Unintended Consequences (24 page)

“Good morning, Mr. Barrington.”

“Good morning, Stanley. Do you remember what I told you last night?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then why are you parading around here armed and dressed like a refugee from a SWAT team?”

Stanley blushed to the top of his scalp. “I’m sorry, sir.”

“I think a handgun will suffice, and get into some civvies, will you?”

“I’m wearing them under the armor.”

“That will make it convenient. And hunt down Lewis, too, and give him the same message.” Stone walked back to the house and joined Dino at the kitchen table.

“I ordered for you,” Dino said.

Mary set down a platter of scrambled eggs and bacon. “Good morning, Mr. Barrington.”

“Good morning, Mary, and thank you.” He dug in. “I’m surprised to see you up so early,” Stone said.

“I don’t need all that much sleep.”

“I’m sorry Viv isn’t here to keep you entertained.”

“It’s her new job,” Dino said. “I’m having trouble getting used to it. It’s just as well she’s not here—she’d be going on about the new apartment, and I’m trying to back her out of the deal. Turns out, there’s a ten-day cancellation clause in the contract.”

“Dino, relax and let the woman take care of you—you’ll be a happier man for it.”

“I’m happy enough.”

“You want to play golf? There’s a nice nine-hole course here.”

“Sure, but don’t let Helga join us. I can’t afford it.”

“I don’t think I can stop her,” Stone said.

•   •   •

A
n hour later, the four of them got out of the old Ford station wagon at the little golf course, and Stanley and Lewis pulled in behind them. Stone rented three golf carts; he and Marcel took one, Helga and Dino another, and Stanley and Lewis drove slowly behind, their weapons stuffed into a couple of golf bags.

Marcel hit his drive straight and fairly long. “I don’t think I’ve ever been guarded by armed men on a golf course,” he said.

“That makes two of us,” Stone replied.

“Stone, I think I’ll be off to Paris when we get back to New York. My work here is done, and I’m having too good a time. I might get lazy.”

“Can you delay your departure until Tuesday morning?” Stone told him why.

Marcel grinned. “For that, I can delay. Do you want me to offer Helga a ride back to Stockholm? My lawyers left town yesterday, so if she’s looking for a private ride, I’m the only game in town.”

“I hate to lose her, but I think she’s ready to go. I’ll ask her tonight.”

•   •   •

E
ach time they got to a green, Stanley and Lewis took up posts on opposite sides and watched the woods like hawks. Stone was glad there weren’t many people on the golf course; most of the summer crowd seemed already to have departed for points south and west.

•   •   •

F
or dinner, Mary had apparently mugged a lobster fisherman, because an enormous platter was piled high with the steaming shellfish.

Helga produced a bottle of aquavit that she had smuggled to Maine and hidden in Mary’s freezer, and it went down very well with the lobsters. By nine o’clock they were all fairly drunk. They were just getting up from the table when there was a short burst of automatic weapons fire somewhere outside.

Stone and Dino grabbed their weapons and ran outside, then warily started to cover the property, looking for Stanley and Lewis. They finally found Stanley at the edge of the woods, looking down at someone at his feet.

“Oh, shit,” Stone said. “This is going to mean calling in the Maine state police.”

“I hope he didn’t shoot a neighbor,” Dino said.

They walked over to where Stanley stood, while Lewis covered the area around them. “What have you done, Stanley?” Stone asked.

Stanley pointed down. “I only got a glimpse of him but I connected with the first burst.” He switched on a small flashlight and illuminated a good-sized deer at his feet.

“I hope you know how to field dress it,” Stone said.

“I haven’t a clue.”

“Go get Seth, and tell him to bring that little utility vehicle of his and some rope.”

Stanley left in search of Seth, and Stone and Dino started back to the house. They had walked perhaps a dozen yards when they heard two
pffft
sounds and the noise of bullets slapping into a tree. They hit the dirt.

“Maybe Stanley isn’t crazy,” Dino whispered.

“Stanley!” Stone yelled.

A voice came back. “It’s Lewis, sir. I’m sorry I didn’t ID you properly before I fired, but they were just warning shots.” Lewis stepped up and offered them a hand to their feet.

