Stuart Woods - Family Jewels

“I was just thinking,” Gala said, “the real estate could give Nicky an excellent motive for, well...”

“Nicky a murderer? Come on, you’ve gotten to know him, do you think he would be capable of that?”

“Well, as he said, it’s an opportunity for him to acquire not just Carrie’s real estate, but her taste, as it were.”

“You have an evil mind,” Stone said.

“I was married to an evil man for eight years,” she said.

They walked Bob in the garden, then went to bed, but Gala’s thoughts about Nicky kept him awake for a while.

Nicky called the following morning and said that he and Vanessa had decided to spend a few more days in Palm Beach, so they wouldn’t be flying to New York with Stone and Gala.

They had an uneventful flight to Teterboro, emptied Bob on arrival, and Fred met them and drove them into the city.

“Well,” Gala said, looking around Stone’s living room, “it’s more masculine than Carrie’s house, but it’s very nice indeed. It looks like you, so my guess is that you were your own interior decorator.”

“Good guess,” Stone said. He installed her in the master suite and left her working at her laptop.

Bob was very happy to see Joan, as she was the source of many cookies.

“I was afraid you’d make him fat on your trip,” she said to Stone.

“He’s in more danger of that around you,” Stone replied.

“So, I guess we’re in for another bout of estate settling,” Joan commented.

“Yes, we are.”

“I thought that, after dealing with Eduardo Bianchi’s estate, I’d never have to do that again until you fell off the twig.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll see that Woodman & Weld do a full-court press. The main thing is to get the valuations of the real estate done. Call those people who did Eduardo’s house and get them on the job.”

“Right.”

Stone sat down at his desk and started to go through the mail and messages, then Dino called.

“Welcome back.”

“Thanks. What do you hear from the Palm Beach cops?”

“They failed to bag Biggers.”

“I thought when they sealed off the island they’d spot him.”

“No such luck. We’ve got somebody on his apartment building, but no luck so far. Dinner tonight?”

“Let’s make it tomorrow night. I brought Susannah Wilde’s sister back with me — you’ll like her.”

“I like them all, Stone, it’s just that they don’t like you for very long.”

“That’s a dirty Communist lie.”

“Then why do they keep dumping you?”

“I’m just too much trouble, too set in my ways. See you tomorrow night.” He hung up, and Joan buzzed.

“You won’t believe who’s on line two,” she said.

“Do I have to guess?”

“Just pick up.”

Stone pressed the button.

“Good morning,” a familiar voice said.

“Harvey?”

“I thought that was a very nice service you had for Carrie. And I appreciate the bed. I didn’t think I should check into a hotel.”

Stone buzzed Joan, and he mouthed, Get Dino to trace this . “I guess not,” he said to Biggers.

“So, counselor, now that Carrie is gone, you have no conflict with representing me, do you?”

“Just a deep moral conflict,” Stone replied. “But, without actually representing you, I’ll give you some very good advice.”

“And what’s that?”

“Turn yourself in.”

“But I’m an innocent man.”

“All the more reason. Get everything straightened out, then resume your life.”

“And it’s going to be a very nice life.”

“Harvey, you seem to be laboring under the misapprehension that you are still in Carrie’s will.”

“Of course I am — she didn’t have time to change it.”

“On the contrary, I drew a new will for her, and she swiftly executed it. I think I can tell you, without violating a confidence, that the only mention of your name in the document is a statement excluding you from inheriting any part of the estate.”

“The bitch! I’ll contest it!”

“You don’t have a leg to stand on. You’re divorced, you agreed to and were paid a generous settlement, and then she changed her will. No attorney in the United States would take your case under those circumstances.” This was not strictly true, Stone knew, but he wanted to be emphatic.

“Well, that’s a disappointment.”

“There’s also the matter of your murdering her, which would prevent you from inheriting, even if you were still in the will.”

“But I didn’t murder her!”

“Then that’s exactly what you should tell the police when you have your inevitable chat with them.”

“I suppose you’d be glad to arrange that.”

“I’d be delighted. Where can I get in touch with you?”

“I think it’s best that I stay on the move.”

“Harvey, do you have any idea what you’re up against? Three police forces, one of them the largest in the world, have made your arrest a top priority, and you have no idea what they can bring to bear on that.”

“I watch enough TV to make a pretty good guess,” Harvey said. “And that reminds me, I should hang up now or you’ll trace my call. Maybe I’ll be in touch.” He hung up.

Stone hung up, too, and Joan came in, shaking her head. “It was a cell call from somewhere outside the city. There wasn’t time to figure out where. We’re not expecting another visit from Mr. Biggers, are we?”

“Not likely.”

Stone and Gala had breakfast in bed the following morning.

“I’m going up to Carrie Fiske’s apartment this morning to look it over,” Stone said “Would you like to come along?”

“Yes. Do you have a key?”

“Sheriff Martinez sent her luggage from the Ghost Ranch house,” Stone said. “Her handbag was among her effects, and there were keys to her properties.”

“I’d love to see it.”

They arrived at the Park Avenue building at mid-morning; Stone identified himself to the building’s superintendent, and they were allowed to enter the apartment.

“How long did Ms. Fiske own the apartment?” Stone asked the man.

“Her grandfather was the original owner,” he replied. “Her parents lived here, too, part of the time, and she owned it since their deaths a few years ago. I’ll leave you to look around, Mr. Barrington.”

Stone and Gala wandered around the rooms, Gala pointing out various pieces of furniture and art. They went upstairs to where the four bedrooms were and went into the master. “That’s a Klimt, I believe,” Gala said, indicating a large painting on the wall over a dressing table. She opened a large art book on the dressing table and found the picture. “There you are. A pity it’s not The Woman in Gold .”

They went into Carrie’s dressing room, which was very large. “Goodness, what a wardrobe!” Gala said, looking through the dresses. “I believe some of these things must have belonged to her grandmother and mother.”

Stone leaned against a panel, and it gave a little, then sprang open, revealing a large safe with an electronic keypad lock. “This looks custom-made,” he said. He dug into his pocket and found the key to the apartment. On the same ring was a gold tag with a number engraved on it.

“Is that the combination?” Gala asked.

“Two-two-seven-seven-four-three,” Stone read from the tag. “Those numbers, converted to letters, spell ‘Carrie.’” He tapped the numbers into the keypad and spun the safe’s wheel: the door opened. “It’s just a large jewelry box,” Stone said. He pulled out a couple of trays to reveal pairs of earrings and some rings.

“I think you should auction these pieces individually,” Gala said. She pulled out the bottom tray and gasped.