Foul Play

Thirty-Five

Stone walked into Rod’s study later that night. Shep was at the desk, making phone calls.

“How’s it going?” Stone asked.

“It’s going. The good news is, the new owners haven’t done anything radical to the security system, which we installed a couple of years ago. The entry codes have changed, but I have them in my notebook.”

“Is the safe still in your dad’s old office?”

“Yes, and they haven’t been able to open it.”

“We’re going to need Sol on site, then.”

“Yes. One thing: they’re bringing a safecracker up from New York on Monday, and they expect he’ll open it.”

“Is Rod’s office occupied by someone new?”

“Yes, a man named Mueller, a German national whose job it is to visit their new acquisitions and get rid of the fat on the payroll. As you can imagine, he’s not very popular; behind his back they call him the führer. He plays golf on Sunday mornings.”

“What else is in the safe, besides the patents?”

“I don’t remember. It’s been a long time since I was inside it.”

“We’ll have to bring Sol up on Saturday and accommodate him somewhere that night.”

“Right. He will fly into the Pittsfield Airport.”

“Where can we stash Sol for the night?”

“At Dad’s house. We keep a skeleton staff there to tend to it, and I’ll have them bring in anyone that’s necessary, like a cook. It’s a big place. We can all stay there.”

“Are we going to drive?”

“That would involve a ferry going and returning, with a long drive in between. Why don’t we have your airplane land here and pick us up, with Sol already on board, and fly us to Lenox? I can have us met there.”

“Good idea. I’ll arrange the flight while you deal with the domestic arrangements.”

“How many will we be?”

“You and I, Sol, and Doug, for security. I’ll speak to him about it.” Stone left and went looking for Doug. He found him in the kitchen, having just finished his rounds.

“A word, Doug?”

Doug waved him to a chair at the kitchen table. “What can I do for you, Stone?”

“Four of us, including you, are going to make a little excursion tomorrow.”

Doug’s eyebrows went up. “What kind of excursion?”

“A Citation M2 is going to pick us up tomorrow and fly us to Lenox, Massachusetts, for an overnight stay.”

“Why?”

“We need to retrieve some documents from an old safe in Rod’s former office. We’ll do it on Sunday morning, when everybody at the factory is either in church or on the golf course.”

“You want me to arrange accommodations?”

“Already done. We’ll be staying at Rod’s house. Shep is arranging for a cook and other staff.”

“How are we planning to get into the factory?”

“Rod has all the keys.”

“Is Rod going with us?”

“No, he’s still dead, and we don’t want him spotted in the neighborhood.”

“How are you going to get into the safe?”

“We have an expert joining us. We’ll be back here by noon on Sunday, then the airplane will take our yegg back to Teterboro.”

“Okay, let’s sum up,” Doug said. “You’re going to take a man we’ve gone to a great deal of trouble to make disappear, and land him in the middle of an area where he’s well known; then we’re going to get ourselves into a building where we have no information on the security system, get into a safe, steal the documents, get back to the airport, and fly back here, right?”

“Well, we’re reliably informed that the security system hasn’t been altered, except for new entry codes, and we have those.”

“That’s a relief, but nothing else you’ve told me is. This is going to be a terribly insecure mission.”

“Please tell me how we can make it more secure.”

“I’m going to need six more people, and none of them from this house. They can meet us there. They’ll need to be licensed to carry in Massachusetts. I’ll need to arrange transport from the airport to the house, and...”

“Shep is arranging that.”

“What, in the family limo, which will be well known in those parts? Or is he renting, using his own credit card?”

“All right, Doug. Sketch out a plan and brief us all.”

“I’ll have something for you to look at later tonight. Does Rod or Shep have any plans of the house or the factory? Or even just photographs?”

“I’ll ask.”

“Please. Oh, and Stone?”

“Yes?”

“You’re going to need a bigger airplane, so our people can fly up with your yegg.”

“I’ve got a Gulfstream 500.”

“That’ll do.”

Stone went looking for Shep, but first called Joan and asked her to arrange Fred and the Bentley to pick up Sol at the home, then take him to Teterboro, then get Faith, his pilot, to arrange crew and fly him to the Vineyard and then to Lenox.

Shep was still at his desk.

“Do you have any plans or photographs of either Rod’s house or the plant, or both?”

“I’ll see what I can find.”

“The project is growing. We’ll have a security briefing from Doug later. And Doug is arranging our ground transport. And find those keys Rod says he has to the plant. All of them.”

“Anything else?”

“Do you possess a false moustache and a wig?” Stone asked.

“What for?”

“Doug has pointed out that you’re well known in Lenox, and you’re the guy we’re supposed to be hiding.”

“No, I have neither of those things. I’ve got sunglasses and a tweed cap. That’s the best I can do.”

Stone sighed. “Oh, well.”

Shep went back to his tasks, and Stone sat down to make some notes of his own, embarrassed by Doug’s assessment of his plan.