“Lewis, go inside, get rid of the MAC-10, then get out of your body armor. If you and Stanley
must
patrol, do it in civvies and with well-concealed handguns, got it?”

“Yessir.” Lewis vanished into the darkness.

“You know,” Dino said, “I’m surprised you’ve still got any neighbors in New York who are still alive.”

52

O
n Monday morning, Seth drove Stanley and Lewis to Rockland to meet their helicopter. Stone and the others stayed through lunch, then headed back to the Islesboro landing strip.

Dino was ever the harbinger of doom. “I’m not sure you can make it out of this strip with four of us and our luggage aboard.”

“What? You want to stay on, rent a car and drive back?”

“Will we make it?”

“Since we’ve burned off half our fuel getting here, probably,” Stone said.

“
Probably?
”

Stone shoved him onto the airplane. Helga was already in the copilot’s seat, so Dino joined Marcel in the rear.

Stone ran through his checklist, explaining the items to Helga. He noted that the wind was brisk, favoring a northerly departure, so he taxied to the southerly end of the runway, checked for traffic, announced his intentions on the common radio frequency, and lined up as close to the end of the runway as possible. He went through his final takeoff checklist, then, while firmly holding the brakes, pushed the throttles all the way forward and waited a few seconds for the engines to spool all the way up. With the engines whining in protest, he released the brakes and began his takeoff roll.

Helga watched as the end of the runway loomed. “I want to fly now,” she said.

Stone obliged her by easing back the yoke and allowing the bird to take wing. Just above the treetops he leveled and let the airspeed build, then he began his climb and called Boston Center for his clearance.

“I didn’t think we would make it,” Helga said.

“I’ve made it at least a dozen times,” Stone said. “The airplane is built to do it. I wouldn’t want to try it with full fuel, though. I’ve tried to talk the locals into adding another few hundred feet to the runway, but nobody wants to encourage larger aircraft to land. I don’t think they want to pay for it, either.”

When they landed at Teterboro and taxied to Jet Aviation, the big Mercedes van pulled up, with Stanley aboard, and they were away in no time. Stone noticed that, as they drove through the security gate, two other vehicles joined them, one ahead and one behind.

They reached Stone’s house without incident. “Are you going back to the office?” he asked Dino.

“Nah, everybody will be gone by now anyway. I’ve got nothing on that won’t keep until tomorrow. I’ll just get a cab home—never mind the van. Somebody might take a shot at it.”

Stone got his guests and their luggage inside and upstairs.

“We need to change for a party,” he said to Helga.

“Oh, good. What party?”

“You’ll see. Marcel is flying home tomorrow and has offered to drop you in Stockholm. I’d like it if you’d stay on for a while.”

She put her arms around him and kissed him. “Oh, thank you, Stone, but it’s time for me to go home to Sweden. Being in Maine made me miss my island.”

“I understand,” Stone said. “I’ll let Lance know your plans, and someone will meet you. You’ll be home for dinner tomorrow night.”

•   •   •

D
ino arrived at his apartment building and went up in the elevator. He wasn’t expecting Viv back until the following evening from her business trip, so he thought he’d order his dinner delivered: Chinese, maybe.

He let himself into his apartment, dropped his bag, and switched on the lights, then looked around. He was in the wrong apartment; how had he managed that? This one was unfurnished; he must be on the wrong floor. Then he saw an envelope with his name on it taped to the phone, which rested on the bare floor. He opened the envelope; inside was a handsome, engraved invitation:

Chief & Mrs. Dino Bacchetti

request the pleasure of your company

at a housewarming in their new home,

600 Park Avenue, Apt. 12A

7:00 PM, Drinks and dinner

He walked slowly around the apartment; everything was gone: his clothes, his books, everything. The place looked absolutely forlorn.

•   •   •

S
tone, Helga, and Marcel rang the bell at number 12A, and the door was opened by a uniformed butler, supplied by the caterers. They were led into the living room, where they were met by the sound of jazz music from a piano and bass fiddle. The place was packed, and everybody had a drink in his hand. Stone spotted the police commissioner and his wife and the mayor and his girlfriend. Half of police headquarters seemed to be there, too, and some of the old regulars from Elaine’s.

