Chapter 79

86^th St NY. The Central Park Police Precinct smells of horses. That is because it is a stable. It wasn"t converted into a Precinct House until 1936. It has been here since 1871 and it is in need of face lift. Veronica stands out against it's delapidated facade content in her own skin. I watch her from across the park as she paces the the pavement. I light up a Marlborough, and why not, everyone smokes in this town. A hobo edges up to her, she smells him and gives him a kick with a pointed pump. The silver buckles shine as she stomps on his foot. She looks over and I know she has spotted me. No flies on her, no Sir.

She looks me over. I am in my Dick Tracey outfit complete with trilby and storm coat.

"Nice outfit. Buy it at Maceys?"

"No courtesy of MGM props department, downtown Marsville. We musos use it a lot."

She puts two fingers in her mouth and whistles. An open topped carriage pulled by a palomino lookalike walks over.

"Get in my treat," She says, and then to the man with the whip, pointedly, to his face. "Round the Park driver and no peeking."

He nods and sets of at a slow trot.

"Very cloak and dagger," I say.

"This carriage has been personally swept for bugs and the driver is a deaf mute. I don"t want this conversation to get to the IGBI."

I am astounded. "I thought you were high up in that organisation."

"True but there are good and bad and there are bad and worse. A faction of the IGBI is trying to take over this sector of the Universe and using the threat of the end of space time to their own ends."

'smith, I should have known."

"Impossible Smith is a cyberman with no will of his own."

"Why tell me and make me a target. I don"t like this I am getting out of here."

I stand up only to be pulled back into my seat and to feel the blunt end of a pistol in my side.

'stay buddy boy, I"ve not finished."

"Okay, okay, put away the armament. I feel a familiar stirring in my groin. She is turning me on. How incongruous, threatened with a bullet in my side and I get a boner. With the cheek of a rampant teenager, I take her hand and place in my lap. Veronica karate chops it.

"Fucking hell, it will be permanently damaged."

"I hope not I may have a use for it later, but now is not the time. Listen up Joe and listen good."