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Fellini again?” Dan said.
    Yoko’s cell phone rang as she followed Dan and Zoran down the stairs from the roof. She stopped on the landing to answer it. It was Brian Watson, calling from the 13 th Precinct.
    “Oh, it’s you, Yoko. I thought I hit the speed dial for Dan. Never mind. Just tell Dan that I’ve sent a car to the Fellini house to take him to the hospital then to the morgue, okay?”
    “What’s up, Brian?” Yoko said. “Doesn’t Dan have to go to the hospital to interview the balloonist?”
    “Nah, that guy’s still in surgery. They’re not sure he’ll survive, helluva lot of damage from that one arrow. What the chief said was for Dan to go to the hospital and pick up the arrow, they don’t want it hanging around the ER too long. Our butt-lovin’ ME, Dante Necrophilian, reported to the chief about the arrow that killed Marco Fellini, something about it being different from regular arrows. Doc Necrophilian wants to compare the two arrows. Gotta be some connection. No surprise there, I figured two attacks with arrows, one attack lethal, one attack that may wind up being lethal, it don’t add up. Oh, yeah, God forbid I forget to tell you the ME raved about Marco Fellini’s custom-made sportswear. Doc Necrophilian knows about clothes, that’s for sure, a regular fashionista.” Brian paused for breath.
    Yoko waited for the rest of the message––or was it a rant?––grimacing at Brian’s homophobia. Dante Necosian, an MD as well as a top ME with the city, was openly and unashamedly gay, and as fastidious about his appearance as he was about his autopsies. He represented a walking offense to Brian Watson’s soon-to-be-retired old-school cop sensibilities, which was the reason Brian preferred Vinnie Baldoni’s nickname for the head of the morgue and used it as often as he could.
    “I’ll tell Dan,” Yoko said, but Brian hadn’t finished.
    “Seems they found a really old pistol in the basket of the hot-air balloon. Sounds like one my dad picked up off a dead soldier in the Ardennes, probably worth a fortune.” Brian paused, obviously considering what a Luger pistol worth a fortune would add to his retirement package. Yoko was about to prod him for the rest of the message when Brian said, “Anyway, Dan’s gotta get the gun from the hospital, as well as the arrow, and bring both to the morgue.” Yoko heard Brian chuckle as he continued. “Listen, Yoko, tell Dan to strap on his chastity belt before his second stop. I think Necrophilian’s got the hots for him.”
    “Cut it out, Brian,” Yoko said. “You know Dan’s only got eyes for me.”
    “Yeah, you laugh, sister, but it’s not Dan’s eyes I’d worry about, if I was you. I tell ya, one of these days, Necrophilian’s gonna make a play for Dan and it’s not gonna be pretty…. Oh, what do I care? I’ll be on a beach somewhere, sipping a colada and eye-ballin’ bikinis.”
    Brian hung up. Can’t be soon enough, Yoko thought, grinning despite herself.
    Yoko caught up with Dan and Zoran, who were outside the living room, talking in low voices.
    “What’s so funny, Yoko,” Dan said.
    “It’s nothing. Brian called. Dante Necrophil…I mean…oh, never mind. Dan, you’ve to go to the hospital, then to the morgue, right away. The surgeons extracted the arrow from the balloonist, who’s in critical condition and still in surgery, plus they found a gun in the balloon wreckage, probably an old Luger pistol from what Brian says. Anyway, Dante wants to compare the two arrows right away, so Brian’s sending a car for you.”
    “His name is Doctor Nicosian, Yoko,” Zoran said. “He is a medical doctor.”
    “I know, Zoran. I know. Be sure to remind Brian Watson,” Yoko said.
    “Okay,” Dan asked. “I’ll take off. Ballistics will need to test the gun, too. These two arrow hits, what’s the connection?”
    Yoko nodded thoughtfully. “If the balloonist survives, his interview may shed some light on matters. But Brian says