Fireworks on New Year's Eve...

Stone leaned against the bar while I nursed my drink. After a while, I said, "I assume you haven't found the missing object?" Since there were other people around, I deliberately didn't say what object I was referring to.

"You know damn well we haven't."

"Too bad," I said in a sympathetic tone. I glanced meaningfully at my wristwatch. "You're running out of time." Trying to make it sound casual, I commented, "Incidentally, Maurice and I have a brief due on Thursday in Federal court. We'd like to use tomorrow morning to—"

"Tough! You stay put."

Again, I gazed at my wrist watch, this time for a full ten seconds. "Tick tock, tick tock."

Knowing Stone, I figured he was going to explode at me. Instead, he just stood there, looking agonized. That was a sign of how desperate he was getting. "It has to be here! One of those three scumbags killed that busboy."

"Tick tock, tick tock."

"Stop that!" he said.

Heaving an elaborate sigh, I said, "All right. I suppose I'm going to have to solve another one of your cases for you." I added, "If, that is, you'll agree to let us go home. Especially Maurice. I need him to pull our exhibits together."

He worked his jaw three times before asking, "You know which one of those three did it?"

I smiled.