Cold Paradise

16

Stone was still sleeping soundly when he was awakened by the sound of his cabin door opening. He lifted his head and saw Callie approaching with a breakfast tray. She was fully dressed.

He sat up on his elbows. “What time is it?”

“A little after nine,” she said, setting down the tray on the bed. “I’ve been up since six, seeing that everybody got breakfast before Thad and Arrington left for the Coast.”

“They’re gone?”

“Half an hour ago. After our conversation of last night I didn’t think you’d want to get up early to say goodbye.”

Stone laughed. “After our, ah, 'conversation‘ of last night, I don’t know that I could have gotten up. I may spend the day in bed.“

“I’d spend it with you, but there are some odds and ends with the painters and builders that I have to deal with. And, by the way, your friend Allison-sorry, Liz-is moving onto the yacht, into Thad’s cabin.”

“Why?”

“She complained that the odor of drying paint gave her a headache. I’d like to give her a permanent one.”

“What have you got against Liz Harding?”

“Her past with you, of course, and now she’ll be right down the corridor. See that your door is securely locked before retiring, please.”

“Then how will you get in?”

“I have a key,” she said smugly, “and I know how to use it.”

“Fear not, you’ve rendered me incapable with another woman. I’m not sure I can walk.”

“Don’t walk, eat,” she said, stuffing a croissant into his mouth. She walked to the door, then turned back. “You’re going to need your strength,” she said. “See you tonight.”

Stone bit off a bite of the croissant and lay back on the bed, chewing.

At mid-morning, showered, shaved and dressed, Stone ventured out of his cabin and found Liz Harding sitting on an afterdeck sofa, reading a book about Palm Beach.

“Good morning,” he said. “Feeling better today?”

“Feeling safer,” she said, “since I’m here with you.” Her voice was kittenish.

“You’re not here with me,” he said. “You’re here with Thad.”

“But you’ll protect me while he’s gone.”

“Yes, but I’m not expecting anything untoward to happen. Are you?”

She closed her book and tossed it onto the coffee table. “I don’t know anymore,” she said. “It took me a year after I left St. Marks before I began to relax, and the marriage to Winston before I felt really safe. But after last night…”

“It may just have been some teenaged vandal,” Stone said. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“I hope you’re right,” she replied. “Now, I want to do some shopping, and I don’t think I’d feel safe unless you were with me.”

“All right, I’ll tag along. Since I’m staying longer than I’d planned, I could probably use a few things myself.”

“I’ll get my purse,” she said.

They found a parking spot on Worth Avenue and strolled slowly down the street. Stone glanced around occasionally, looking for anyone resembling Paul Manning. Liz had said he’d had a nose job, so Stone concentrated on tall men. Manning was at least six-three, he remembered. Everyone he saw was comfortingly short.

He sat in the husband’s chair in a shop as Liz tried on dresses, while he flipped idly through one of several Palm Beach magazines, which featured grinning people in lavish clothes, photographed at parties, and many shots of overdecorated interiors of huge houses. There were ads for Rolls-Royces and Ferraris and many for jewelry.

They went into the Polo Ralph Lauren shop, where Stone bought some extra underwear and socks, along with a spare cashmere sweater for the cool evenings he had not anticipated.

He followed Liz into a jewelry shop and looked at a Cartier Tank Francaise wristwatch, while she tried on a diamond bracelet.

“You like?” she asked, holding out her wrist.

“I like.”

“I like your watch, too.”

Stone gave it back to the saleslady. “It’s beautiful, but…” The “but” was twenty grand, he thought.

Liz bought the bracelet, which came to nearly thirty thousand dollars, Stone noted. “I’ll wear it for Thad, when he comes back,” she said.

“When is he coming back? He didn’t tell me.”

“Tomorrow or the next day, depending on how his business goes.”

“Don’t forget to call your insurance company to put the bracelet on your policy.”

“Thank you. I would have forgotten. I did call my bank about the settlement with the life insurance company. The funds will be wired to your bank today.”

“Good. I’d like to get that settled as soon as possible.”

“Me, too,” she said.

“I’ll call my office when we get back to the yacht.” As he spoke, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. “Excuse me,” he said, answering it. “Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Joan.”

“How are things in the big city?”

“Running smoothly. The bank called. Mrs. Harding’s money is in your trust account. You want me to complete the transaction with the insurance company?”

“Please.”

“I’ll get the wire off now, and we should have a confirmation today, I expect.”

“Great. What else is happening?”

“One or two calls; I put them off. When are you coming back?”

“Thad Shames has asked me to stay on a few days. I’ll let you know later in the week.”

“Okay. Remember, sunshine causes skin cancer.”

“Thanks for reminding me.” He punched off and turned to Liz. “The money’s on its way to the insurance company.”

“Wonderful. Can I buy you lunch to celebrate? We can go back to Renato’s.”

“Sure. I liked it there.”

They ate pasta and chatted. “Now that you’re going to be a truly free woman, what are your plans?” he asked.

“Well, I think that depends on how it goes with Thad,” she said. “So far, so good. He’s very sweet… and virile.” She smiled.

Stone laughed. “He’d have to be to keep up with you, as I recall.”

“We were quite something for a short time, weren’t we?”

“I guess we were, at that.”

“You were the first man I’d slept with besides Paul for a very long time, and I found the experience, well, liberating.”

“I’m glad.”

“I have the distinct impression that you’re liberating Callie Hodges, at the moment.”

“I didn’t say that,” he blustered.

“You didn’t have to. I took one look at her this morning-or rather she took one look at me-and I knew. She knows we slept together, doesn’t she?”

Stone nodded and sipped his wine. “I thought it best to tell her.”

“You getting serious about this girl?”

“Too soon to say,” Stone said, uncomfortable.

She placed her hand on his. “I’m sorry to embarrass you, Stone. It’s just that I think I envy her a little. Maybe more than a little.”

Stone didn’t know what to say.

“But,” Liz said, “we must learn to be content with our lot, mustn’t we? Lord knows, I have no complaints. I was just feeling a little greedy.”

“I’m flattered,” Stone said.

They walked back to the car, and as Stone opened the door for Liz, he noticed that the rear tire on the curb side had gone flat. He squatted and examined it. There was a large hole in the tread, too big a hole for a slow leak. It was as if somebody had plunged a knife into it.

Stone shrugged off his jacket and tossed it into the rear seat. “I’m afraid we’ve got a flat,” he said. “It’ll just take a couple of minutes to change.”

“Why don’t you call the Mercedes service people?” she asked. “They’ll come and change it.”

“It’ll only take a minute.” He opened the trunk and went to work. He thought about it as he cranked the jack. Was somebody really crazy enough to slash a tire in broad daylight in the middle of Worth Avenue?