Double Jeopardy

37

Stone slept in Primmy’s arms, and they amused each other both at bedtime and on rising. They joined the others for breakfast, where Stone told them all of the previous evening’s events and their tour of the Stone twins’ house.

“Is it nice?” Primmy asked.

“It’s going to be, when they’re done.”

“Maybe I’ll buy it when they’re dead,” Primmy said.

“I think that’s a better plan than making an offer now. That way, you don’t have to deal with the twins, just Billy Hotchkiss.”

“Billy’s a piece of cake,” Primmy said. “Especially if his client is dead, like the twins are going to be.”

“Primmy,” Stone said, “do you know something I don’t know about the twins?”

“Perhaps.”

“Would you share it, please?”

“In due course,” she said. “I’ve already shared it with Carly.”

Stone looked across the table at Carly. She was looking smug, he thought.

“Don’t worry,” Carly said, “it’s a good thing.”

“As long as it isn’t detrimental to the health of the rest of us,” Stone said.

“Shouldn’t be,” Primmy said.

Stone’s phone rang. “Yes?”

“It’s Ed. The twins are still not back; you want to do a little nautical reconnaissance with me this morning?”

“Sure.”

“Come on over here as soon as you like.”

“Can I bring the others?”

“As many as you like.”

“See you in half an hour.” Stone hung up. “How many of you want to take a ride on Ed Rawls’s boat this morning?”

Primmy’s and Carly’s hands shot up. The Bacchettis exchanged a meaningful glance, which Stone knew meant sex. They wanted the place to themselves.

“I’ll come along,” Lance said.

“Fifteen minutes, in the station wagon.”

Thirty minutes later they were clambering aboard Ed’s motorboat as the morning sun warmed them. Stone took a seat next to Ed, who was at the helm.

Ed accelerated and turned north toward open water. When he had gone a couple of hundred yards, he spun the boat around and cut the throttles to idle, taking her out of gear.

“There,” Rawls said. “Nice view of my house, huh?”

“Very nice,” Stone said. “What are we doing here?”

“Assume we’re in the house, and the twins are out here: How could they best kill us?”

Stone peered at the house, then picked up some binoculars. “Day or night?”

“Make it easy on yourself.”

“Okay, if it’s night, I can probably see us sitting at the table or up and walking around.”

“In daylight?”

“I’d need us to come outside. Easy shot, if we’re outside in daylight.”

“I can’t argue with that. You see the porch table?”

“Sure.”

“That’s three-inch thickness of Maine heart pine, well-seasoned. You tip that on its side, and you’ve got a good barrier between us and a shooter out here.”

“Granted.”

“Let’s remember that the next time we’re on the porch. We can just leave it tipped on its side. Saves time, when you’re ducking bullets.”

“I hear you.”

“Now, let’s take a look at their place,” Ed said, putting the engines in gear and pushing the throttles forward. Soon they were off the twins’ dock. “You can see why they chose that room facing the road as the master bedroom.”

“No shot from here at someone in the room,” Stone said. “A whole other thing, if you’re on the road. Or you could set up on the Jacksons’ upstairs porch, facing the road.”

“You could make life very hot in the twins’ master from that vantage point,” Rawls said.

“I like it better than shooting from the seaward side,” Stone said. “I’d feel a whole lot more comfortable on the Jacksons’ porch.”

“So would I,” Ed said. “What’s in that room off the porch?”

“Guest room, I think. Twin beds.”

“Right. If we’re going to set up a shooting gallery, I reckon that’s our spot.”

Lance came and sat next to them. “I have the distinct feeling,” he said, “that you two are up to no good.”

“You want some of this, Lance? There’s room on the Jacksons’ upstairs porch for another man with a long gun.”

“It’s been a long time since I shot someone in the head from a distance,” Lance said. “And, as I recall, there were no policemen within a hundred miles.”

“Fond memories,” Rawls said.

“And anyway, my chopper is coming for me at three this afternoon.”

“Do you think you could drop Carly off at the New Haven airport?” Stone asked. “She has a car there.”

“Of course. Anything for a citizen, especially one as pretty as Carly.” Lance smiled. “And my blessings upon your little shooting party.”

They were back at Ed’s house for lunch, where Sally had prepared a huge steak and kidney pie. They fell on it.

Carly came and sat down by Stone. “Are you trying to get rid of me? Lance says he’s giving me a lift.”

“I’m happy to have you here as long as you like,” Stone said. “I can fly you over to New Haven in the Cessna, whenever you like.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll stick around for a bit.”

“What are you and Primmy cooking up?”

“Let’s just say we can’t pull it off in New Haven.”

“You aren’t going to get yourselves killed, are you?”

“That is not part of our plan,” Carly said.

“The two of you are driving me nuts.”

“I know,” she said.