Bel-Air dead

43

When Stone and Dino got back to the house there was an envelope on the poolside table addressed to Stone and marked, “By Messenger.” The return address was Terry Prince’s office.

Stone sat down and opened it. “Looks like a new offer on the Bel-Air property,” he said.

“The guy doesn’t give up easily, does he?”

A slip of paper fell from the envelope, and Stone picked it up. “And a check for twenty-five million dollars, too!” Stone scanned the agreement. “The last offer was from Prince’s company,” he said. “This one’s from him personally, and the twenty-five-million-dollar deposit is nonrefundable. The check is drawn on his personal account.”

“What does that mean?” Dino asked.

“I suppose it means that he wants to do the project without investors. At least, at the beginning. That’s not how deals of this size are done; there’s always a corporation, even if it’s wholly owned.”

“Are you sure this guy is entirely sane?” Dino asked.

Stone shook his head. “No, I’m not entirely sure he’s entirely sane. I think maybe he’s just trying to impress Arrington.” Stone picked up the phone and called Virginia.

“Hello?”

“Hi there, it’s Stone.”

“Funny, I was about to call you.”

“Then you first.”

“I think I’ll come out there for the Centurion shareholders’ meeting on Tuesday.”

“That would be great, but you don’t have to; I already have your proxy.”

“I think I might enjoy voting my shares personally,” she said.

“I think you just want to fly somewhere in your new airplane.”

She giggled. “Well, there is that. Okay, your turn.”

“We got a new offer from Prince today,” he said. “It’s the same amount, but it’s from Prince personally, not from his company, and there was included a check for twenty-five million dollars as a nonrefundable deposit. You have until five p.m. on Tuesday to accept.”

“I’ve never seen a check for twenty-five million dollars,” she said.

“Neither had I, until today.”

“Well, don’t lose it,” she said.

“When will you be out here?”

“How about dinner tomorrow night, you and Dino?”

“I think I can talk Dino into that; you’re on. Call me from the plane and give me an ETA, and I’ll meet you at the airport.”

“How sweet of you; I’ll do that. See you then.”

“Bye.” Stone hung up.

“What do you think you can talk me into?” Dino asked.

“Dinner tomorrow night with Arrington.”

“You talked me into it.”

“She’s coming for the stockholders’ meeting; wants to vote her own shares.”

“Okay by me.”

“Me, too,” Stone said.

“Stone, why don’t you marry the girl?”

“We talked about it a while back, in Dark Harbor; decided it wouldn’t work.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to live in Virginia, and she doesn’t want to live in New York.”

“Oh. Somehow I could see you living the life of a Virginia gentleman, riding to the hounds and all that.”

“I haven’t been on a horse since I was twelve, at summer camp,” Stone said, “and if I started a hunt on horseback, the horse would very likely finish without me.”

“How about being a gentleman farmer?”

“Not the slightest interest,” Stone said. “Isn’t that what grocery stores are for?”

“When was the last time you were in a grocery store?” Dino asked.

“I don’t remember. Joan and my housekeeper Helene do all the shopping.”

“Have you heard from Joan?”

“We’ve talked most days.”

“Is she happy about your partnership?”

“Yes, since she found out she doesn’t have to work in the Seagram Building. She likes it at my house.”

“How is the partnership going to change your life?”

Stone sighed. “I don’t know, really. I suppose I’ll have to attend more meetings, but I’m going to keep life as much like it is now as I can.”

“Everything changes.”

“Not everything; you’re still a lieutenant, when you could be a captain, or maybe even chief of detectives.”

“I don’t want that to change,” Dino said. “I’ve got it really good as it is; I pretty much work for myself, don’t have to take daily orders from anybody else. The commissioner likes me, the chief likes me, and the chief of detectives likes me. If I let them promote me, I’d be somebody’s rival, and the politics would start.”

“You’re right; you’ve got a sweet deal, and it would be a shame to screw that up.”

“You want to know what I’m doing right this minute?” Dino asked.

“You’re sitting on your ass,” Stone said.

“No, I’m liaising with my counterparts at the LAPD, comparing procedures and programs.”

“You could have fooled me,” Stone said.

“Didn’t you wonder what all that stuff with Rivera was about?”

“I thought you were just keeping your hand in.”

“Well, that, too.”

Stone’s cell rang. “Hello?”

“Stone, it’s Mike Freeman.”

“How are you, Mike?”

“Very well thanks.”

“Thank you again for doing the airplane and hangar deals for Arrington. She’s very appreciative.”

“You’re both very welcome,” Mike said. “I enjoyed doing it.”

“What’s happening in New York?”

“It’s weirdly quiet,” Mike said. “Things are just rolling along; the company seems to be taking care of itself. None of our security clients has been shot or had his car blown up.”

“Oh, that reminds me,” Stone said. He told him about the exploding Mercedes.

“Well, shit,” Mike said. “I should have kept some people at the house. I thought that, after Arrington left, there wouldn’t be any further problems.”

“So did I,” Stone said.

“I’ll have people there in an hour.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Stone said. “Dino and I can handle it.”

“You didn’t handle it too well the last time, did you? And anyway, you’re our corporate counsel and a member of our board, and you have to be protected.”

“If you insist.”

“I do insist! I’m glad I called to see how things were, since things are so terrible in L.A. I’m going to come out there and personally see that you don’t die before Tuesday.”

“You’re just bored and looking for an excuse to get out of New York.”

“You could be right,” Mike said, “between now and Tuesday, we’re all going to watch your ass. I’ll be there tomorrow. Dinner?”

“You can join Arrington, Dino, and me.”

“I’ve got an airplane to catch,” Mike said, then hung up.