Стюарт Вудс - Class Act

“That part sounds interesting. How did you know I like a girl now and then?”

“Intuition,” Stone said. “Hang on, I’ll send you a photo.” He sent it on its way. “Got it?”

“Yes, and I want it.”

“Let me call her and tell her about you, then I’ll get right back.” He hung up.

“Did she bite?” Jack asked.

“Oh, yes. You’d better call Cara.” He explained what he’d told Hilda.

“I’ve already spoken to Cara, while you were on the phone.”

“What was her reaction?”

“Positive,” Jack said. “Enthusiastic when I offered her twenty-five grand and expenses.”

“She knows why she’s going, then?”

“Yes.”

“She knows not to be seen with Hilda or to leave a body in my house?”

“Disposal is included. Cara will drop her off in the Everglades on her way home, in the dead of night. There are hungry things in the Everglades.”

Stone sat and stared at his desk. How was this any different from killing Trafficante at the Savoy? He had been ready to do that, he thought.

“You’re still going to have to deal with Trafficante, though. From his conversation with his Don, I’d say he hates you.”

“Believe me, I realize that.”

“I may be able to help with that, too.”

“I may need help with that.” Stone buzzed Joan. “How much cash do we have in the safe?”

“About thirty-five thousand, I think.”

“Put twenty-five of it into an envelope and bring it to me, please.” He turned to Jack. “Where is Cara now?”

“In New York, for a few days’ shopping.”

“I think she’d better get to Key West right away, before Hilda gets bored again. She can rent a car at the airport and return it in Palm Beach.”

“She’ll be on a six o’clock plane. Should be at your house by nine.”

Joan came in with a fat envelope. “Give it to Mr. Coulter, please. He’s going to make an investment for me.”

Joan gave Jack the envelope. “Do we need a receipt?” she asked Stone.

“That won’t be necessary,” Stone replied. “Restock, though.”

“Will do.” Joan left.

“Tell Cara that the maid is off this week. She’ll be back on Monday to clean up after Hilda.”

“That’s convenient,” Jack said.

Stone gave him the address and directions to the house from the airport, and the code for the driveway gate. “Tell her there’s off-street parking, and she can use the garage closest to the house; same gate code.”

“Do you want her to call you when it’s done?”

“No, I want her to call you when it’s done. Then you can call me and just say ‘the package arrived,’ and I’ll know she’s on her way back to Palm Beach.”

“Done,” Jack said, rising. “I’ve got to get home. Hillary and I are dining with friends tonight.”

“Thank you, Jack,” Stone said, and saw him out.

Stone went back to his desk and called Hilda.

“What’s up?”

“Cara,” Stone said. “She’s landing this evening; should be at the house by nine. She’s got this number, if she needs to reach you.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Hilda said.

“I’ll be down the day after tomorrow. I’ll let you know what time to expect me.”

“My guess is, you can expect to find both Cara and me here,” Hilda said. “We’ll plan something special for you.”

“That sounds enticing,” Stone said. They both hung up.

The phone rang, making Stone jump.

“Hello?”

“It’s Dino. What’s up?”

“Not much.”

“Dinner at P.J.’s, seven o’clock?”

“You’re on.” Stone hung up. He’d need the alibi.

Stone and Dino met at the bar, as usual, then half a drink later, asked for their table. They settled in and ordered.

Dino looked at Stone. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Wrong?”

“Come on, Stone. You can’t hide it from me.”

“Hide what from you?”

“You’re planning to do something you think I wouldn’t like.”

“That’s a wild guess,” Stone replied.

“But a good one.”

Stone shrugged.

“Why would you hide it from me?”

“Let me ask you a hypothetical question.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“Suppose, for a moment, that I was planning to do something illegal. Would you want to know?”

Dino drew a big breath. “How illegal?”

“ ‘Against the law’ illegal. I know you’d try to talk me out of it, but what if you couldn’t?”

“Huh?”

“What if you couldn’t talk me out of it? Would you arrest me?”

“I think I have it,” Dino said.

“Go ahead, guess.”

“You’re planning to kill Sal Trafficante, aren’t you?”

“No, but if he keeps trying to kill me, it may come to that.”

“Is he trying to kill you now?”

“Yes.”

“Then let me put some people on it.”

“It’s in another state.”

“Florida?”

“I won’t be specific.”

“Hilda is in Florida. Is she involved in this?”

“She’s awfully anxious for me to come to Key West.”

“Then don’t go there.”

“If I don’t, she’ll find another way. She may even come here to do it. Then I won’t see her coming.”

“Okay, I see what’s eating you now. You don’t want me to know what you’re planning.”

“It’s for your own benefit. No reason you should have to share the burden.”

“Look. If you and Hilda and I were in the same room, and I thought she was going to try to kill you, I’d kill her.”

“Well, she is going to try. Would you send somebody from New York to take her out before she could take me out?”

“That’s an impossible situation for me.”

“That’s why I’m not involving you, Dino. What you don’t know can’t hurt you.”

Dino shut up and looked around the room. “Is anybody in this room involved?”

Stone looked around. “No.”

“So nobody can be listening to us?”

“I’m not wearing a wire, Dino.”

“All right, I’ll go down there and kill her myself,” Dino said.

Stone’s jaw dropped, and he started laughing.

“What? You think I’m kidding?”

“I know you’re not kidding, and I love you for it. Listen to me: the best thing you can do for me right now is to forget about this. Put it right out of your mind, and don’t bring it up again. But I don’t know if you’re capable of that.”

“Of course, I’m capable of that.”

“Capable of what?”

“What you just said.”

“I don’t remember saying anything. What are you talking about, Dino?”

Dino leaned in close. “Offing two people.”

“What are you talking about? Why would I want to do that?”

“You just said...” Dino stopped. “All right, I get it.”

“Get what?”

“I’ll stay out of it.”

“Stay out of what?”

“Whatever you’re doing.”

“Doing? What am I doing?”

“Whatever you want to, and with no interference from me.”

“Sometimes I think you’re completely crazy,” Stone said.

“Sometimes I think so, too.”

They talked about other things.

Jack Coulter’s throwaway buzzed in his pocket. “Excuse me for a moment,” he said to Hillary. He left the table and walked around a corner. “Yeah?”

“I’m leaving the airport,” she said. “I’ll be at the house in ten minutes.”

“Everything okay?”

“I’m all set.”

“Call me as planned.”

“Sure.”

They both hung up.

Cara, as she had begun to think of herself, followed the GPS directions to the house and drove up to the keypad and entered the code. The gate swung open, and the garage ahead of her was empty. She drove in, got her bag from the trunk, and rang the bell.