Hot Pursuit

50

After breakfast, Stone got a phone call on his cell from his tailor in London. “I’ll be there around eleven,” he said, and hung up. “Anybody want to go to London this morning?”

The women both declined. “We’re spending the day in the spa,” Pat said.

“Why are you going?” Dino asked.

“I’ve got a first fitting on some clothes I ordered, and getting a fitting today will shorten the time until they’re delivered.”

“I’ll go with you,” Dino said.

The drive to London took an hour, and Stone found a parking place in Mount Street, near Hayward. When they entered the shop the cutter was busy fitting a young man with a suit, and Stone took a seat and found a magazine, while Dino looked at fabrics for an overcoat.

“Anything else you’d like to order?” the cutter asked his customer. “We’ll be in Dahai for our semiannual visit in about six weeks. We could have fittings ready for you then.”

“Perhaps,” the young man replied. “David?” he called.

Another young man emerged from a dressing room, clad in a half-finished jacket. “Yes?”

“They’ll be in Dahai in six weeks. Anything else you want to order?”

Stone did a double take. The two were identical twins — blond, reedy, typically upper-class British.

“I’ll think about it,” David replied. Then he said something in a foreign language, and his brother laughed and replied in kind.

“I think we’ve bought enough,” the first twin said to the cutter. “When may we have these things?”

“How long will you be in London?”

“Another week or so.”

“Then we’ll have them ready before your departure,” the cutter replied.

“Will we need another fitting?”

“Only if you wish it.”

“Then just send the lot when they’re ready.”

“To the Regent’s Park address?”

“Yes, please.”

The two changed back into their own clothes and one of them paid their very large bill in euros, then they left.

Stone’s jackets were brought out, and he tried them both on. Tiny adjustments were made, then Dino was measured for a topcoat.

“I’m in no rush,” Dino said to the cutter. “This is for next fall, really.”

“We’ll be in New York at the Carlyle in June. We can give you a fitting then.”

“Sounds good.” Dino gave them a deposit, and he and Stone left the shop. Dino was looking to see if Stone was following, and he ran head-on into a young woman and began apologizing profusely.

“Millie?” Stone asked.

She turned. “Stone Barrington?”

“Yes, and the clumsy one is my friend Dino Bacchetti. Dino, Millie and I were dinner partners last evening.”

“Ah,” Dino said, “did she have to leave the table with the ladies, too?”

“No, she was important enough to be asked to stay. What brings you to this neighborhood, Millie?”

“I’m staying at the Connaught, just down the block.”

“Dino and I are about to get some lunch. Will you join us?”

“Why not? I’m hungry.”

“Let’s go around the corner to Harry’s Bar.”

It was a two-minute walk, and a table was available. Stone loved the food there, and he tried not to over-order.

“Well, I get a chance to talk to you,” Millie said. “Dame Felicity rather monopolized you at dinner.”

“We’re old friends, and I hadn’t seen her for a while. I apologize for giving you my back. Tell me, was your companion one of Felicity’s young men?”

“I’m not quite sure what you mean by that,” Millie said.

“Not that kind of young man, though it wouldn’t surprise me. I meant was he MI6.”

She nodded.

“I had the feeling that the two of you were the entertainment for the evening.”

“I suppose we were. We’ve been working with them on something.”

“Ah, but of course you can’t tell me what.”

“Just chasing some Middle Eastern bad guys.”

“Speaking of the Middle East, do you know where a place called Dahai is?”

She looked at him sharply. “It’s a small sultanate on the southern border of Saudi Arabia. Why do you ask? Has Holly said something to you about it?”

“No, it came up when I was at my tailor’s. We were just leaving there when we — Dino — ran into you.”

“Came up how? Really, I’m interested.”

“There were two young men, brothers, being fitted for some clothes, and the tailor mentioned that he visits Dahai twice a year to see customers.”

“Can you describe the brothers?”

“Fairly tall, slim, blond, well dressed, terribly British.”

“Twins, by any chance?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Are they still in the shop?”

“No, they left ahead of us, perhaps forty-five minutes ago.”

“Did they say anything that would give you any idea where they might have been headed?”

“They said they’d be in town for another week and asked that their finished clothes be delivered to a Regent’s Park address.”

“Did you hear a name?”

“One of them was called David. Oh, and they spoke to each other briefly in a foreign language — Arabic, perhaps.”

“Excuse me, please,” Millie said, standing up. “Order me the veal, will you?” She walked quickly away from the table, digging out her cell phone.

“What do you suppose that was about?” Dino asked

Millie called Ian.

“Yes?”

“We may have a sighting of Larry and Curly.”

“Where?”

“In a tailor’s shop, in Mount Street.”

“Hayward?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Are they still there?”

“No, they left three-quarters of an hour ago. You remember Stone Barrington?”

“Yes.”

“He was there for a fitting. He heard one of them called David, and they asked that their finished clothes be sent to a Regent’s Park address.”

“How did you learn about this?”

“I’m having lunch with Barrington and a friend right now.”

“Where?”

“At Harry’s Bar.”

“Go back and finish your lunch. Leave this with me.” He hung up without further ado.

Millie went back to the table.

“You look troubled,” Stone said.

“Far from it. You may have just given us a very big break.”

“Would you like to tell me how, and what sort of break?”

“You’ll have to ask Holly,” she replied. “May I have a Bellini, please?” She gave him her best smile. “Now, Dino, tell me about you. Do you practice law with Stone?”

Dino gave her his card. “If you’d ever like a job as an interrogator, call me.”