Stuart Woods - L.A. Dead

Manolo shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Barrington; I wiped the gun clean before I hid it. I was so sure that Mrs. Calder had done it. Of course, after this morning in court, I don't think so anymore."

"Does Arrington know you hid the pistol?"

"No. I never told her."

Stone put the pistol on top of the chest of drawers, then, weak at the knees, sat down one the sofa. "So we'll never know for sure."

"I know," Manolo said. "I'm a little surprised that you don't, Mr. Barrington." He picked up the pistol by the trigger guard, put it back in the safe's rear compartment, and closed it.

"I'll leave it there for a while, then I'll get rid of it and send the jewelry box to Mrs. Calder."

Stone was beyond arguing with him.

Stone stayed in L.A. for a couple of more days, paying the last of the bills to come to the bungalow and seeing that Vance Calder's estate was released to Arrington.

After he had packed his bags and was ready to leave the bungalow, Lou Regenstein came into Vance's study.

"Good morning, Lou."

"You on your way home, Stone?"

"Yes, I'm done here. Louise can pack up Vance's things and send them to the house. Manolo and Isabel are still there."

"Have you talked to Arrington?"

"No, she isn't speaking to me."

"I should think she'd be grateful to you for everything you've done for her."

"Maybe, but there are other things she's not grateful to me for."

"The business in the tabloid?"

Stone nodded. "Among other things."

"Well, I want you to know that I am certainly grateful to you. Arrington is now the second-largest stockholder in Centurion, after me, and together, the two of us control the company. If she'd gone to prison, God knows what would have happened here."

"I'm glad it worked out all right."

"Is there anything I can do for you, Stone?"

"You can have someone drive Vance's car back to the house," he said, holding out the keys.

Lou accepted the keys. "I'll have my driver take you to the airport." Lou picked up the phone and gave the order. "He'll be here in a minute."

Stone looked around. "What will happen to Vance's bungalow?"

"Charlene Joiner is moving in, as soon as we've redecorated it to her specifications. She's Centurions biggest star now."

"She deserves it."

They chatted for a few minutes, then Lou's chauffeur knocked at the door. "Shall I take your bags, Mr. Barrington?"

"Yes, thank you." He shook hands with Lou. "Thanks for all your help."

"Stone, you'll always have friends at Centurion. If there's ever anything, anything at all, we can do for you, just let me know."

"When you speak to Arrington, tell her I'm thinking of her."

"Of course."

Stone left the bungalow and was about to get into Lou's limousine, when Charlene drove up in a convertible.

"Leaving without saying good-bye?" she called out.

Stone walked over to the car. "It's been a weird couple of days; I was going to call you from New York."

"I get to New York once in a while. Shall I call you?"

He gave her his card. "I'd be hurt, if you didn't," He leaned over and kissed her, then she drove away. Before she turned the corner, she waved, without looking back.

Stone got into the limo and settled into the deep-cushioned seat. He'd be home by bedtime.

Back in Turtle Bay, he let himself into the house. Joan had left for the day, but there was a note on the table in the foyer.

"A shipment arrived for you yesterday," she wrote. "It's in the living room. And there was an envelope delivered by messenger this morning."

Stone saw the envelope on the table and tucked it under his arm. He picked up his suitcases and started for the elevator, then he looked into the living room and set down the cases. Standing in the center of the living room was a clothes rack, and on it hung at least twenty suits. He walked into the room and looked around. On the floor were half a dozen large boxes filled with Vance Calder's Turnbull amp; Asser shirts and ties. Then he noticed a note pinned to one of the suits.

You would do me a great favor by accepting these. Or you can just send them to the Goodwill.

I love you, Arrington

His heart gave a little leap, but then he saw that the note was dated a week before their parting scene, and it sank again.

He'd think about this later. Right now, he was tired from the trip. He picked up the suitcases, got into the elevator, and rode up to the master suite. Once there, he unpacked, then undressed and got into a nightshirt. Then he remembered the envelope.

He sat down on the bed and opened it. There were some papers and a covering letter, in a neat hand, on Eduardo Bianchi's personal letterhead.

I thought you might like to have these. This ends the matter. I hope to see you soon.

Eduardo

Stone set the letter aside and looked at the papers. There were only two: One was the original of the marriage certificate he and Dolce had signed in Venice; the other was the page from the ledger they and their witnesses had signed in the mayor's office. These made up the whole record of his brief, disastrous marriage.

He took them to the fireplace, struck a match, and watched until they had been consumed. Then he got into bed, and with a profound sense of relief, tinged with sorrow, Stone fell asleep.