“Holly Barker.”
“It’s Stone. I’ve been reliably informed that you will be in New York this week, and that, if I play my cards right, I might have the pleasure of your company.”
“That depends. How are you planning to play your cards?”
“Is this phone call being recorded?”
“Thank you, no further details will be required. I’ll see you in Turtle Bay late tomorrow afternoon.”
“I will look forward to that.”
“May we see Dino and Viv?”
“That will be my next call.”
They said goodbye and hung up.
56
The following day Holly arrived a little late, so they had only half an hour in bed before they had to dress for dinner.
“I apologize for the brevity,” Holly said.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Stone said, kissing her, then watching as she got out of bed and padded around the master suite, collecting garments for the evening, followed everywhere by Bob. He and Holly were already in love. She gave him a little wave, then headed for the shower.
—
They arrived at Patroon nearly on time. Dino and Viv were only half a drink ahead of them. Everybody kissed, while Bob explained to a waiter about his bone.
“It’s very good to see you back home,” Dino said to Holly.
“Oh, Washington is my home now,” she replied.
“You still have an apartment here, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I never use it,” she said, winking at Stone. “Besides, I’m told it’s a good investment, already worth twice what I paid for it.”
“Speaking of apartments,” Dino said, “our friend Daryl Barnes doesn’t have one at 740 Park.”
“I’m not surprised,” Stone said. “Maybe he has friends there?”
“Marks, maybe — friends, no. And we can’t go canvassing the building, asking the residents if they have any guests who are con men and murderers. The mayor would be on the horn in seconds.”
“Have you had your meeting with the Sotheby’s security people?”
“Yeah, this afternoon. I think we’ve got it bracketed.”
“How many of your officers will be there?”
“Four. Sotheby’s will have another four.”
“And there’ll be a dozen Secret Service people in the building,” Holly added.
“Oh, are the Lees coming?”
“They are. Kate says Christmas is only a few months away, and Will needs to be exposed to jewelry well ahead of time.”
“That’s a pretty broad hint,” Viv said.
“Kate doesn’t believe in little hints where jewelry is concerned.”
“Smart girl,” Viv said, digging an elbow into Dino’s ribs.
“Oh, I forgot,” Dino said. “We’ll be there, too — strictly out of security concerns.”
“It can’t hurt to have a look at Carrie’s jewels,” Viv pointed out.
“Oh, yes it can,” Dino replied.
“Another nice thing about having the Secret Service there,” Holly said, “is that every person in the room and every staff member will have been okayed by them before the President arrives. They will have run the name, date of birth, and Social Security number on everyone, and anybody with a criminal record or who has ever threatened a president will be excluded.”
“That should help make security easier,” Dino said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the Bloch-Bauer necklace,” Viv said.
“You could have stopped by my office and seen it there,” Stone said, “until I turned it over to Sotheby’s.”
“I don’t recall an invitation,” she said, glaring at Dino.
“It never occurred to me that you would want to see it,” he said.
“See it? Everybody in New York wants to see it. I want to wear it out to dinner.”
“Not without an armed guard,” Stone said.
“You forget, I’m in the armed guard business. I could have a platoon of them guarding me.”
“Dino,” Stone said, “you are clearly remiss.”
“Thank you for your support,” Dino replied.
“Viv,” Stone said, “maybe after the reception I can arrange for you to try on the necklace.”
Holly’s hand shot up. “Me too!”
“All right, you too.”
“They can arm-wrestle for it,” Dino said. “I’d like to watch that.”
“You can go first, Viv,” Holly said.
“You, my dear, are a gentlewoman of the first water,” Viv said, clinking glasses with her.
“Stone,” Dino said, “you should bid on the necklace.”
“Me? What would I do with a ten-million-dollar piece of jewelry?”
“Want a suggestion?” Holly asked, snuggling up to him.
“Tell you what,” Stone said, “I’ll bid on it, and you and Viv can take turns wearing it...”
This received a chorus of cheers.
“... if Dino will pay the insurance premiums.”
“Yeah, sure,” Dino said.
“I want you both to remember that I made the offer,” Stone said, “and that Dino wouldn’t hold up his end.”
“Tell you what,” Dino said, “I won’t pay the insurance, but I’ll be sure that whoever is wearing it will have an armed guard from the NYPD.”
More cheers from the women.
“Until I retire.”
Groans from the women.
Dinner arrived and was consumed.
57
Stone and Holly were getting dressed for the jewelry showing in their separate dressing rooms.
“Viv phoned me,” Holly called across the master bedroom. “The Lees invited them to dinner, too. They’re going to pick us up at four forty-five.”
“Great,” Stone called back. “Nice to have a police escort.”
“I don’t get nearly enough of those,” Holly called back.
“Not even traveling with Kate?”
“Mine is a White House job. I don’t travel with her that much, unless we’re in the middle of some foreign crisis.”
Stone adjusted his bow tie and stepped into the bedroom. Holly was having a last look at her spectacular red dress. “Wow! Where do you find these clothes?”
“I never have time for a day of shopping, so if I see something I like in a shop window, I buy it and save it for when I get one of these invitations, so I’ve always got something to wear.”
“Smart girl. Where do you get the money to buy three-thousand-dollar dresses, if you don’t mind my asking.”
“Not at all. I make a decent salary, and I have my army pension on top of that.” She looked at him coyly. “And I have money you don’t know about.”
“Oh? And where did that come from?”
“I found it in a tree.”
“Not at the end of a rainbow?”
“No, in a tree — literally.”
“Kindly explain.”
“I’ll tell you one of these days, when I’ve had a few drinks.”
“I love a mysterious woman.” He looked at his watch again. “We’d better get downstairs.”
As they reached the front door, Dino’s big black SUV glided to a halt out front, followed by an unmarked police car. They got into the rear seat.
“Very nice, Dino!” Holly enthused.
“It’s only my due,” Dino replied. “I’m a terribly important person.”
“Don’t ever retire,” Viv said. “I like the car.”
They arrived at the Carlyle and, accompanied by a Secret Service agent, took an elevator to the Lees’ apartment. A butler opened the door and they found former President Will Lee, in a tuxedo, with an infant in his arms.
“May I introduce William Henry Lee the Fifth, called Will Henry, after his great-grandfather?”
Viv and Holly made oohing and aahing noises, while Stone and Dino kept a respectful distance. A moment later, the President of the United States swept into the room wearing a knockout black cocktail dress, quite low-cut, for a president.