and Joan called for a messenger to deliver the document to Herbie.
Stone finished his day and was reading in his study when Fred materialized in the doorway. His approach was always undetectable; he would just suddenly be there.
“Good evening, Mr. Barrington,” Fred said. “May I get you your usual?”
“Good evening, Fred,” Stone replied. “You may, and why don’t you join me? Let’s have a talk.”
Fred poured Stone a Knob Creek and found himself a glass of Laphroaig single malt.
“Have a seat,” Stone said.
Fred sat.
“You’ve fit in here very well, Fred,” Stone said. “My only difficulty is in finding enough for you to do.”
“Oh, I stay busy, Mr. Barrington. Helene always needs my help to polish the silver and the like.”
“Well, I certainly don’t need a year of your service to know that I’d like you to stay on, and I’m sure Helene and Joan would like that, too.”
“I’m very happy here, sir, and happy to know that you’d like me to stay.”
Stone made the man an offer. “And that’s to include your apartment next door, health care, and a retirement plan.”
“I’m very pleased to accept your offer,” Fred said. “And there’s something else I’d like to raise.”
“Of course.”
“I’ve asked Helene to marry me, and she has accepted. We’d like your blessing.”
“I’m delighted to give you my blessing, though it’s not necessary. I wish you both every happiness.”
“If we may, we’d like to join our two flats into one next door.”
“Certainly. Ask Joan to get the builder over. When do you plan to marry?”
“Quite soon, I expect, there’s no need to wait.”
“Perhaps you’d like to honeymoon at my house in Maine. It’s very nice this time of the year, and you can have the guesthouse.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Fred said. “I’ll speak to Helene about it.”
“I’ll get you flown up and back, as well. There’s an airstrip on the island.”
“Thank you, Mr. Barrington. I understand we may have an issue around the household.”
“What would that be?”
“I believe you’ve incurred the animus of a rather large and unpredictable gentleman.”
“Oh, word has gotten around, has it?”
“Not many secrets in this house. Perhaps you’ll recall that I have some expertise with firearms?”
“Pistol champion of the Royal Marines, as I remember.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, I don’t believe firearms will be necessary. The issues between the man and his former wife have been resolved.”
“Oh, I’m very good with a blackjack, too,” Fred replied. “Though, strictly speaking, that was not an authorized weapon in my service.”
“Keep it handy, Fred,” Stone said. “You never know.”
Fred polished off his drink and stood up. “Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?”
“Ask Helene to fix me something for dinner and send it up in the dumbwaiter around seven, will you?”
“Of course, Mr. Barrington. And I bid you a good evening.”
Stone turned on the evening news and was greeted with a report of a fistfight at the Waldorf-Astoria at lunchtime. “No,” he said to himself, “it can’t be.”
11
Stone awoke very early and reached for the other side of the bed. Empty, and would be until tonight. He had an itch that needed scratching, and the only option available was exercise. Normally, he accomplished that in his downstairs home gym, but it was such a beautiful day outside he decided to take advantage of it.
He checked the temperatures on his iPhone and decided he wouldn’t need a jacket or sweatpants. He got into shorts and a T-shirt, tied a light cotton sweater around his shoulders, just in case, put some money and his wallet into a pocket—again, just in case—and let himself out of the house.
It was 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and New York City traffic was very light. He started jogging up his street and heard a vehicle start up behind him, but ignored it. He ran up to Park Avenue and headed uptown toward Central Park, feeling good. The air was clear and fresher than usual, without the taint of carbon monoxide. He stopped for a light, jogging in place to stay warm, and a dark blue van pulled up beside him, idling in the crosswalk. He heard a door slide open, then the light changed and he began to run again.
On little more than a whim, he caught a red light and ran across Park Avenue, then continued up the west side of the street. The dark blue van kept pace with him, occasionally stopping for a moment, so as not to outrun him. He felt a threat, but he was happy to have it confined to the