Cold Paradise

32

Stone drove as quickly as he could, without getting arrested, through West Palm and across the bridge. Traffic was heavy and frustrating, and it took them nearly half an hour to reach the Shames residence. The front door stood open, and he ran quickly through the central hall and out the open back door, with Dino close on his heels.

As he came up the gangplank he was presented with an uncharacteristic sight on Toscana: a mess. Towels and books were scattered indiscriminately across the afterdeck. Normally, Juanito made a mess disappear as soon as it presented itself.

Stone turned around and was not surprised to see a gun in Dino’s hand. He put a finger to his lips, then motioned for Dino to follow him. He walked through the saloon and down the corridor toward his cabin. His cabin door was open, and so was every other door in the passageway. He went into his cabin to retrieve the 9mm automatic from under his pillow. It was gone. He went back into the passage and climbed a few steps to the bridge, and as he approached it, he could hear music. He stepped onto the bridge, ready for anything. A portable radio rested on the dash above the wheel, softly playing rock music.

Stone crossed the bridge and left it on the other side, returning along the port corridor. Again, every cabin door was open.

He heard a footstep from somewhere aft and tiptoed toward it. Dino brushed past him, the gun out in front. He was armed, and he would lead the way; there was no talk about it. Stone followed him into the saloon.

“What the hell!” a man’s voice shouted. “Who are you?”

Stone stepped around Dino to find Thad Shames standing in the saloon. “Thad,” he said. “It’s all right, Dino.”

“What’s going on here, Stone?” Shames demanded, clearly startled. “Who is this?”

“Thad, I’m sorry we frightened you. This is Lieutenant Dino Bacchetti, of the New York Police Department. Dino, this is Thad Shames, our host here.”

Dino put the gun away, and the two men shook hands.

Thad collapsed onto a sofa. “Tell me what’s happened,” he said.

“I don’t know what’s happened,” Stone replied. “We came back to the yacht a few minutes ago to find it deserted, and all the cabin doors open.”

“No Callie or Liz? No crew?”

“Nobody.”

“There’s nobody in the main house, either,” Thad said, “but the front and rear doors were open.”

“I know; we just came through there.”

“Do you think Callie and Liz might have gone shopping or something?”

“I don’t think so; they did that earlier today.”

“Did you check the pool?”

“Pool? What pool?”

“There’s a pool on the property, you know.”

“No, I didn’t know. It must be very well concealed.”

“Come on, let’s take a look.” Thad led the way down the gangplank and into the gardens. Instead of taking the path to the house, he turned right and appeared to be about to walk through a hedge, when he turned and disappeared.

Stone followed and discovered a gap in the hedge, concealed by a quick left turn, followed by a right. He caught up with Thad, who had stopped and, with his hands on his hips, was staring ahead.

“Isn’t that lovely?” Thad said softly.

Stone looked and saw a beautiful swimming pool, completely surrounded by the high hedge. Beside it, perhaps thirty feet away, lay two women, asleep on their backs, naked.

Thad motioned them back through the gap in the hedge. “Let’s give them a little warning,” he said. “Callie? Liz?” he called out loudly.

“Yes?” Callie’s voice replied. “We’re out here.”

Shames led them through the hedge a second time. Callie and Liz were tying robes around themselves. “There you are,” he said. “I thought you had both decamped.” He pecked Callie on the cheek, then embraced Liz at more length.

“Not likely,” Callie said. “We thought we’d be safe here.”

“Where’s the crew?” Stone asked.

“I gave them the afternoon off. We weren’t expecting you, Thad.”

“And why are all the doors on the yacht open?”

“I thought it would be good to air out the cabins; keeps the mildew down.”

“You gave us a scare,” Stone said.

Callie reached into a pocket of her robe and produced the 9mm automatic. “We’re perfectly all right,” she said, handing the weapon to Stone. “Come on, let’s go back to the yacht.”

The group returned to Toscana, and Callie got drinks for everybody, except Liz, who excused herself to change. Callie followed her.

“Oh, Callie?” Thad called after her.

She turned. “Yes, Thad?”

“Book us a table someplace gaudy tonight. We’ll celebrate my return.”

Callie nodded and went toward her cabin.

“Where have you come from?” Stone asked.

“California. I’ve been sort of barnstorming LA and San Francisco and Silicon Valley, talking up the new company.”

“I hope it went well.”

“It did. How are things going here?”

“It’s gotten complicated,” Stone said. “Let me bring you up to date.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Stone told him, in detail, everything that had happened in his absence. When he was through, he stopped talking and waited.

“And you still don’t know if this guy is really Manning?”

“No,” Stone said. “Not even Liz can be sure.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Shames said.

“So do I, but that’s the way it is. She saw him only briefly in Easthampton, and something about the way he moved made her think the man she saw was Paul Manning. But she can’t be sure that Paul Bartlett is Manning.”

“And this guy Bartlett is a friend of Frank and Margaret?”

“Yes, from Minneapolis.”

“And you think he killed his wife for her money?”

“It seems a strong possibility.”

Shames grinned. “Well, this has certainly turned out to be interesting, hasn’t it?”

“That’s one way to look at it,” Stone said. “I’m sorry I don’t have any definite answers for you.”

“I’m sure you’ll come up with them,” Shames said. “Well, Dino, welcome to Palm Beach. Callie told me you were coming, and I’m glad you could join us. Have you been made comfortable?”

“Yes, thanks,” Dino said. “She’s a beautiful yacht.”

“Thank you, I think so.” Thad stood up. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go to my room in the main house and have a nap. I’ve been traveling for days, and I’m a little tired. I’ll bounce back for dinner, though.” He gave a little wave and left the yacht.

“He’s a pretty easygoing guy, isn’t he?” Dino said.

“He certainly is.”

“I mean, if I’d come aboard my yacht and found a stranger with a gun, I’d have freaked out, but he didn’t.”

“I thought he behaved very well, in the circumstances,” Stone said. “Looks like our goat-and-lion plan didn’t work. If anything, we’re worse off than we were this morning.”

“Well, there’s still dinner,” Dino said. “If we’re going someplace gaudy, anybody could be there, right?”

“In Palm Beach, you’re right.”