The keyboard rattled again as she attacked it. Then an obituary popped up with a picture. Im dining at the Carlyle at nine, he said, retrieving his pass from the safe. As I was saying, my knock interrupted Ted telling Jess that my (and Abbys) idea was dumb and his, of course, was brilliant. Yes. Then we let go. How about me? Drake asked. How about me? Drake asked. Because theres no use cluttering up the record with a lot of extraneous matters. And sworn to something that wasnt so? I wish I could. Abby was sliding away from me now. But I have an actual date. I took out my tin box and started to roll a cigarette.Oh, for Gods sake! Audrey said, reached in a drawer, and tossed me a pack of Luckies. “I bought these yesterday after you left. I swore I wasnt going to watch you go through thatmacho cigarette-rolling act of yours again even if I had to buy you a years supply. Dino called his car, and a few minutes later, Joan came upstairs carrying a police riot gun and a box of 12-gauge shells and set them gingerly on the coffee table.Delivery for you, she said. “Are we expecting a riot? They took up were they had left off with brandy. Eagle washed down one of his painkillers. Okay, doyou deny taking meprisoner in your news van while attempting to coerce me into giving you a scoop because you said you wanted to get away from shitty Channel Forty-Four and make it to the big-league single-digit stations? I thought about it for a moment.Okay. On the porch. Well do it on the porch. I saw Ted on TV this morning. He did a good job. But he loves the spotlight a little too much for my taste..