Unintended Consequences (16 page)

“Good night, then.”

33

S
tone returned to his second line. “Helga, are you all right?”

“Yes, at last,” she replied.

“The Paris police woke me in the middle of the night to question me, but they refused to let me see you, so I called Rick LaRose.”

“Rick was wonderful,” she said. “I hadn’t had any sleep, and the police asked me the same questions over and over, and I was exhausted by the time Rick turned up. He got me released and sent me directly to Le Bourget, where there was an airplane waiting to take me home to Sweden. I’m now at my house out in the archipelago, and it’s very beautiful here, but lonely.”

“I think I can fix that,” Stone said. “Why don’t you come to New York for a while? None of the Paris complications will bother you here. Marcel is already here, asleep in my guest suite.”

“Marcel in New York? He almost never goes to America.”

“It seemed a good time to get him out of Paris.” Stone told her about the attack on them along the Seine.

“I’m glad you’re out—those people are very dangerous.”

“Who are they?” Stone asked.

“A bunch of crazy Russians and East Germans left over from the Cold War days. They’re working for a Russian oligarch named Vishinski. It’s said that he’s close to the Russian leadership. Vishinski is making business inroads into Europe, with Paris as his main target, and he seems to want what Marcel has.”

“What happened with Aldo Saachi?”

“He was waiting in my suite when I got there.”

“How did he get in?”

“He must have bribed a hotel staffer. He made advances, and I punched him in the nose, but he tore my dress on his way down. When he stood up he had a knife in his hand, so I shot him.”

“Did the police find the knife?”

“Yes.”

“Good, that will help clear your name.”

“That won’t be a problem. According to Rick, all records of my questioning will disappear, and they will think of some explanation for Aldo’s death, so for all practical purposes, I am not involved.”

“I’m relieved that you’re all right. When can you come to New York?”

“Give me a few days to work on that. I’ll need to get Lance’s permission to come to the U.S.”

“I’ll have a word with Lance and let you know what he says. What’s your phone number?”

“I have the same cell, the one that Lance gave me. We can talk on that without anyone hearing us.”

“Then I’ll be in touch.”

“Please give Marcel my best.”

“I will.” They both hung up, and Stone went upstairs and to bed.

•   •   •

T
he following morning he had breakfast with Marcel in the kitchen, then went to his office, where he found a large stack of paperwork on his desk. He called Lance at Langley and left a message for him, then went to work answering mail and returning phone calls.

Just before noon Joan buzzed him. “Lance Cabot on one.”

Stone pressed the button. “Good morning, Lance.”

“Good morning, Stone. Did you have a pleasant flight?”

“We did indeed, except for the unpleasantness on the way to Le Bourget. Rick saved our bacon.”

“A good man, Rick. He’s destined for greater things.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“How is Marcel liking New York?”

“He’s very happy here. He’s staying with me, and we had dinner with Mike Freeman last night. Mike is going to help him with his personal security situation.”

“He certainly needs help,” Lance agreed.

“After Rick’s intervention, Marcel’s feelings toward the Agency have warmed considerably. I think you’ll find him more cooperative.”

“I’m extremely glad to hear that,” Lance said.

“Lance, I’ve invited Helga Becker to visit me in New York. I hope you don’t have a problem with that.”

“Do you think you can avoid having her photographed in your company while she’s there? I don’t want her to turn up on Page Six—at least, not until everything has quieted down in Paris. Our two presidents have had discussions about the Aldo incident, and word has reached me that Aldo’s friends are extremely angry.”

“I think I can shield her from the press.”

“I’m glad Marcel is staying with you. A lot of our friends seem to do that from time to time.”

Stone knew he was referring to Holly, but he said nothing.

“I think it’s time we augmented the security arrangements for your house,” Lance said. “After all, after the events of a few weeks ago, al Qaeda is aware of you.”

This had crossed Stone’s mind, but he hadn’t done anything about it. “What sort of augmentation?”

