“I want some of that spray for my handbag,” Joan said.
“Any idea who they were?” Stone asked.
“I heard a voice over a radio speaking in Russian, right before I was knocked out.”
“Anyway, she’s safe,” Stone said. “Carly, do you feel like going to work at Woodman & Weld or would you like to rest?”
“Work sounds good right now.”
“Joan, call Herb Fisher and tell him Carly is on the way in, and not to give her a hard time about being late.”
“Right.” Joan disappeared.
“All right, listen carefully, Carly. You are not to leave this house or Woodman & Weld, except in my company or that of Fred in the Bentley. Got that?”
“Got it.”
Joan came into the office, waving an envelope. “Carly’s carry license came, delivered by a uniform.” She handed it to Carly.
“Good timing. Find her a .380, a couple of spare magazines, and a box of cartridges.” Joan nodded.
Carly opened the envelope and stared at the license.
“That is a license to carry, not a license to kill,” Stone said. “If you kill somebody who is not shooting at you or strangling you at the time, your life will change forever, and for the worse.”
“I understand all that,” she said. “You’ve told me before. Could I have shot those two guys who took me last night?”
“Only while they were engaged in the taking of you.”
“Okay, point taken.”
“That being said, carry it everywhere. Joan, find her that catalog of holsters, and let her pick out something. Some ladies prefer the Thunderwear.”
“The what?”
“Joan will explain that to you. Joan, call Fred, brief him, and ask him to take Carly to work, but not until her weapon is loaded and available.”
Joan beckoned Carly to follow her, and they left.
The phone rang, and Stone grabbed it. “Yes?”
“It’s Herb. What the fuck is going on?”
“Carly will be on the way soon, and she’ll explain it to you. She’s going to be traveling armed now, so watch yourself.”
“Is she going to shoot me?”
“Not if you’re careful of her.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere near her.”
“That’s a good policy.” Stone’s cell phone rang. “Gotta go.” He picked up the other call. “Yes?”
“Stone, it’s Peter Greco.”
“Peter, Thomas Kinder has been looking everywhere for you. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, and I just talked to Kinder. I saw a face I recognized near the Waldorf and thought it best if my family and I found alternative lodging right away.”
“Smart move. Where are you now?”
“Long Island, at the home of someone I trust. But I’d rather not stay here long. The family has business interests in the area. You helped us once before, and I was hoping you could do the same again.”
“Would you consider a return to Islesboro? Or do you think Gromyko would suspect that?”
“I think that would be perfect. I doubt the Greek will look there.”
“Let me make a few calls and get back to you.”
They got off the phone, and Stone contacted Jimmy Hotchkiss, who knew everything about property on Islesboro. Jimmy promised to forward information to Stone by the morning.
Stone’s phone rang again.
“It’s Dino. I hear there’s a happy ending.”
“No, a happy ending would be if Gromyko were dead.”
“You think he was behind the disappearances?”
“Carly was kidnapped last evening. She said they were Russians, and he’s the number one Russian around here. Thanks for your help with her carry license. She’s carrying now.”
“Glad to hear it. Any word on Greco?”
“He’s safe and sound, so you can call off the dogs.”
“Did he say where?”
“Only in vague terms, which is probably for the best.”
“Agreed.”
“He is also out of your jurisdiction.”
“The news keeps getting better and better. Then, if everything’s settled, I should probably do some work.”
“The taxpayers would appreciate it.”
“See ya.” Dino hung up.
Joan came back in with Carly. “Okay, she’s ready to go. The Thunderwear is being overnighted.”
“Don’t either of you shoot the FedEx guy,” Stone said. “Fred awaits. Carly, remember: no leaving the house or the office without him, me, or both of us.”
She tapped her head. “And you remember, I never forget anything.”
“I’ll take her to the garage,” Joan said.
After they left, Stone sat down and took some deep breaths.
Chapter 36
The speaker on Lauren’s desk buzzed, followed by the Bean Counter saying, “Send him in.”
She looked at Korolev, not hiding her concern.
He gave her a smile that said everything would be fine and then headed to the door. Everything was not fine. He had been dreading this meeting since Lauren had woken him with a call at nine am, telling him he was expected at eleven.
He entered his boss’s office.
The Bean Counter was standing behind his desk, pulling his suit jacket on. Korolev stopped a respectful distance away and waited.
The Bean Counter checked his computer screen and picked up his briefcase before finally looking at Korolev. “Let’s go.”
“Go? Where, sir?”
“To see the Greek.”
Korolev felt a chill run down his back.
The Bean Counter didn’t say another word until they were in the back seat of his sedan, on the way across town. “I assume you failed.”
“It did not go as hoped.”
“What happened?”
Korolev told him about last night’s attempt to kidnap Matilda Martin, leaving nothing out, knowing to do so would not go unpunished.
“Are you even sure she was there?” the Bean Counter asked.
“I...”
The Bean Counter raised an eyebrow.
“No,” Korolev said. “I’m not sure. She has not been seen for several days.”
“Is it possible she left the city?”
Korolev reluctantly nodded. “It is possible.”
The Bean Counter sighed. “Then I guess I have no choice.”
The Greek’s assistant met the Bean Counter and Korolev at the entrance of a building in Brooklyn that was undergoing renovation and led them through the first floor to a closed door.
“One moment, please,” the assistant said, then went inside. Five minutes passed before he reappeared and motioned for them to enter.
The Greek sat at the only table in the room, working on a plate of cacio e pepe. In three of the other chairs were members of his inner circle. None of them were eating.
Without looking up from his food, Gromyko said, “Nice of you to stop by. I haven’t seen you for what? More than a week now, isn’t it?”
“My apologies, Alexei,” the Bean Counter said. “I’ve been busy.”
“You must have been. Can I assume the reason you’re here now is because you finally have an answer for me?”
The Bean Counter had hoped to avoid this, but the failure to find Matilda Martin and offer her up instead meant he no longer had a choice. “I do. I would have reported to you sooner, but I wanted to make sure there was no mistake.”
Gromyko looked at him. “So, tell me. Who killed my nephew?”
“The short answer is he did it to himself.”
The Greek stared at him, face blank.
“The bomb was his,” the Bean Counter said. “He intended it for someone else, but it went off when it was still in his possession.”
His boss’s gaze did not change.