A waiter took their drinks order, then Viv broke away from a group and joined them. “Thank you so much for getting Dino out of the way for the weekend,” she said, kissing Stone. “He would have been impossible if he had been here!”

“How did he take it?” Stone asked.

“He walked in, took one look around, and said, ‘
I
live
here
?’ He couldn’t believe it! He had never seen the rugs, the curtains, the piano, and half the furniture. His clothes were unpacked and in his dressing room; his books were in the library, and the booze was in the bar. He was just flabbergasted!”

“It was exactly the right way to handle it,” Stone said, “and I’m delighted you pulled it off.”

“I wish I could have seen his face when he walked into his old apartment and found everything gone and an invitation to the housewarming waiting for him,” Viv said.

Dino wandered over, beaming, a large scotch in his hand. “Welcome to our home,” he said, waving a hand. “We’ve got a Steinway grand piano—can you believe it?”

“I can believe it,” Stone said.

“Come on, let me show you the place.” Dino led them through the whole apartment, all the bedrooms, one of them now Viv’s study, the huge kitchen, and the library. He was so proud Stone thought he might pop a button. “And Viv promises me we can afford it!”

“Congratulations, Dino,” Stone said. “You deserve this place and the woman who made you move into it.”

“I think the co-op board liked the idea of having a cop in the building,” he confided.

“I’m sure they all feel safer,” Stone said.

“Come on back to the bar for a refresher, then dinner will be served. It’s a buffet.”

They all followed Dino back to the living room.

“Stone,” Helga said, “I left my handbag in the van. I’ll be right back.”

“I can call Stanley to bring it to you,” Stone said.

“No, it’ll only take me a moment.”

She left and headed for the elevator. Stone was in the middle of dinner before he realized she had not returned.

53

S
tone set down his plate and stood up. “Excuse me for a minute,” he said to Marcel, who was deep in conversation with an attractive female police detective. He caught Dino’s eye.

Dino came over. “What’s up?” he asked.

Stone steered him toward the front door. “Helga went down to get her handbag a few minutes ago and hasn’t returned.”

Dino went to a hall closet, unlocked his gun safe, and clipped the holster to his belt. “Let’s go.”

They were grimly silent on the way down. When they reached the lobby, Dino asked the doorman, “Did you see a large, beautiful blond lady leave the building?”

“Yessir, a few minutes ago,” the man replied.

Stone was already out the door, looking for the van, but it was nowhere in sight.

Dino brushed past him. “Over here,” he said. He led the way a few yards down the street where, between two parked cars, a man’s hand could be seen. They both rushed to him and found Stanley unconscious.

“Is he alive?” Stone asked.

“He has a pulse,” Dino said, “strong and steady.” He lifted Stanley and rolled him onto his side; there was a large gash in the back of his head.

Dino phoned the 19th Precinct, his old house, and ordered an ambulance and every available officer. “We’re looking for a large black Mercedes van,” he said. “Start at Park and Sixty-fourth and work outward in all directions. If it’s spotted, approach with caution, but don’t let it drive away.”

Stone stood up. “I’m going to have a look up and down Madison,” he said. “I’ll call you if I see anything.”

“I’ll join you as soon as the ambulance gets here.” As he started down the block, he called Mike Freeman, who was at the party.

“Yes?”

Stone could hear the jazz and conversation behind him. “Mike, it’s Stone. Dino and I are downstairs. Stanley has been rendered unconscious, your van is gone, and so is Helga.”

“Any sign of my other men?”

“No, and there are three of them and the driver.”

“I’m on it.” He broke the connection.

Stone reached the corner of Madison, stopped and looked both ways for the van. No sign of it. He went back to where he had left Dino, who was sitting on a car bumper, holding a handkerchief to the back of Stanley’s head.

Mike Freeman came out of the building, his phone to his ear. “My guys are over on Lexington, having dinner. They’re on their way back.”