“If you’re going to go on hosting people important to us, like the president and first lady, even after they’re out of office, then we’ll need to install a new security system, and we’ll need to replace the exterior doors with steel ones and the windows with steel-framed armored glass.”

“The New-York Historical Society will be alarmed to hear that, and you’ll have to have their approval.”

“Leave that to me. The doors and windows will appear identical to the ones they’re replacing. We did the same thing with your cousin Dick’s house at Dark Harbor, which you now own.”

“You’re not going to send me a bill for all this, are you?”

“Fear not, Stone, it will be done with dispatch, and you will be none the poorer for it.”

“All right.”

“A man named Joe will call and survey the place. He’ll phone Joan first.”

“And you’ll take whatever steps are necessary so that Helga won’t have any problems entering the country?”

“I will, but I don’t want her flying commercial until I say so, and that could be a few weeks.”

“Then I’ll arrange something. How’s the new job?”

“More hectic than I had imagined. Kate has been a great help with the transition. I’m moving into her offices tomorrow. Now I must go.” Lance hung up without further ado.

Stone buzzed Joan. “A man named Joe, a friend of Lance’s, is going to come to the house and make a nuisance of himself, and then he’s going to put in a new security system and replace all the windows in the house.”

“Is that all? Oh, it’ll be fun!” She hung up.

Marcel rapped on the rear door to Stone’s office and walked in. “May I?”

“Of course,” Stone said. “How’s the jet lag?”

“I’m feeling quite well,” he said, “after a good night’s sleep.”

“When would you like to meet with Mike Freeman about your security arrangements?”

“Anytime at all. And we should invite Bill Eggers and discuss the Arrington proposition, as well.”

“I’ll do that. By the way, Helga called last night after you went to bed and sends you her warm regards. She’s safe in Sweden, but she’s going to come and visit me in New York.”

“When will she come?”

“As soon as I can arrange a private air charter. Lance doesn’t want her flying commercial until things have quieted down.”

“My French attorney will come to New York if we can reach an agreement on the Arrington business. I can have him pick her up in Stockholm on his way.”

“That’s very kind of you, Marcel.” And a reason to conclude our business quickly, Stone thought.

34

S
tone and Marcel were driven to the offices of Strategic Services by Philip in Stone’s car and were immediately shown into Mike Freeman’s large office.

“Good morning, Marcel,” Mike said. “Bill Eggers will be joining us in half an hour or so, but I wanted to talk with you about your security concerns in Paris.”

“Thank you, Mike,” Marcel said, sitting down on the sofa and accepting a cup of coffee.

“There are two immediate concerns, as we see it,” Mike said. “First, there’s the Blaise factory, which we have not had an opportunity to survey.”

“Fortunately,” Marcel replied, “we have had a considerable security presence at the factory, because of our concerns about keeping the operation secret. With the introduction of the car at auto shows around the world, I had planned to reduce that to the bare minimum.”

“Are you pleased with the quality of the security personnel?”

“I believe they are good at keeping visitors away.”

“Are they armed?”

“No.”

“Then it is our recommendation, if you wish to continue with the same security firm, that you request an upgrade in the quality and training of the guards and have them armed with semiautomatic pistols and to have assault rifles or shotguns readily available to them.”

“I do not have confidence that the firm I’m dealing with would be able to provide such personnel.”

“Then may we send our Paris station head to the factory to conduct a survey and make a proposal?”

“Certainly, and the sooner the better.”

“Tomorrow at the latest,” Mike said. “Now to your personal needs. Stone has described your living arrangements at the top of your office building, and we like what we heard. We recommend that you have two armed men in the building twenty-four hours a day, one at the front desk downstairs and one in your living quarters. Ideally, that man would answer the door when guests arrive, and he would ride in the front seat of your car with your driver when you move about Paris, then accompany you in a discreet manner when you leave the car.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Marcel replied.

“Staffing that requirement twenty-four hours a day would require a team of eight to ten men.” Mike handed him a sheet of paper. “This is a quote for such a complement.”

