“Who does Collins think is responsible?”
“He says it’s got to be Gunn, possibly with the help of his son.”
Stone blinked. “What son?”
“Name of David.”
“Hang on,” Stone said. He covered the phone and turned to Eggers. “Are you aware that Gunn has a son?”
Eggers frowned. “There was no mention of a son at our meeting.”
Stone went back to the phone. “David comes as a surprise to everybody I know,” he said.
“Well, he’s going to get talked to,” Levine said. “I gotta go.”
“You still got the hot date?”
“You bet your ass.” Levine hung up.
Stone put his phone away. “I don’t get it about the son,” he said to Eggers. “I was at Gunn’s daughter’s wedding last night. I sat at the family table and there was no son there and no mention of one.”
“It’s a mystery,” Eggers said.
Stone got back on his phone and called Herbie Fisher.
“Hello?”
“Herbie, it’s Stone. How are you?”
“I’m okay,” Herbie replied. “Stephanie is pretty upset. She talked to her mother, and she’s pretty upset, too. Jack got home in time for dinner, and he’s also pretty upset.”
“Herbie, I just heard that you have a brother-in-law.”
“David? Yeah.”
“Where was he at the wedding?”
“He didn’t come to the wedding or the reception.”
“Was he invited?”
“Yeah, but just between you and me, I’m pretty sure his mother and Stephanie were glad he didn’t show up.”
“Does he work for Jack?”
“Yeah. He’s the number three guy there, after Jack and Peter Collins. Jack says Peter is the guy who did the stealing.”
“Herbie, will you do me a favor?”
“Sure, Stone. What do you need?”
“I need to know where David Gunn is, or when anybody in the family last saw him.”
“I’ll see if I can find out, Stone.”
“Be subtle, Herbie; don’t upset anybody. Ask Stephanie.”
“Hang on, I’ll ask her.”
“Herbie!” But Herbie had put the phone down. He came back a moment later.
“Stone, Stephanie says David is on vacation down in the islands somewhere.”
“She doesn’t know where?”
“No.”
“Thanks, Herbie.” Stone hung up. “David Gunn is on vacation somewhere in the islands.”
“Which island?” Eggers asked.
“The daughter doesn’t know which one.”
Dino spoke up. “Maybe one with an unregulated banking system, with numbered accounts?”
Eggers set his drink down. “I wonder why David’s name didn’t come up at our meeting,” he said.
“Maybe Jack Gunn is in denial about his son,” Stone suggested.
“Maybe Jack is in cahoots with his son,” Dino said.
“Bill,” Stone said, “do you think that’s a possibility?”
“I would not hazard a guess,” Eggers replied, “but I’m sure going to ask Jack about it in the morning.”
“How did you keep Gunn from getting arrested?” Stone asked.
“Before I even met him, Jack ordered a firm of forensic accountants—one approved by the U.S. Attorney—to do an audit of the firm’s books. They’ve already started, and they’ll be working twenty-four/seven until they’re done. I think that impressed Tiffany Baldwin.”
Tiffany Baldwin was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, with whom Stone had once had a brief fling that had been featured in the gossip columns.
“I’m very happy that I’m not representing anybody in this mess,” Stone said, “because then I would hate to have to deal with Tiffany.”
“Yeah,” Dino said, “I remember you dealing with her on Page Six of the Post.”
“Please don’t bring that up again, Dino,” Stone whimpered.
“Okay, but I’ll sure remember it,” Dino replied.
“Me too,” said Eggers.
EIGHT
Stone was at his desk the following morning when Joan came into his office. “Good morning,” he said.
“And to you,” she replied. “Before you got in this morning Mike Freeman called and said he’d like you to attend a meeting in his office this morning at eleven.”
Stone glanced at his watch. “Plenty of time. What kind of meeting?”
“He didn’t say, but he did say it was important. You should be there a little early, he said.”
“Okay,” Stone replied.
There was a rap on his door, and Herbie Fisher walked in. “You got a minute, Stone?”
“Just about that,” Stone replied, trying not to groan.
Joan sauntered out. “You two have fun,” she said.
“What’s up, Herbie?” Stone asked. “I thought you were going on your honeymoon.”
“Stephanie thought it would be unseemly to go,” he said. “That’s the word she used: ‘unseemly.’ ”
“I guess she has a point,” Stone said.
“Yeah. I’m worried about what all this stuff is going to do to my reputation,” Herbie said.
Stone looked at him askance. “Reputation?”
“Yeah, my reputation.”
“Herbie, I don’t think your bookie is going to worry about your reputation, as long as you pay your losses. Who else would give your reputation a thought?”
“You know, people.”
“What people?”
“People who know the Gunns, who know Stephanie.”
“Herbie, you don’t work for Gunn, and neither does your wife, yet.”
“Well, you know: lie down with dogs, get up with fleas.”
“You’re worried about getting fleas?”
“Yeah, on my reputation, as it were.”
“As it were? Where did you pick up that little phrase, Herbie? Have you been hanging out at the New Yorker?”
“The New Yorker?”
“Maybe in the cartoon department?”
“I don’t get it, Stone.”
“Neither do I, Herbie. Any more news from David Gunn?”
“Stephanie talked to him at breakfast time. He called.”
“Where did he call from?”
“He wouldn’t tell her. She told him he’d better get his ass back here to help out with this.”
“And how did he reply to that request?”
“He said he’d think about it. She’s really pissed off at him.”
“I’m not surprised. Have you had any dealings with David?”
Herbie shrugged. “Not much. I did recommend him to my bookie.”
“Swell,” Stone said. “The bookie who wanted to murder you?”
“We got past that,” Herbie said.
“Is David big into the ponies?” Stone asked.
“More like sports betting.”
This was not good, Stone thought. “Does he lose a lot?”
“He says he wins; says he’s got a system.”
“A system? That means he loses. Does his being in the islands have anything to do with your mutual bookie?”
“Come to think of it, I did get a call from him asking about David, but of course I couldn’t tell him anything because I didn’t know anything.”
“That is certainly grounds for keeping your mouth shut,” Stone said. “Well, you have your reputation to think about. If I were you, I’d distance myself from David,” he advised.
“He’s already in the islands,” Herbie pointed out. “Isn’t that far enough?”
“I was speaking metaphorically, not geographically.”
“Huh?”
Stone looked at his watch. “Never mind. I have to go to a meeting. Was there something in particular you wanted to see me about?”
Herbie scratched his head. “Yeah, but I can’t remember what it was.”