Worst Fears Realized

31

STONE AND SARAH SAT UP IN BED, EATING bagels and cream cheese, the Times spread out before them. “Oh, look!” she cried, thrusting the paper at him, “a really nice write-up about tonight!”

Stone read the piece, smiling. “I’m happy for you; this should make your opening even more successful. There’s nothing like a little validation from the Times art critic.”

“Edgar says he’s had over two hundred acceptances, and this will put us way over the top. And Edgar has already sold two of the most expensive pictures.”

“Before the opening? To whom?”

“He won’t tell me; he just says it’s an important collector, somebody on the board of the Metropolitan! Can you imagine?”

“When did this happen?”

“Yesterday. The man called him and requested a private showing, even though the work wasn’t hung yet.”

“I think I had dinner with him last night.”

“Who? Edgar? He was hanging the work with me.”

“No, the buyer.”

“Who is he?”

“My guess is he’s Dino’s father-in-law; his name is Eduardo Bianchi.”

“Didn’t you tell me that Dino’s father-in-law is some sort of Mafia guy?”

“Maybe I did, but believe me, after meeting him, I can tell you he’s no run-of-the-mill gangster. He has a very fine collection. He mentioned you, in fact, but he didn’t tell me he had bought two pictures. He knew your work from before you left for Italy.”

“Well, I don’t care if he’s Al Capone reincarnated if he had the good judgment to like my work. Anyway, that’s nearly twenty thousand dollars in my pocket, after Edgar’s commission!” She threw off the covers. “Let’s go shopping!”

“Shopping for what?”

“We’ve got a gatehouse in Connecticut to furnish, haven’t we?”

“You’re not paying for that with the first money you’ve earned in years.”

“Well, I’ll buy you a very nice housewarming present, then. Come on!”

Half an hour later Stone was backing the car out of the garage, when he noticed a black van parked across the street.

“What are you looking at?” Sarah asked, turning so she could see out the rear window.

“A van I haven’t seen before in the block.”

“What about it?”

“The feds are famous for using vans for stakeouts and electronic surveillance, and that one has a couple of extra antennas.”

“I’ll bet it’s some of Dino’s people,” she said.

“Could be; the feds don’t have a monopoly on vans.” He turned downtown on Second Avenue.

“Stone, after tonight, I don’t want any more cops around. Anderson is all right, but that guy Kelly gives me a serious case of the willies. I’m sick of him.”

“Don’t worry about cops; after tonight, Dino has to pull his people off, anyway. He can’t justify it to the department any longer.”

“I’m beginning to think these murders and attacks are just a string of coincidences.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Stone replied, “but in my experience, when you get too many coincidences, it’s called fate.”

“Now you’re giving me the willies!”

“I’m sorry, but this is a serious business, and I don’t want you to start letting your guard down. Not until we’ve located this guy Mitteldorfer and done something about him.”

“But he’s been in prison for all these years; how could it have been him?”

“I don’t know, but both Dino and I have the very strong feeling that it is him. I didn’t tell you this, but a friend of Mitteldorfer, a woman who corresponded with him in prison, was murdered a couple of days ago.”

“So, he would get out of prison and, right away, murder a woman who would write to him? Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know, but it’s one more coincidence, isn’t it?”

She was quiet for a minute. “Stone, is there any reason in the world why the two of us couldn’t go to England tomorrow? I mean, after the opening tonight, my obligations to the Bergman Gallery are finished; there’s nothing to keep me here. How about you?”

“I don’t like to run off and leave Dino with this thing hanging over him.”

“What thing? Nothing has happened for a while, now. Take some time off.”

Stone thought about it. “Open the glove compartment; there’s an address book inside.”

She did as he asked.

“Look up the number for the American Express Platinum Travel Service. Call them on the car phone; book us two first-class seats to London tomorrow morning.”

She grabbed the phone. “You bet I will!”

Stone felt as if a burden had been lifted from him. She was right; he needed to get away. He found a garage on Broadway, and they walked around the corner to the ABC Furniture store. During the next two hours, they bought a bed, sheets and towels, a sofa, two chairs, some rugs, lamps, a dining table, and occasional furniture. Stone had everything shipped to Connecticut for delivery after the closing on the house, with a note for the driver to call at the Klemm Real Estate office for the key. Then they found a housewares store and bought pots and pans, silverware, a coffeepot, dishes, glasses, and everything else they could think of.

When they went back to the garage for the car, Stone noticed a black van parked across the street. It was not the same one that had been outside his house.

“You’re getting black-van fever, aren’t you?” Sarah asked, as they drove away.

“I’m not making them up, am I?”

“Just don’t make too much of them. The world is full of black vans.”

“You’re right,” Stone said, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “Tomorrow we’re out of this city, and when we come back we’ll have a house and a lot of furnishings waiting for us in Connecticut. I’d better call Bob Eggers and arrange to have the closing papers for the house sent to England. Where will we be?”

“Probably at my parents’ country house, in Hampshire, but they have a town house, too. I’ll call them when we get home and find out where to send the papers.”

Stone drove home, happily thinking of his first trip abroad, but his eyes constantly flicked to the rearview mirror.