A Safe House

21

They had dinner, then Stone took Jenna’s seat by the fireplace and moved her to the sofa.

Lance seemed amused. “You’re sitting in front of the picture window, deliberately well lit?”

“I do so on your advice,” Stone replied.

“On my advice?”

“You told me that the new glass is thicker than the old glass, right?”

“Right, but we have not subjected the new glass to the same stresses as the old glass. Nor have we subjected it to any testing.”

“That’s what we’re doing now,” Stone said. “We have lots of young people watching the harbor area and the house, do we not?”

“We do.”

“Then if there’s a shot fired out there, we have a shot at a shot, do we not?”

“This is not the way we normally test equipment.”

“Lance, we don’t have time to conduct the usual Agency test program, do we?”

“We do not. Nevertheless...”

As if in reply to Stone, a series of a half dozen loud noises was heard. Everybody ducked, except Stone, who got up, walked to the window, and began examining the glass. At the same time, from outdoors, weapons were heard firing, and then the roar of an engine reached them, growing less by the second.

“Lance,” Stone said, “may I borrow that tiny flashlight in your pocket?”

Lance handed it over, and together, they walked out onto the front porch, and Stone shone the beam on the picture window.

“There,” Lance said, pointing. “See the grouping of little smudges?”

Stone lit the area, then rubbed at the glass with a handkerchief from his pocket. The glass rubbed clean, and Stone turned the flashlight on the linen.

“Copper smudges,” Lance said. “Full metal jacket.”

“My new glass wasn’t even scratched. Very effective,” Stone said.

“It occurs to me that they could have used mercury-tipped explosive cartridges,” Lance said.

“With what effect?” Stone asked.

“Very likely, none.”

“I’ll keep the new glass,” Stone said.

“Your testing methods are very effective, if risky. You must come down to the Farm soon and try out some new equipment for us.”

“No, thanks,” Stone said.

Betty Black walked up out of the trees. “We scored some hits on a boat,” she said. “I hope to God it wasn’t a fisherman.”

“A fisherman with armor-piercing weapons?”

“Did he pierce anything?” she asked.

“Have a look at the window,” Lance said, pointing at the spot.

She turned a flashlight onto the glass. “My goodness,” she said. “Very effective.”

“Did your people hit anybody?”

“Chances are, yes, but we can’t prove it. There’s a boat out there somewhere with some bullet holes in it, though.”

“I should think that would have the effect of discouraging their efforts,” Lance said.

“Let’s hope so,” Stone said. “And tonight, let’s put some people in a couple of boats out in the mooring area. If they’re foolish enough to try again...”

“Anybody dead or mortally wounded out here?” Rawls called from the doorway.

“Maybe,” Stone said, “but they’re out of our hair.”

They went back inside and resumed drinking their cognac.