Shakeup

21

Fred met them at Teterboro in the Bentley. Eggers had his own car. Stone introduced Fred and Lara, and they drove into town and into the garage. Fred took the luggage upstairs, while Stone led Lara into his office.

Art Jacoby was sitting on the sofa in Stone’s office. Stone introduced Lara to him. Joan came in, too, and Stone asked her to take Lara to the elevator. “I’ll be up in a few minutes,” he said to Lara. “You might, ah, unpack.”

She squeezed his hand and left the room.

“I hear you disappeared for a while, Art,” Stone said, taking a seat.

Art shrugged. “It seemed preferable to getting shot in the head,” he said.

“Arguably.”

“Then I came to New York. Nobody would look for me here. Joan found me a hotel uptown, but I wanted to speak to you first before I check in.”

“Go right ahead,” Stone replied.

“I know it’s hardly necessary to mention this, but please don’t tell anybody where I am.”

“Dino and his people know you’re here. You went to your office at One Police Plaza.”

“I’ve sworn them to secrecy, too.”

“I’m sorry about your girlfriend,” Stone said.

“I’m afraid I underestimated Deborah Myers,” he said. “After the charges were dropped, I thought she’d just let it go.”

“Apparently not.”

“If I’d been smarter, Deana would still be alive.”

“Then why are you still alive? Debby must have known where to find you.”

“She needed me at large, so that she could hang Deana’s murder on me. Then probably have somebody shoot me in the head and fake a suicide.”

“I ask you again: Why are you still alive?”

“Because a detective friend of mine caught the case. He was at my house when I arrived. I called Deana’s brother and asked him to make the burial arrangements, then I threw some things into a bag and caught the train to New York. I left some things here, and I came by to collect them. Joan packed them up.” He stood up. “I’d better get going, and check in to the Lowell.”

Fred came into the room. “Anything else, Mr. Barrington?”

“Yes, Fred. Please drive Lieutenant Jacoby uptown to the Lowell Hotel, then you’re done until seven o’clock.”

Jacoby offered his hand. “Thanks for your help with the hotel.”

“You’ll impress the hotel staff by arriving in a chauffeured car,” Stone said. “All you have to do after that is tip well.” He walked Jacoby to the door. “Are you going to go to your office every day?”

“No, I’ll just call in for my messages.”

“Watch your ass,” Stone said.

“I’ll do that.” Jacoby took his leave.

Stone spent a few minutes dealing with correspondence and messages, then took the elevator upstairs. He walked into the master bedroom to find Lara unpacked and undressed, sitting up in bed with a book from Stone’s bookcase in her lap. She closed it and tossed it aside.

“Now,” she said, patting the bed beside her.

Stone undressed and slid into bed. “I’m right here.”

Patroon was packed, and more people waved at Stone, since the inaugural festivities. Lara saw somebody she knew and stopped for a moment, and Stone sat down in the booth with Dino. “Where’s Viv?”

“Her flight was delayed. She’s coming straight from the airport.”

He nodded toward Lara. “New?”

“Yes, from L.A. Her name is Lara Parks. Peter has cast her in his new film.”

“How are you going to square this with Holly?”

“Holly suggested a while back that we be loyal in our affections only when we’re in the same city.”

“Didn’t I read that she was in L.A. yesterday?”

“Yes, and she stayed overnight. Their paths did not cross.”

“You think that’s really going to work?”

“It’s working so far. We both dislike celibacy.”

“So she’s sleeping with somebody else?”

“I don’t know, and that’s the way she wants it. So don’t bring it up, and I don’t want to hear about it from Viv. Perhaps you could have a word with her about that.”

“I will, but I can’t make any promises about how she’ll take it.”

Lara came to the table, sat down, and was introduced to Dino.

A moment later, Viv entered the room and walked toward their table, her eyes fixed on Lara. She sat down and was introduced.

“So good to meet you, Lara,” she said. “How did you and Stone meet?”

Lara trimmed the pool scene off the beginning of their story. “I’ve been cast in Peter’s next film, and he invited my leading man and me to dinner at his house. Stone was there, too, and when he heard that I wanted to come to New York, he very kindly offered me a lift.”

“Stone is such a generous guy,” Viv said, smiling icily.

“We were chaperoned by Bill Eggers,” Stone said. “We were in L.A. on business.”

Dino whispered something in Viv’s ear. “What would you like to drink, my dear?”

Stone had never heard Dino call her that.

“My usual martini,” she replied. “Dearest.”

Stone winced, but Lara did not seem to have twigged to what was going on.

The maître d’ arrived with menus, and Stone breathed more easily while they studied them.

They ordered, then Lara spoke up. “When Stone and I met, I recognized him immediately from the People photograph of him waltzing with the president.”

“That’s happening all too often these days,” Stone said. “I might have been better off if I hadn’t known how to waltz.”

“Stone,” Viv said, “when did you learn to waltz?”

“My mother sent me to a dancing class when I was twelve. She thought it might make me less awkward with girls.”

“Well,” Viv said, “that certainly worked, didn’t it?”

Everybody had a good laugh, and things went more smoothly after that. Viv and Lara actually got on very well, Stone observed.