Scandalous Behavior

19

They drove back to Stone’s house in two cars and went inside. Susan had a look around with Margo and took a lot of pictures with her iPhone, then they sat down at the kitchen table, and Susan got her laptop set up. They began looking at rooms, changing the colors and fabrics with her computer program. Stone went upstairs and packed what few clothes he had there into a suitcase, then took it down to the car.

As he was opening the trunk the black SUV drove past. Stone got out his phone, looked up the number of his friend Dan Brady, who was commandant of the Connecticut State Police.

“Hey, Stone, what’s up?”

Stone told him about Peter’s new movie.

“Yeah, I saw about the explosions on the news.”

“They have an operative in New York who called me this morning, pretending to be from the AP, looking for Peter, then followed me to Washington this morning. I took a gun away from him, but he’s still following me. I’m at my house, and he just drove by in a black Grand Cherokee with a New York plate.” He gave Dan the number.

“Do you still have the gun?”

“Yes.”

“Stay where you are. I’ll call the Litchfield troop and get a car over there, then get back to you.”

“Thanks, Dan, you have the number and the street address.”

“Sure.”

They hung up and Stone went back into the house. As he was going inside, a car pulled up and a woman got out, carrying a briefcase. “Can you tell me where to find Bill Eggers?” she asked.

“Right this way.”

Eggers greeted her, took her into the dining room, and told her to get set up. “Are you ready to close, Stone?”

“You betcha.” Stone went into the dining room and he and Eggers signed the many documents necessary to close a real estate sale, then Eggers handed him a cashier’s check for two million dollars.

“Thank you very much,” Stone said. “I wish you a happy time in the house.”

They were in the kitchen when the doorbell rang, and Stone went to answer it. Two uniformed state troopers stood on the porch with William Givers, handcuffed, between them.

“I’m Sergeant Miller,” one of them said. “Mr. Barrington?”

“That’s me.”

“I understand that you have a firearm that you took from this gentleman?”

“Correct, except for the gentleman part.” Stone took the weapon and its cartridges from his pocket and handed them to Miller. “It’s been cleared.”

Miller cleared it again himself, then turned to Givers. “William Givers, you are under arrest for the unlawful possession of a firearm in the State of Connecticut. You will come with us. Thank you, Mr. Barrington. We’ll be in touch to get a written statement.”

“I’ll fax you one on Monday,” Stone said. He went back into the house and took Eggers on a tour of the house’s systems, then called the security company and gave them the names of the new owners.

Stone and Eggers watched a football game on TV, while Susan and Margo continued working on the computer. As it grew late, Stone booked a room at the Mayflower and a dinner table at the West Street Grill, in Litchfield. The ladies joined them for a drink, then Stone and Susan went to change.

They were having dinner in Litchfield when Stone’s cell phone vibrated.

“Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Dan. I thought you’d like to know that Givers was bailed out by a local attorney a few minutes ago.”

“No arraignment?”

“The attorney brought a judge with him. Givers will have to make a court appearance on Tuesday. Where are you?”

“In Litchfield.”

“So is Givers, so watch yourself.”

“Did you give him his gun back?”

“No, and we kept the shotgun we found in his car, too, and the two boxes of ammo for the handgun and the shotgun, or riot gun, I should say; it has a short barrel.”

“So much for public relations,” Stone said.

Brady laughed. “Yeah.”

“I’ll fax you an affidavit on Monday morning. Will I need to make an appearance?”

“Not unless he’s tried. I expect he’ll plead to a lesser charge, pay a fine, and walk.”

“Well, I’m glad to have caused him some trouble, anyway.”

“Do you think you’ve heard the last of these people?”

“I doubt it, but I’m leaving the country at the end of next week, and they won’t know where I am.”

“Good idea. Let ’em cool off.”

“Thanks, Dan, and take care of yourself.”

“Same to you. Thanks for helping us get him off the street, at least for a while.”

Stone hung up and went back to his dinner.