate you for this, Cassy. I really do."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Cassy poked her head out from
behind the curtain.

Tom smiled at her. "Nothing, just thinking out loud."

Cassy pulled open the curtain and stepped in front of Tom. "What do
you think?"

Tom looked at the dress. It was red with thin straps. "It's very nice."

"Nice? For these prices, it had better be spectacular." Cassy took one
final spin in front of the mirror and disappeared behind the curtain.

Tom sat back in the chair and put his face in his hands. 'Stupid,
stupid, stupid.' He should have known better than to give Cassy total
control of his life. He should have known that the first place she'd run to
was Rodeo Drive.

It made no difference to her that she couldn't even afford a scarf in
these stores or that in a few weeks she would be looking for baggy clothes
with elastic bands; this was what she wanted to do. So here he was, sitting
in "husband chair" holding her purse while she tried on clothes.

"Feels like old times, doesn't it Tom?" Cassy called out.

"Sure does." He replied and then mumbled. "And I hated it then too."

"What was that?"

"I said, are we meeting Mr. Ivy at ten or two?"

"Two. This is the last dress. Tell me what you think." Cassy opened the
curtain and stepped out.

Tom was at a loss for words. The dress was stunning. Cassy was
stunning. She looked more like a movie star than a homicide
detective.

"Wow."

"That's all you have to say?"

"Oh wow."

Cassy kissed him on the cheek. "You were always so cute when you were
speechless."

"You look spectacular."

"I'm sure anyone would look spectacular in a four thousand dollar dress."

She took one last look in the mirror and headed for the dressing room.
"Oh well, back to reality. I'll just be a minute."

"Wait a sec."

Cassy turned around. "What?"

"Just this." He snapped a couple of pictures of her. "Something to
remember the dress by."


Cassy walked into the motel room, lay down on the bed and sighed.

"Problem, Cass?"

"Yeah." She sat up and removed her shoes. "We're leaving LA tomorrow and
I didn't get to do the things I've always wanted to do."

"We were here on business."

"Yeah, I know that. I wanted to go to San Francisco and see the Golden
Gate Bridge and drive down the crooked streets and walk through Chinatown."

"Where is it written that we can't? After we close this case, why don't
we take a few days and come back here?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously. We're both due some vacation time and this may be
our only time because pretty soon things are going to be hectic."

Cassy instantly felt better. "Partner, you have a deal."

Tom looked at his watch. "Well, it's now 6:30. What do you want to do?"

"Pizza and a game of cards."

"Pizza and cards? Just like on our first date."

"You bet. You order the pizza, I'll shuffle the cards."


Four hours later, the pizza was gone and she was ahead five
games to four.

"You know Cass, you really are wasting your talent by being a cop. You
should have been a casino dealer."

"I was once."

Tom was shocked. "Really? When?"

"It was a summer job after college. Only lasted four months. But it was
an incredible four months. After that I entered the police academy."

"Was this in Vegas or Atlantic City?"

"Vegas. Saw a lot action. I saw a man killed over a slot machine.
It was nasty down there. It had a lot to do with me becoming a cop."

"I can't believe you never told me about this. All the time we've
known each other you never mentioned working in Las Vegas. Does the
department know?"

"Of course the department knows. Even Harry knows. Why do you think I
was the top pick for all those gambling vice jobs?"

"Because you looked good in those little outfits?"

Cassy's response was a pillow to the head.

"There is a lot you don't know about me. Some things I don't like to
talk about; my father, for one. You know me; I'm not as open as
you. I could write a book on what I know about Thomas Ryan and
leave very little out."

"Really? Do you know about the time Tony Bond and I. . .?"

"Streaked the entire student body during a pep rally?"

"Yeah, how did you know about that?"

"Like everything else, you told me about it." Cassy yawned and stood
up. "It's late and I'm tired."

"I'm not finished here."

"With the game or my all-knowingness? I won the game and I proved I know
you better than you know me. I'd say we're finished."

"Not by a long shot. Hand me the remote. You sleep, I'm going to find me
an intellectually stimulating movie."

She handed him the remote. "Would that be 'Debbie Does Dallas' or 'The
Three Stooges'?"

"Say good night Cass."

"Night Cass."