Marcel read it quickly. “Agreed,” he said.

“They will be on duty when you arrive back in Paris,” Mike said. “We also recommend very strongly that you travel in a well-armored vehicle.”

Marcel shook his head. “I don’t want to move about in a tank.”

“You drove here in Stone’s car, which is a product of our armored vehicle division.”

“The Bentley? That didn’t seem like a tank.”

“It would have protected you from the sort of assault that was attempted on your car on your way to Le Bourget,” Mike said.

“How long would I have to wait for it?”

“Are you happy with your Maybach?”

“Very much so.”

“We have existing templates for all the panels necessary to fortify your car. Stone says you are shipping Blaises by air to this country. If you can ship the Maybach that way, then by working around the clock on the car we can complete the work in eight days.” He handed Marcel a quote for the job.

“I can ship it by air,” Marcel said, “and I accept your proposal.”

“Thank you, Marcel. In two or three days we will have a proposal for protecting the Blaise factory. In the meantime, I would suggest that you ask your current contractor to beef up security and, if possible, to arm them.”

“I will telephone them today,” Marcel said.

“How are you currently shipping Blaises to the U.S.?”

“In a former French military aircraft, two at a time.”

“We have a contractor at Stewart International Airport, in Newburgh, New York, an hour’s drive north of here, that operates a C-17. Do you know this aircraft?”

“No.”

“It is a four-engine, jet airplane that could transport, perhaps, two dozen Blaises and your Maybach on a single flight. Cars destined for other American cities could easily be transported by truck, enclosed truck, if you like.”

“You can arrange this?”

“We’d be very glad to.”

“Then please do so at your earliest convenience. I have six Blaises awaiting transport to the New York Auto Show next week, and a further dozen completed cars for our dealers in Palm Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.”

“Could you have all of them at Le Bourget the day after tomorrow?”

“Indeed, yes.”

“I’ll give you the cost later in the day.”

Mike’s secretary walked in, followed by Bill Eggers. Hands were shaken all around.

“That completes our security business,” Mike said. “Now we can move on to the business of The Arrington.”

“I have come prepared to make you an offer,” Marcel said. “Stone has proposed selling me fifteen percent of the Arrington shares for three hundred and fifty million, then investing that sum in a European company. I offer to pay you that amount for twenty percent of the shares, plus a seat on the board. I will form a Swiss company with an initial capitalization of two billion euros for the purpose of handling the European expansion, and I suggest we satisfy our financial obligations to each other with an exchange of stock, which should react to our mutual benefit through tax savings.”

Stone, Mike, and Eggers exchanged glances and nods.

“That is acceptable to us in principle,” Eggers said, “contingent on a determination of the value of your shares and other details.”

“Then I suggest you draw up a deal memo,” Marcel said, “and I will have my legal team here the day after tomorrow to hash out the details and help write the final contract. Do we have anything else to discuss?”

Mike spoke up. “If you have more time today, I’d like you to view a short film about Strategic Services, which will give you a good idea of the range of what we offer. Also, I’d like you to see the original designs that were made for The Arrington in Los Angeles, and meet some of the team that put them together.”

“I have the rest of the day,” Marcel said. “I need only to make a few phone calls to Paris to get the wheels turning.”

“I must get back to my office,” Stone said. “I’ll leave you the car.”

Marcel took him aside.

“I’ll have my attorneys pick up Helga at Stockholm City Airport at noon the day after tomorrow. She should go to Grafair Jet Center at that airport.”

“Thank you, Marcel, I’ll let her know.”

•   •   •

E
ggers walked Stone out. “That went very well and very quickly,” Bill said. “If Marcel is always that easy to work with, then this should be a delightful business venture for us.”

“All we have to do,” Stone said, “is keep him alive and well.”

35

W
hen Stone arrived back at his desk he had a note to call Lance Cabot, on what Stone assumed was a private line. He made the call.