Family Jewels

33

They got into a cab, and Stone got out his cell phone. “Excuse me a moment, I’ve got to call my security guy.” He pressed the speed dial and waited.

“Bob Cantor.”

“Bob, it’s Stone Barrington.”

“What do you need?”

“I need you to go to the following address.” Stone read it to him. “I want the locks to all the exterior doors rekeyed, and make sure you find all of them on both floors. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“You can leave one key with the super, and tell him he’s not to admit anyone without written permission from me. Also, check out the security system, then call the managing company and change the entry and exit codes to the number 1946. Also, change the cancellation code, in the event of a false alarm, to Bob.”

“Like my name?”

“Sort of.”

“How many keys you want?”

“Send me a dozen. Then I want you to go to East Hampton.” He gave him the address of the beach house. “Stop by my place on your way, and Joan will give you keys to both properties and a letter of authorization.”

“Okay.”

“You know somebody who does what you do in Palm Beach, Florida?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Same instructions to him.” He gave Bob the address. “The housekeeper’s name is Hazel, and he can give three keys to her, then FedEx another dozen to me. Joan will call Hazel and let her know he’s coming. And get it done fast, will you?”

“Don’t I always?”

“Thanks, Bob.” Stone hung up, then looked up a number in his list of contacts and called it.

“Paul Eckstein.”

“Paul, it’s Stone Barrington.”

“How are you, Stone?”

“Very well, thanks. I have a very large appraisal and cataloging assignment for you.”

“As large as the Bianchi estate?”

“Larger. Can you come to my house this morning? I’ll give you the details.”

“Certainly. I can be there in an hour.”

“That’s fine. And Paul, please bring a loupe with you.”

“I never go anywhere without one.”

Stone hung up. “Now we’ll get this show on the road.”

Back at his office, Stone buzzed Joan. “Please print me up a hundred letterheads, ‘The Estate of Carrie Fiske,’ using this address and adding my name as executor and trustee.” He gave her the keys to the apartment and beach house. “Bob Cantor will be here soon. Give these to him. Paul Eckstein will be here, too. Send him in. And write me two ‘To Whom It May Concern’ letters, mentioning Bob in one and Paul and his assignees in the other, saying that they are authorized to be admitted to the Fiske premises on my authority as executor.”

Joan went back to her office.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me,” Gala said, “I have a screenplay to work on.”

“I’ll send you up some lunch later.”

She vanished into the elevator.

Bob Cantor arrived, picked up the keys and his letter, and left. Paul Eckstein was right on his heels.

“Come in, Paul, and have a seat.”

Eckstein did so. “Well, what do you have for me? I’m all excited.”

“Does the name Carrie Fiske ring a bell?”

“Vaguely. Socialite?”

“In a big way. She was murdered near Santa Fe a few days ago, and she was my client.”

“Murdered? By whom?”

“The principal suspect is her ex-husband, Harvey Biggers.”

“That rings a faint bell, too. Financial guy, very big?”

“Yes.”

“Carrie had three residences.” He handed Paul a sheet of paper with the addresses. “The East Hampton house is about what you’d expect around Georgica Pond. There’s some good contemporary art — I saw a couple of very nice Hockneys — but the Palm Beach and New York residences, as you can tell by the addresses, are prime, and the contents of each contain the collections of three generations, and are something to behold — furniture, silver, jewelry, and art. I want the three appraisals as furnished, but I want to have the option of auctioning an impressive number of pieces of American antique furniture and the better paintings, so make separate appraisals of each.”

“How soon do you need this?”

“How fast can you get it done?”

“The East Hampton house, a week. The Palm Beach and New York places, two weeks, if I use a separate team for each place.”

“And that would cost the same as if one team took five weeks?”

“Yes, except for any travel expenses. I’ll consult with real estate agencies on property values, but I’ll want my own people to do the interiors, and I’ll want museum and auction house people for the art.”

“I’ll have keys to all three properties sent to you within twenty-four hours.” Joan came in with the authorization letter, and Stone signed it and gave it to Eckstein, who read it.

“This will do nicely.”

“Something else.” He took the velvet bag from his pocket and placed it in Paul’s hand.

Paul weighed it. “Heavy. What is it?”

“That’s what I want you to tell me.”