Read Romano and Albright 01 - Catch Me If You Can (MM) for Free Online

here. This isn’t a social visit. You need to remember who you were with. The guy in the alley said someone left here last night.”
    Shep ran a hand down his stomach, muscles rippling under muslin. He sipped more coffee and rested against the counter, striking his familiar man having breakfast pose. He’d employed it a time or twelve in cereal commercials. Not that I took notice. The terrible truth was that even orange, hung over, smelling of puke—he had that it quality which destined him for fame. I’d have bought anything he offered to sell me if I hadn’t already sampled the lot.
    “I don’t know, Ce. But…you know I can’t tell anyone I do guys. Not yet. I mean, at least not until the show is out, or after the first season.”
    “Ppfffft,” I sputtered. I’d heard it all before. Not until Christmas; not until spring break; not until graduation; not until the second coming of Christ. “I need to call the police.”
    “What?” He set his cup down, his patina of charm dissolving. “No. No… Now let’s not be hasty, Caesar.”
    “Hasty? This is my career on the line.”
    “Mine too.”
    “There was a cop here last night. I could call him. Detective Green.” I recalled his too-interested gaze and that tight, knowing smile—but I’d tossed his card without a second thought. Perhaps that action had been premature.
    “…because if you make that call, they’ll write a report and my name will be in it and…”
    “This is not only about you. We were robbed by whomever you hooked up with last night in my goddamn gallery. You selfish dick.”
    “You don’t know that.”
    “Yes I do. Firsthand. You’re a selfish dick.” Before I beaned him with the coffeepot, my phone rang again. It was Poppy. “Poppy. Can you get over here and bring Shep some pants?”
    “Where are you? What do you mean? Oh my effing God, did you sleep with him? Tell me you didn’t do something that stupid.” She was shrill. A deep voice rumbled something unintelligible behind her.
    “Of course not. I’m not an idiot.” Well, not anymore. Shep opened a cupboard door, rattling around for something. His color was high. He was smoldering a bright, angry orange. “He had sex with one of the patrons last night in the gallery and then he passed out. Whoever it was must have kindly stolen his clothes and left him.”
    Shep fumed. “Thanks a lot, man. Now she’s going to be all over me. You got any Tylenol?”
    I shook my head. “Where are you? Who’s with you? Is that a man?”
    “I’m taking a day off,” she said carefully. Someone grumbled again in the background. Obviously Poppy had a secret.
    “When did you decide to take time off?”
    “This morning…look I’ll be gone all weekend. I parked my car in the lot. Can you bring it back to my place? I don’t want to pay for two days. Keys are in my desk.”
    “Poppy. One of the—”
    Shep shook his head furiously at me. “Don’t tell her.”
    I threw my hand up. “What?”
    Poppy said, “Oh no. He’s still there, isn’t he?”
    “Yes. Hence the call about the pants. Hang on.”
    Shep begged, “Please. Just wait. Don’t tell her. Please.”
    “That’s not good enough.”
    He grew more upset, losing his wide-eyed appeal. “Because this will lose me my job. I’ll help you. I swear.”
    “Lie to Poppy? Just like old times, Shep?”
    “I can’t lose this gig. I need one day. I’ll call every waiter who was here last night, okay? Give me the guest list. I promise to help you. I’ll remember who it was, and then I’ll find out what happened.”
    I couldn’t believe I was considering it, but he was sweating, hung over, and more panicked than I was at the thought of Poppy or anyone else finding out he’d been part of this. “One day—but I’m going to have to tell my boss.”
    He nodded in relief. “If you have to call the cops, please, leave my name out of it.”
    “You need to grow up, Shep. You’re twenty-eight years old.” I spoke into the phone,