Hit List

18

When they got out of the Bentley at Le Gavroche, they were sheltered by men with large, black umbrellas, though it was not raining.

Once inside, while Stone was being greeted by the maître d’, Derek from Strategic Services approached the group. “We’ve thoroughly swept the restaurant for weapons,” he said, “and as you enter, we’ve temporarily installed a very sensitive metal detector that picks up any object larger than a pack of cigarettes.”

“Turn it off while I walk through,” Dino said.

Derek did so, then the others entered the dining room. They were seated at a large table at one end. An enormous floral display had been placed a few feet away, blocking the view of them from most of the room.

“Are the flowers bulletproof?” Vanessa asked.

“Unseen, unshot,” Stone said.

“Is that Shakespeare?” Dino asked.

“Gun Digest,” Stone replied, and ordered a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame champagne for the table.

Dino’s eyes darted around what they could see of the room.

“Dino,” his wife said. “Look at me, and if that’s too hard, look at Vanessa.”

“I’m just being vigilant,” Dino replied.

“You’re more fun when you are conversant.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever dined under these circumstances,” Vanessa said.

“In a French restaurant?” Stone asked.

“In a French restaurant while under the protection of armed guards,” she replied.

“Count Dino among them,” Viv said. “He’s always armed.”

“Even on airplanes?”

“I’m an honorary air marshal,” Dino said, “and anyway, I hardly ever fly on an airplane that doesn’t belong to Stone.”

They dined sumptuously, which was the only way available at Le Gavroche, then left the restaurant, again shielded by men with umbrellas, but this time it was actually raining.

“I’m glad we’re in an armored car,” Vanessa said.

“I’m afraid we’re not,” Stone replied. “I bought this one off the floor at the dealer’s in Barclay Square.”

“Drive faster,” Dino said to the driver.

The garage door was opened with the remote control, the car driven inside, and the doors closed behind them, before they all got out and went upstairs and settled in with coffee and brandy.

“I suggest,” Stone said, “that we go back to Windward Hall early tomorrow morning, say seven o’clock.”

No one said anything.

“If you’re all shopped out,” Stone said, just to get their attention. “I don’t think Larkin is done in London yet. He lucked out to get two of his victims here at the same time, and I think we’re likely to be safer there than here. In London it’s too easy to follow us. We can decide tomorrow whether to go on to Paris for a bit or back to New York.”

“Breakfast at six?” Viv asked.

“Sounds good to me,” Vanessa said, “if I can eat and sleep at the same time.”

Dino nodded.

They drove back to Hampshire in the pouring rain in a cloud of road mist from their lead car and their tail, but Stone was still very interested in any car that passed them. Once, he saw a man pass who looked a little like Larkin without a beard, driving a Mercedes station wagon, but the man showed no interest in them.

They dropped the car at the front door of the house and hurried inside, leaving parking and luggage to staff and security men.

Derek came to see him in the study. “It’s been pretty much quiet here, with one exception.”

“What’s the exception?”

Derek took out his iPhone, found a photograph, and showed it to Stone. It was of the nosewheels of the Gulfstream; both were flat. “My people heard nothing; they found this on a routine sweep early this morning. It was probably done last night.”

“While we were dining at Le Gavroche?”

“Perhaps.”

Stone looked up the number for Gulfstream services and called; it was answered immediately, although it was very early in the morning in Savannah, Georgia, where the factory was located. He reported the loss of both front tires from vandalism and was asked to wait while they checked availability of spares in England. They were found, and he was told that a service truck would arrive with the spares by three PM, and that the work would take two or three hours. Stone thanked them and hung up.

Dino came in and sat down. “You want to go to Paris?”

“Yes, that’s fine, but we can’t go today. Someone put a bullet into both nosewheels on the airplane. Gulfstream is on the way, so we can leave in the morning, if you like.”

“Viv is on board for that,” Dino said. “I imagine that Vanessa would be for it.”

“We’ll assume so, and I’ll talk with her.”

Stone went upstairs and found her unpacking her purchases. He told her about the nosewheels.

“So much for being safer here,” she said.

“How would you like to go to Paris for a few days?”

She gave him a smile. “You talked me into it.”

“Then put your new things back into the boxes, and I’ll have them stowed on the airplane. You can plunder Paris tomorrow.”

They had dinner in the study before a cheerful fire, and turned in early.

“I’m not sleepy yet,” Vanessa said. “Whatever will we do with the time?”

They made a game of undressing each other and spent the time well.

Later, in his arms, she asked, “Where are we staying in Paris?”

“I have a house in Saint-Germain-des-Prés,” Stone replied.

“Does this fellow, Larkin, know about it?”

“I doubt it, but I’ll have the place gone over before our arrival.”

“How long is the flight?”

“An hour. Two hours, door to door, what with Paris traffic.”

“How convenient,” she said.

Stone called Rick La Rose, the CIA station chief in Paris.

It was late there, but he answered his cell, and they scrambled. Stone gave him a brief summary of their problem so far.

“Well, it’s always something with you, isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Is tomorrow morning soon enough for us to go over the house?”

“Yes, we should be there for lunch, but we can eat out, if you need the time.”

“Shouldn’t take any longer than that,” Rick said.

Stone told him about the bugs in the London house and their nature.

“Maybe you’d better have lunch out,” Rick said.