Family Jewels

21

Stone stayed at Gala’s house until almost three o’clock; then he got back into his borrowed Range Rover and, instead of returning to the Eagles’ residence, turned toward Santa Fe and drove into the town.

He found a parking place half a block from the plaza, then he took a very slow walk around, checking every shop and every bench in the little park. He walked over to the old governor’s mansion, one of the oldest buildings in the United States, parts of it dating back to the sixteenth century. A group of Native American jewelry makers were camped on the sidewalk, under the portico, selling their jewelry. Stone strolled along the sidewalk, looking less at the jewelry and more at the people. Harvey Biggers was not among them.

After an hour of searching the area, Stone got back into the Range Rover and drove back to Tesuque, through the village and up to the Eagle residence. There were caterers’ trucks and a flower van parked out front, and inside, the living room was being decorated for Susannah’s birthday party, and a man was tuning the grand piano.

Stone wandered into Ed’s study and found Nicky Chalmers reading a book about Winchester rifles. Nicky looked up at him. “I’m sorry if I interrupted your lunch with my phone call,” he said, “but I thought you’d want to know about Harvey.”

Stone sat down on the sofa beside Nicky. “Do you have any idea why he’s here?”

“None whatever,” Nicky replied, “unless he’s still stalking Carrie.”

“Since I last saw you, Harvey has been connected to the corpse next door to Carrie Fiske’s house in East Hampton. Not only that, he was found in similar circumstances in West Palm Beach two years ago.”

“That’s a very disturbing coincidence,” Nicky said.

“It is indeed. And a couple of days ago, Harvey turned up on my doorstep with a gun.”

“Jesus! I’ve known Harvey since Yale, and I wouldn’t have suspected him of something like that. I guess he’s just crazy over the divorce.”

“That’s my feeling. I managed to get into the house and shut the door before he could think about using it.”

“Do you think that was his intention?”

“I wish I knew the answer to that question. Let me ask you another, one that I suspect you’re not supposed to tell me the answer to.”

“And what would that be?”

“Where is Carrie?”

“Ah,” Nicky said, “you’re quite right, I took an oath not to tell you.”

“Let me take a guess,” Stone said. “Maybe you’ll tell me if I’m wrong. Is Carrie in Santa Fe?”

“No,” Nicky said without hesitation.

“Near Santa Fe?”

“Now I’m getting uncomfortable.”

“How near?”

“An hour or two, perhaps. I’m not sure.”

“Do you know how Carrie and I became acquainted?”

“She told me she went to see you about her will.”

Stone sighed.

“Is that, strictly speaking, not true?” Nicky asked.

“Strictly speaking, no. The conversation eventually turned to that, and her will was, ostensibly, the reason I was in East Hampton when we met. Unfortunately, I’m sworn not to tell you the first reason we met.”

“Ah, attorney-client confidentiality?”

“Yes.”

“Perhaps I could have a guess?”

“If you like.”

“Was Carrie concerned about her safety? Specifically, with regard to Harvey?”

Stone nodded. “I can neither confirm nor deny that.”

Nicky smiled.

“You said, I believe, you knew Harvey at Yale?”

“Yes. We were on the rowing team together, and we were quite a good one. Harvey was an oar. I, given my smaller stature, was coxswain.”

“May I ask, given your long acquaintance, what is your opinion of Harvey?”

“You may ask, but being of long acquaintance doesn’t mean we saw a lot of each other after Yale. Not even at Yale, truth be told, except when afloat. Harvey was then, and at times since, ah... mercurial, shall we say.”

“Mercurial to the point of being unstable?”

“I’m not sure I’m qualified, by training or constant exposure, to answer that in the affirmative. I can tell you, though, that at Yale, Harvey was quick to anger and quick to use his fists when angry. I’ve heard reports from others to suggest that that has not changed in the succeeding years.”

“Do you know if he ever hurt anybody?”

“At Yale, he didn’t lose any fights. Harvey was, then as now, tall and muscular. He may have run to fat a bit over the years, but who among us hasn’t?”

Stone ignored that. “Nicky,” Stone said, “do you suppose that tomorrow you and I might get into a car, take a drive, and accidentally bump into Carrie Fiske?”

“I’ve got a better idea,” Nicky said, removing a cell phone from his pocket. “Why don’t I just call her?”

Stone stood up. “I’ll take a short walk,” he said. “Tell her that Harvey is in Santa Fe, that I’m concerned for her safety, and that she can’t have Bob back.”