Stuart Woods - Cold Paradise

“You have a point,” Stone said.

“I’d feel much better if she were here with you and Callie and Dino.”

“For how long?” Stone asked.

“For as long as you’ll stay, or until you reach some sort of accommodation with Manning.”

“Thad, I can’t stay forever, but I’ll give it another week or two. Maybe we’ll hear from this Frederick James again. If he really is Manning, I can’t think why he wouldn’t not want to talk to me. After all, he’s already called my office three or four times.”

“Does James know where you are?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so.”

“You want me to hire some private security to back you up?”

“No, not at the moment. If it gets bad we can always do that.”

“If you want help, just tell Callie. She’ll know who to call.”

“All right.”

The two men shook hands, and Thad left the yacht.

Dino, who had been having breakfast during this conversation, now spoke up. “Listen, Stone, I’m beginning to think you’re taking this too seriously. I mean, all that’s happened is the lady’s house has been messed up a little. That’s kid stuff; it’s hardly a threat on her life. And if James is really Manning, then he can’t be completely a fruitcake. He’s made a life for himself, he’s writing again, and if his book is on the best-seller list, he must be doing okay at it.”

“Dino, you only met this guy when you arrested him. I got to know him a little in St. Marks, and he made this very angry scene in New York right before you picked him up. He wanted his money, and he wanted it bad. I’ve got a feeling he still does.”

“A feeling? What’s that? Your hunches were never all that good, you know.”

“Liz feels the same way, and she knows him better than anybody.”

“So now we’re operating on Liz’s hunches? Don’t get me wrong, I’m getting used to living on a big yacht and having my every wish catered to; I always knew I could. I’ll stay here until the chief of detectives sends somebody down here for me with an extradition warrant.”

“She’s not a stupid woman. She and Paul pulled off quite an insurance fraud, you know.”

“Pulled off? You think nearly getting herself hanged is pulling it off? The whole thing completely backfired on them. They’re stupid, both of them.“

“Okay, so it didn’t work out. She’s still pretty smart,” Stone said stubbornly.

“Anyway, she may not be your only problem.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I haven’t mentioned this, but yesterday we got followed around town by a car.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Somebody is tailing us.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It didn’t seem related to Liz and her problems.”

“And what do you think it’s related to?”

“I think it could be the former Mrs. Barrington.”

“Oh, shit,” Stone said. He had nearly forgotten about Dolce. “What kind of a car?”

“Sort of an anonymous-looking sedan, probably Japanese. The windows were tinted dark. I couldn’t see who was inside.”

“Everybody’s windows are tinted dark down here; keeps out the heat.”

“I think you should take Dolce seriously.”

“You think I don’t?”

“I think you don’t take her seriously enough.”

“And how do I do that? Carry an automatic weapon at all times?”

“You could do worse. And I’m worried about Callie.”

“What about Callie?”

“If Dolce sees you with her, she could be in trouble.”

“Oh, God,” Stone moaned. “When is this going to be over?”

“As far as Dolce is concerned, it’ll be over when one of you is dead, and she might want that sooner than later.”

“You think she’s suicidal?”

“Homicidal, more likely.”

“Thanks, I needed that.”

“Anytime.”

The cell phone on Stone’s belt vibrated. “Hello?”

“Mr. Barrington?”

“Yes.”

“This is Frederick James.”

“Good morning, Mr. James,” Stone said loudly, so that Dino would get it. “I didn’t think I’d hear from you again.”

“I changed my mind. I want you to answer a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“How did you know that I know Paul Manning?”

“Let’s not be cute, Mr. James. I think you are Paul Manning.”

“Well, I’m not, but I’ve been in touch with him.”

“When?”

“Recently.”

“How recently?”

“Recently enough. I know about his past with Allison, and the business with the insurance company. Quite frankly, I know more about him than I want to know.”

“Don’t we all?”

“I got to thinking about what you said in your e-mail. Does Allison really want to buy him off?”

“Yes, she does.”

“For how much?”

“I don’t know that I can discuss that with you, since you claim not to be Paul Manning.”

“Tell me this, then. Why do you think I’ve been trying to get in touch with you?”

“You really don’t know?”

“No, I don’t, or I wouldn’t have asked you.”

“A man called my office several times and wouldn’t leave his name. I suspected it was Paul Manning. I managed to trace the call back to a Manhattan hotel, and you were the only guest whose name I recognized.”

“That’s pretty tenuous, isn’t it?”

“Is it? Wasn’t I right?”

“Actually, you may well be. Paul Manning was in my hotel suite a couple of times, and he made some phone calls.”

“Well, I’m glad you admit, at least, to being in the same room with Manning.”

“Have you ever met Manning, Mr. Barrington?”

“I got to know him rather well, but he was using another name at the time.”

“Listen to my voice. Does it sound like the voice of Paul Manning?”

Stone admitted to himself that it did not. “Manning’s is deeper,” he said.

“Exactly. I have rather a light voice, wouldn’t you say?”

“I suppose.”

“And Manning’s is a sort of bass-baritone.”

“Yes.”

“Does that do nothing to convince you that Manning and I are not the same person?”

“It helps. Of course, we can resolve the question of identity very easily.”

“How?”

“We can meet, face-to-face.”

“Where are you, at the moment, Mr. Barrington?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“I’d rather not say, too.”

“Then we might as well be on different continents.”

“We may very well be.”

“How are we going to resolve this?”

“I may be able to help you deal with Manning.”

“Deal, how?”

“You’re trying to buy him off, aren’t you?”

“Let’s just say that I’m trying to bring a difficult situation to an amicable close.”

“Then I’ll take him your offer.”

“You know how to get in touch with him?”

“How could I take him your offer, otherwise?”

“All right. Tell him that Allison wants to come to an arrangement with him to get out of her life. If he agrees in principle, then we can discuss it in more detail. Or just get him to call me.”

“I don’t think he’ll do that.”

“Why not?”

“He’s very shy these days, and he’s not fond of you.”

“Tell him I can arrange for him to live his life more openly, without fear of legal difficulties.”

“Now that might appeal to him. Can I reach you at this number?”

“Yes. How can I reach you?”

But Frederick James had hung up.

Stone turned to Dino. “You heard that?”

“I heard it.”

“What do you think?”

“I think this is getting very weird,” Dino said.

Callie came on deck.