Stuart Woods - Fast and Loose

“Thanks for a great weekend,” Dino said.

“You’re welcome. You’ve got a way to find cell phone records and trace them, haven’t you?”

“Sure, I can do that. You looking for Macher?”

“Yes. It might have a 202 area code.”

“Just the address?”

“I’d like to know where he is,” Stone said.

“Let me get back to you.”

Stone went back to handling his correspondence from his time away; an hour or so later, Dino rang back.

“I’ve got something for you,” he said, reciting an address in Arlington.

Stone noted it. “Maybe I’ll run down there and have a word with him,” Stone said.

“No need to leave town,” Dino replied.

“He’s in New York?”

“We’ve got him on East Fifty-sixth Street, between Park and Lex, north side of the street.”

“That’s the Lombardy Hotel,” Stone said. “Charley Fox used to live there.”

“Macher is stationary at the moment, not on the move.”

“Can you think of any defensible reason to haul him in for a chat?”

“I thought about that, and no. We can’t put him in the Cape Cod area, and we had nothing left of his bomb for evidence.”

“That’s discouraging.”

“I gotta go. You want to meet for dinner at Clarke’s?”

“Sure, seven?”

“See you then.”

Macher and Jake were having a drink in Macher’s suite.

“I’m getting discouraged,” Macher said.

“Here’s an idea,” Jake said. “Why don’t you go back to D.C. and run your business for a while? It could probably use your attention, and Barrington will still be around.”

“It’s a thought,” Macher said. “I just hate to leave a thing undone.”

“You can still do it, just at your leisure.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

Stone and Dino met in the bar at P. J. Clarke’s and had a drink before dinner.

“You feeling any better?” Dino asked.

“I should be feeling great — I’ve just had a wonderful cruise to places I enjoy. I got some sun and spent time with friends. What have I got to be unhappy about?”

“You’re missing Marisa, then.”

“You’ve got me there. I had become accustomed to having a sex life again, after Holly.”

“Have you heard from her?”

“Not since she went back to Washington. She’s got to get Kate reelected, plus help run foreign policy at the Security Council, so she’s got her hands full.”

“And when is Marisa due back?”

“A week or two, she said.”

“Maybe you should pop down to Washington and call on Holly?”

“I can’t just drop in, she has to plan to get any time off.”

They were called to their table and had hardly sat down when Stone’s phone rang. He checked the calling number, but it was blocked. “Hello?”

“It’s Holly,” she said.

Stone mouthed her name for Dino. “Well, hi there.”

“Where are you? It’s noisy at your end.”

“At Clarke’s, having dinner with Dino.”

“I won’t interrupt you, then.”

“Please interrupt me. Dino is boring me rigid.”

She laughed. “All right, I have some news.”

“Shoot.”

“You remember we had a conversation about Kate moving me back to my old home after the election?”

“Yes, she was going to run with Lance on the ticket, but she didn’t do that.”

“Lance didn’t want to leave the Agency, he loves his job.”

“So what’s in store for you?”

“I hesitate to even mention it. I’m superstitious, I guess.”

“Then don’t. Let’s talk about something else.”

“I don’t want to talk about something else,” she said.

“Then take a deep breath and tell me.”

“All right, here goes. I’m going to be the next secretary of state.”

“ What? ”

“You heard me.”

“Adamson doesn’t want to serve another term?”

“He’s burned out, he says. He wants to leave immediately after the election, and since Kate is already in office, she doesn’t have to wait until after the inauguration to appoint me.”

“Well, that’s fantastic, you’ll be very good at it. After all, you’ve been practicing for the job for four years at the NSC. It’s the logical next step.”

“I guess that’s the optimistic way to look at it,” she said.

“It’s the only way to look at it. Can you get away for a few days in New York?”

“No, it’s crazy here. Maybe after the election, before I make the move to Foggy Bottom.”

“Great, I’ll look forward to it.”

“I’ve gotta run, there’s a meeting. I just wanted to tell somebody.”

“I’m glad you told me.” He hung up.

“Adamson doesn’t want to serve another term?” Dino said. “Does that mean Holly is going to replace him?”

“It means exactly that — right after the election.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Dino said, raising his glass.

They both did.

Stone was at his desk the following morning when Joan buzzed him. “Dr. Carlsson is on line one for you.”

“Okay, I’ll bite — which Dr. Carlsson?”

“Oh, sorry, the patriarch of the clan.”

Stone picked up the phone. “Paul, good morning.”

“Good morning, Stone. I’ve been talking with my sons, and we think it’s time to return our security status to normal. They find the presence of guards uncomfortable, and some of our patients have commented on it as well.”

“Well, Paul, the worst seems to be over for the clinic, so a return to normal might be all right, but there are still risks. What if we reduced the presence by half? That could still give you a margin of safety. Then, in a week or two, we could end it.”

“All right, then,” Carlsson said, “a fifty percent reduction immediately, and in another week, we end it.”

“I think that’s a good move. Have you heard from Marisa?”

“Ah, yes,” Carlsson said, seeming to hesitate.

Stone had had two e-mails, and she sounded cheerful enough. “Is everything all right in Sweden?”

“Everything is always all right in Sweden,” Carlsson said, laughing. “Stone, I’m not sure you understand how strong our bond is with that country and its language.”

“Perhaps not,” Stone replied.

“We all feel at least half Swedish, and we make a point of visiting our ancestral home as frequently as we can find the time. We even have a smaller version of our clinic in Stockholm.”

“I didn’t know that,” Stone said. “Marisa never mentioned it.”

“Perhaps she should have,” Carlsson said. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’d better get back to work. Will you speak to Mike Freeman on my behalf about reducing the security presence?”

“Of course, Paul. Thank you for calling.” Stone hung up and called Mike Freeman.

“Good morning,” Mike said. “I suppose you’re calling about Erik Macher’s continuing presence in New York.”

“No, but Dino spoke to me about it. Macher is apparently living at the Lombardy.”

“That’s our information. You should keep that in mind when moving around the city.”

“I’ll do that. Mike, Paul Carlsson just called me, and he wants to reduce the security presence at the clinic.”

“And what’s your opinion on that?”

“I suggested a fifty percent reduction immediately, and if the week passes with no problems, then an end to it — unless a new threat develops.”

“All right, I’ll get that done right away.”

“Paul would appreciate that.”

“Anything else?”

“Keep me posted if there’s anything new on Macher.”

“I will, certainly.” The two men hung up.

Stone checked his e-mail and found one from Marisa.

Stone, I’m sorry if I’ve seemed uncommunicative, but I’ve been very busy at our clinic here. Did I mention that we have a clinic in Stockholm? In any case, we’re losing two of our best doctors, who are going into private practice, and I’m in the midst of interviewing candidates to replace them and, perhaps, reorganizing some of our services as a result. I’m afraid it’s going to take me at least a month to get everything running smoothly enough for me to return to New York. I wanted to tell you now, so that if you’re contemplating any social plans, to go ahead without me. Needless to say, I maintain my liberal Swedish attitude about sex!