“Very well, thanks; is Lance there?”
“Sure, just a minute.”
“Good morning, Stone,” Lance said.
“Good morning; are you free for lunch today?”
“Sure; where?”
“The Connaughtgrill, at twelve-thirty?”
“See you then.”
Stone hung up.
“What do you hope to accomplish by having lunch with him?” Dino asked.
“A few days ago, he tried to bring me into some sort of business deal; I blew him off at the time, but now I feel more receptive. Also, it will give you a good look at Lance; I’ll get you a table, too.” He called downstairs and made the reservations.
Stone arrived in the grill on time; Dino was already seated a couple of tables away from his own; Lance showed up five minutes later.
“Well, what’s up?” Lance asked, after they had ordered lunch.
“Last weekend, you asked me to do some legal work for you in New York.”
“Yes, but you weren’t interested; I accept that.”
“Now I’m interested.”
“What changed your mind?”
“I have some time on my hands here. I won’t do the legal work myself, but I’ll give you the name of a man who can handle it. I’m more interested in participating in the business end of the, ah, transaction.”
“You mean you want a piece of the action?”
“If I like the action.”
“I assume you’d be willing to make an investment?”
“That depends on what the deal is and how big an investment you want.”
“Could you come up with a quarter of a million dollars?”
“If I were sufficiently motivated.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
Lance laughed. “I’m not sure that I know everything.”
“Let’s start with what you know.”
“All right; I propose to buy some items in England or elsewhere in Europe and sell them to someone in another part of the world for a large profit.”
“How much will you pay for them and what will you sell them for?”
“I expect to pay in the region of half a million dollars for these items, and I expect to sell them for around two million, maybe a bit more.”
“That is a very nice profit indeed. And exactly what are the items?”
“I’m not at liberty to tell you just yet.”
“You understand that I will be unwilling to make the investment until I know?”
“Of course; I don’t think you’re a fool, Stone.”
“Can you give me a general idea?”
“Let’s just say that the goods are of a scientific nature, and that the buyers are lovers of science.”
“Are Ali and Sheila part of this deal?”
“A very important part. They will act as liaison between the sellers and the buyers.”
“Why can’t you do it yourself?”
“Let’s just say that I’m of the wrong nationality, ethnicity, and religion. Ali and Sheila are critical to the success of the transaction.”
Stone took a card from his wallet and wrote a name and telephone number on the back of it. “This is a lawyer in New York who will handle your legal work. But for the record, this is the only part of the transaction that I will ever admit taking part in—a simple reference.”
“I quite understand.”
“Apart from the nature of the goods and the name of the buyer, I will require a means of making my share of the profit bankable and spendable, without attracting the attention of any government agency anywhere.”
“I quite understand. I have such an arrangement already in place, and you may avail yourself of it.”
“When will this happen, and when can you tell me more about it?”
“Once I give the go-ahead, it will take only two or three days to conclude the transaction. The items in question have already been manufactured and will be transported as soon as I transfer the funds to the maker. How soon can you produce your quarter of a million?”
“What do you mean by ‘produce’? Where and when?”
“I mean wire-transfer the funds to an offshore bank, which I will specify.”
“As soon as I know all the details of what you’re delivering and to whom. The funds are currently in a money market fund, awaiting investment. All it will take for delivery is a coded fax to my broker.”
“I like your style, Stone.”
“All we need to know now is if I like yours.”
“I’ll talk to some people and be in touch shortly.”
They raised their glasses in a silent toast, then went back to finishing their lunch.
Stone glanced across the small room at Dino. He was enjoying his lunch immensely.
Chapter 43
STONE SAID GOODBYE TO LANCE ON the steps of the Connaught, then set off down Mount Street toward Berkeley Square, walking slowly, so that Dino could follow, window-shopping along the way. It was time to see if anyone was following him.
He walked around the square, letting Dino follow from a distance, and, on a whim, walked into Jack Barclay’s, the Rolls-Royce dealer. A young man approached him immediately.
“Good afternoon, sir. May I help you?”
“I’d like to look at a Bentley, please.” The showroom was a good place from which to spot a tail, with its large windows overlooking Berkeley Square. Stone couldn’t see Dino.