Criminal Mischief

17

Stone called Dino.

“Bacchetti.”

“I haven’t heard the announcement from the FBI about the reward for Viktor Zanian. Is that still on?”

“Far as I know. I... Hang on.” There was a brief pause. “It’s on CNN now.”

“Hang on.” Stone switched on the TV. He got the last of the announcement and jotted down the phone number. “Got it.”

“Do I get half?” Dino asked. “I’m the one who gave you the tip.”

Stone didn’t have to think about it. “Yes, you get half, but you have to work for it.”

“ ‘Work’? What does that mean?”

“I know you are only fleetingly acquainted with the concept, so let’s get started. Who’s running the case at the Bureau?”

“Brio Ness,” Dino replied without hesitation.

“Is that a boy Brio or a girl Brio?”

“Female. I’m not allowed to say ‘girl’ at the office. She reports directly to the director.”

“That cuts a lot of red tape, doesn’t it?”

“It also allows the director to take a lot of the credit, when they put the cuffs on Zanian.”

“Of course it does. I’ve got more info coming on the possible whereabouts of Zanian. I’ll call Ms. Ness when I have that.”

“Up to you, pal, just don’t mention my name in connection with the reward. As far as she’s concerned, you’re getting the whole sausage.” He gave Stone her direct line.

“Gotcha. Dinner later?”

“Viv has booked us for seven o’clock at the Carlyle. Bring Kitty, Viv would like that.”

“Will do.” Stone hung up and was immediately buzzed by Joan. “Bob Cantor holding on two.”

Stone pressed the button. “Yeah, Bob.”

“You’ll like this: Zanian’s Gulfstream changed destinations and landed at Waterbury-Oxford Airport, in Connecticut. This morning it departed for Aspen with two passengers on board, a Mr. and Mrs. Taylor.”

“Okay, good news. Who’s the corporate owner of the airplane?”

“The Woodchip Corporation, of Wilmington, Delaware.”

“Okay, keep me posted.” Stone hung up and called Brio Ness’s number.

“Special Agent Ness,” a smooth voice said.

“Agent Ness, my name is Stone Barrington. I’m an attorney with Woodman & Weld.”

“I’ve heard your name from Bill Eggers,” she said. “What can I do for you?”

“Are you accepting hot leads on Viktor Zanian?”

“With both hands,” she replied. “Whaddaya got?”

“Zanian didn’t fly to Rio, but his airplane did, then it turned around and flew north again, filed for Teterboro, then redirected to Waterbury-Oxford Airport, Connecticut. The airplane’s ownership was changed to a Delaware company, the Woodchip Corporation.”

“Very interesting. What evidence do you have that Zanian didn’t get off in Rio?”

“He wasn’t on board. If you put your tech people on the film of him landing there, they will learn that it’s faked. The film was shot at Teterboro, then doctored.”

“And where is Mr. Zanian now?”

“His airplane left Oxford this morning, filed for Aspen. That’s all I’ve got for the moment.”

“Well, that’s quite a lot, if any of it is true.”

“I have every confidence that all of it is.”

“I don’t suppose you have any interest in the ten-million-dollar reward.”

“On the contrary, I’m very much interested in it. I would appreciate a text from you, confirming the details that I gave you.”

“Okay, Mr. Barrington, your information is noted, and you are now standing in line for the money.”

“How far back in the line?”

“Pretty far, but I’ll tell you this: your information is more interesting than anything I’ve heard so far. Now, you must excuse me while I get the wheels of justice turning.”

“You are excused,” Stone said. He hung up.

Stone called Kitty. “Are you awake?” he asked.

“Fairly,” she said.

“How about dinner with the Bacchettis at the Carlyle, at seven?”

“I’ll meet you there. It’s just around the corner.”

“See you then.”

Stone was early, so he dropped into Bemelmans Bar for a drink. The little jazz group was just warming up, and he enjoyed listening. The bartender, momentarily idle, walked over to Stone. “Your name Barrington?”

“That’s right.”

“Friend of mine says you’re working on getting peoples’ money back who invested with a guy named Zanian. That so?”

“Not really. I know a couple of people who lost some money, but the FBI is doing all the investigating. Did he take some of your money?”

“Friend of mine lost a bundle.”

“How much is a bundle?”

“Three hundred grand.”

“Who’s your friend?”

“I don’t want to say.”

“What do you want to say?”

“Forget it. I was just curious.”

“The FBI is offering a ten mil reward, you know.”

The bartender brightened. “I heard.”

“If you know anything about where Zanian is, they’re the people to talk to.”

“Well, you never know. You hear a lot of stuff tending bar at a place like this,” the man said.

“What’s your name?”

“Tim Deal.”

“Good luck, Tim.” He put some money on the bar and walked across the hall to the dining room where the Bacchettis awaited.

“You were in the bar, weren’t you?” Dino asked.

“I was early and thirsty.” They all ordered drinks and looked at the menu.

“Strange. Just now the bartender knew my name and asked me if I was working for some of Zanian’s victims.”

“Then you must be famous,” Viv said.

“I know two people who lost money to Zanian. One of them is coming through the door right now.” He nodded toward Kitty, who spotted them and headed for the table. Stone and Dino rose to meet her, and air was kissed.

“We were just talking about Zanian,” Viv said.

“Everybody’s talking about him,” Kitty replied. “I had a phone call from somebody I didn’t know, asking if I’d like them to get my money back.”

“That’s a scam,” Stone said. “Next time, just hang up on them.”

“How much did they want?” Dino asked.

“Ten thousand now and ten percent of what they recover.”

“Yeah, it’s a scam artist. They’ll be coming out of the woodwork with ten million out there.”

“How would he know my name?” Kitty asked.

“Has it been in the papers?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Kitty,” Stone said, “you don’t read the papers. You could have been a headline in the Post, and you wouldn’t know.”

“True.”

“I just had a bartender ask me if I was trying to get peoples’ money back from Zanian.”

“Did he know you?”

“He’d heard of me. His name is Tim Deal.”

“Looks like we’re all getting famous,” Kitty said. “What did you say to Tim?”

“I told him if he knew anything to call the FBI.”

They ordered, and Kitty, who was sitting next to Stone on the banquette, put her hand on his thigh and whispered, “My place is just around the corner. Later?”

“As soon as possible,” Stone whispered back.

“I know what that was about,” Viv said. “You two are embarrassing us.”

“I’m not embarrassed,” Dino said.