Black Dog

Thirty-Three

Stone thought about it, then buzzed Joan again.

“Yes, sir?” she said wearily.

“I want you and Helene to go up to Peter’s suite together and make an inventory of everything in it.”

“Everything?”

“Well, not everything. Just any items that aren’t Peter’s.”

“How will we know which ones those are?”

“Helene will know. And I want to know the last time she cleaned the room.”

“All right.” Joan sighed. She hung up.

Twenty minutes later, Joan buzzed.

“That was fast.”

“We didn’t have to go very far.”

“What?”

“The suits in the closet had a tailor’s label, and inside that was the name of who it was made for. They were all made for Eddie Jr.”

“Aha!” Stone shouted. “Is there a suitcase there?”

“Yes, with his luggage tag on it.”

“All right, I want you to pack everything you think belongs to Eddie and take it out of here when you go home tonight.”

“Then what?”

“Then give the suitcase to your butler and tell him to store it. Then figure out how Eddie got a key to my house.”

“I think I’ve already figured that out,” she said sheepishly.

“How?”

“I had new keys made, and I put them in the desk drawer in the library at my house. There’s one missing, and Eddie must have it.”

“Okay. When you’re done packing, go to the alarm master control and change the password for entry.” He gave her a new password. “Then tell everybody who should know what the new code is.”

“Okay.”

“And if you see Eddie, get my key back from him, as well as your house key. Shoot him, if you have to.”

“I’d love to shoot him,” she said. “Can I shoot to kill?”

“No, too much paperwork. Just scare the shit out of him.”

A few minute later, Joan walked past his office and held up Eddie’s suitcase for him to see.

“Jesus, it’s alligator! Remind me, we did cut his allowance in half until we get his bail back, right?”

“We certainly did.” She moved on to her office. Shortly, she buzzed Stone.

“Yes?”

“Dino for you on one.”

“I nailed the bastard,” Stone said.

“Which bastard?”

“Eddie Jr. We found some of his clothes in Peter’s suite. The son of a bitch has been living here!”

“That would explain why he’s been so hard to find,” Dino said. “He wasn’t at the Athletic Club, either, and we’ve run out of clubs he belongs to.”

“Well, I can tell you, he doesn’t belong to this club anymore.”

“Dinner, Clarke’s, seven?”

“You’re on.” They both hung up.

Stone got there first and ordered drinks for both of them. He had drunk half his bourbon before Dino showed.

Dino held the Scotch up to the light. “There’s a layer of dust on my drink,” he said.

“Next time, don’t be late, and you’ll have no dust problems,” Stone replied.

“Why are you so grouchy tonight?” Dino asked.

“It’s Eddie Jr. He’s driving me nuts. Can you think of some reason to arrest him?”

“I tried that, but you got him bailed out.”

“Oh, yeah. I did, didn’t I? My mistake.”

“Has he violated the terms of his bail?”

“I don’t know. Is living in my house without my knowledge or permission a violation of his bail?”

“I don’t think so,” Dino said. “If you could find him in possession of a .38 pistol, that would do it.”

“Next time I see him, I’ll frisk him.”

“When will that be?”

“If I’m lucky, never.”

“And if you’re not lucky?”

Stone smiled a little. “Look behind you.”

Dino turned. “Hello, Eddie,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“Stone changed the code on his alarm, and I nearly got arrested.”

“Close, but no cigar,” Dino said.

“Stone, what’s the new code?” Eddie asked, as if he expected to be told.

“None of your fucking business,” Stone said, “and if you enter my house again, without my permission, I’ll have Dino arrest you for breaking and entering.”

“There’s no breaking,” Eddie said, holding up a key. “I’ve got a key.”

Stone snatched it from him. “Not anymore,” he said.

“Where am I going to sleep?”

“Try the gutter.”

“You want me to sleep in the gutter?”

“I don’t care where you sleep, as long as it’s not in my house. Try Central Park. I hear the benches are nice there.”

“That’s very inhospitable of you,” Eddie said.

“It is, isn’t it,” Stone replied, smiling. “It’s very satisfying, too.”

“Try the Y,” Dino said.

“What’s that?” Eddie asked.

“The YMCA. Heard of that?”

“No. What do the letters mean?”

“Young Men’s Christian Association, I believe,” Stone replied for Dino.

“I’m not a Christian, I’m a Buddhist.”

“Don’t worry, Christians are very tolerant about such things.”

“Eddie,” Dino said, “it’s cheap, clean, and you’ll make new friends. I think they have a pool, too.”

“It probably stinks of chlorine. Where is it?”

Stone spoke up. “Just get into a cab and tell the driver to take you to the nearest Y.” He handed Eddie ten dollars. “Here’s cab fare. Remember not to write.”

To Stone’s surprise, Eddie left. He and Dino went into the dining room for dinner.

“What a pain in the ass that guy is,” Dino said.

“You’re finally getting the picture,” Stone replied.