Criminal Mischief

41

Stone packed two cases and a small trunk, more than he normally took, but in order to be ready for anything, he had to take along a morning suit, with a collapsible top hat, waistcoat, striped trousers, a wing-collared shirt, and a silk cravat. Also, a chalk-striped dark blue suit, two linen suits, four pairs of shoes, and enough shirts to sweat through three a day, and a dinner jacket and two pleated dress shirts.

He also took along his trench coat, with a buttoned-in cashmere lining, lined gloves, and a long cashmere scarf, and finally, a tweed hat.

He called Brio and briefed her on his conversations and to warn her of the chilly evenings. “You need not worry about overpacking, since we don’t have to check our luggage. Do you have a diplomatic passport?”

“In the works,” she said. “I’m glad you’re taking this seriously, but really, Stone!”

“Your lord and master said something about eighteen FBI agents boarding in Cairo. I hope he wasn’t talking about boarding my airplane.”

“I understand, and I believe they’re using another government aircraft. They’ll join us in the air near Cairo, contact us on the radio and follow us in.”

“Did somebody caution you about not, ah, curtseying?”

“What?”

“We are American citizens, and we don’t bow to royalty. There’s nothing to stop you from flashing your cleavage at the sultan, though.”

“Oh gee, thanks.”

“Did anybody tell you about the dungeon under the royal palace?”

“Oh, come on.”

“And what’s the line from the movie? Nobody can hear you scream.”

“I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t invited you along.”

“ ‘Invited me’? That was an invitation? I regret accepting, more and more each hour.”

“The million in cash will be in a leather suitcase, and the other three hundred grand in a matching valise, both from the confiscated evidence room in the Hoover building. The property clerk swears it’s Dillinger’s luggage.”

“If we run short of cash, maybe we can auction it off on the Internet.”

“I can’t think of anything else,” she said.

“Me, too. Goodbye.” He hung up and buzzed Joan.

“Yes, sir?”

“How much ready cash do we keep in my checking account?” he asked.

“At least a hundred grand.”

“Tomorrow, stoke it with a million on top of that, and give me the wire transfer info.”

“It’s on every check in your checkbook.”

“And warn the bank to pay any sum I write a check for or ask to be wired.”

“What in the world are you going to buy?”

“A fugitive felon, I hope.” He hung up and thought about the dungeon. Maybe I should pack some long underwear, he thought.

Stone was on the airplane on time, and the flight attendant pointed at two old-fashioned pieces of luggage. “Those just arrived,” she said, and held up some keys. “These will open them.”

Stone set the larger case on a seat, unlocked it, and opened it. Hundreds and fifties. There was a pouch inside the case, as well. Stone opened it, stuffed his .380, the silencer, and three magazines inside and rebuttoned it, then locked the case again.

He made the same inspection of the accompanying valise, then relocked it.

What had he forgotten?

“Have you forgotten anything?” Brio asked from behind him.

“I brought everything,” he said.

“Separate transport is confirmed for my agents.”

“You’d better let them know that they’re not going to get into the palace with weapons. They should leave them on the airplane, but accessible. The agents are going to have to remain in reserve, too. We can’t arrive at the palace with eighteen bulky men. The sultan will suspect something.”

“They’re not going to like that in the least,” she said.

“Nothing I can do about it. Same goes for you, my dear. And strapping it to your inner thigh is just going to invite an invasion of your person.”

Faith walked back to where they were taking their seats, and beckoned Stone to join her.

“What is it?”

“I know this is going to sound strange, but there is no international airport in the Sultanate of Saud.”

“So, where are we going to land? In Riad, then drive eight hundred miles to the palace?”

“I’ve been given coordinates and a radio frequency. I’ll enter the longitude and latitude into the GPS and hope for the best, I suppose.”

“Make sure we have fuel to a reasonable alternate.”

“I have already done so.”

“Oh, as we pass Cairo, we’re going to pick up an escort, or rather, a tail. It’s another airplane with eighteen FBI agents aboard. They’ll contact you, and you can give them the location. I don’t know how I’m going to explain them to the sultan. And by the way, I think that, since we’re uncertain of our accommodations, you and your crew had better bunk aboard. It will be cold at night, but you’ll need the AC in the daytime.”

“I hope there’s hangar space available wherever we’re going,” she said.

“We may just have to make do.”

“I hope we don’t get a sandstorm, then. That would remove your paint job.”

“That’s what insurance is for,” Stone replied.

Or rather, the FBI, he thought.