Cold Paradise

39

Dino found the whole story hilarious. “I don’t believe it,” he cackled. “Bartlett bites you on the ass from the grave! I wish I had been there!”

“Dino, it wasn’t funny, even if you were there.”

“And you thought it was Manning who bought the hit!” He cackled again.

“And it still isn’t funny.”

Stone went to his cabin, showered and changed, retrieved his laptop computer and brought it into the saloon.

“What are you doing with that?” Dino asked.

“The only address we have for Frederick James is an e-mail address, so I’m going to e-mail him.”

“Will he be able to tell you’re in Palm Beach?”

“No. The return address will be the same as if I’d sent it from New York.”

“Okay, why not?”

Stone made some adjustments in his telephone dialing program, logged on to his Internet provider and went to e-mail.

TO: FREDERICK JAMES FROM: STONE BARRINGTON

DEAR MR. JAMES:

I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME. IF SO, YOU MAY REACH ME AT THE ABOVE E-MAIL ADDRESS, OR TELEPHONE ME AT (917) 555-1455.I THINK YOU AND I MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DISCUSS THAT WOULD REACT TO YOUR BENEFIT.

Stone sent the e-mail. “Let’s see if that raises him.”

“And what if it does?”

“All I want to do is buy the guy off. Maybe he’ll listen to reason."

“You think he’s interested in money?”

“I don’t think he’s interested in anything else. He’s doing this because he’s pissed off at his wife for taking all his money. I’m going to propose that she give some of it back.”

“I think the guy’s a fruitcake, Stone, and…”

A chime from Stone’s computer interrupted him. “You have mail,” a notice on the screen said.

“That was quick. The guy must have been working on his computer.” Stone opened the e-mail.

TO: STONE BARRINGTON

FROM: FREDERICK JAMES

DEAR MR. BARRINGTON:

WHY DO YOU THINK I AM TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU? I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Stone was annoyed. He immediately wrote back.

TO: PAUL MANNING

FROM: STONE BARRINGTON

PAUL:

ALLISON HAS ASKED ME TO REPRESENT HER IN COMING TO TERMS WITH YOU. SHE IS WILLING TO PART WITH A SUBSTANTIAL SUM OF MONEY IN ORDER TO AMICABLY END ALL TIES WITH YOU. LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.

“Let’s see if that has any effect,” Stone said.

Considerable time passed while they waited. Stone and Dino chatted about nothing in particular for a while, then the computer chimed again, and Stone opened the mail.

TO: STONE BARRINGTON

FROM: FREDERICK JAMES

SIR:

YOU SEEM TO BE SUFFERING UNDER THE DELUSION THAT I AM SOMEONE ELSE. HOW DID YOU GET THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS?

Stone immediately wrote back:

PAUL, THERE IS NO POINT IN CONTINUING WITH THIS. IF YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN A SUBSTANTIAL SETTLEMENT, THEN YOU AND ALLISON CAN GO YOUR SEPARATE WAYS, WITH YOU EMPTY-HANDED AND EXPOSED.

There was an immediate return message:

SIR:

JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN EXPOSE ABOUT ME? YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM.

Stone wrote back:

PAUL, OF COURSE I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. HOW ABOUT THIS: I CALL SOMEBODY I KNOW AT 60 MINUTES AND SUGGEST THEY DO A PIECE ON PAUL AND ALLISON MANNING, WHO EVERYBODY THINKS WERE HANGED IN ST. MARKS A WHILE BACK. THEY COULD INTERVIEW ALLISON, WHO COULD TELL THEM HOW SHE BRIBED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FOR HER OWN RELEASE AND YOURS. THEN SHE COULD TELL THEM HOW YOU ARE NOW CALLING YOURSELF FREDERICK JAMES, AND AS SOON AS THE SHOW IS OVER, EVERY JOURNALIST IN AMERICA WILL BE TRYING TO FIND YOU, WHICH SHOULD MAKE YOUR LIFE FUN. YOU SEEM TO HAVE MADE A NICE NEW LIFE FOR YOURSELF, WITH A BOOK ON THE TIMES LIST. WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE TO LIVE THAT LIFE, UNDISTURBED?

ALL WE ASK IS THAT YOU TAKE SOME MONEY AND LEAVE ALLISON UNDISTURBED. TALK TO ME.

James’s answer:

SIR: I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MANIAC YOU ARE, BUT YOU ARE FLIRTING WITH THE BIGGEST LAWSUIT YOU EVER HEARD OF, PLUS MAYBE CRIMINAL CHARGES OF EXTORTION. THIS CORRESPONDENCE IS AT AN END, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN.

Dino, looking over Stone’s shoulder, read the e-mail. “Well, that was certainly indignant. You think he’s bluffing?”

“Yes,” Stone said. “What’s more, I think we may have smoked him out. I don’t think we’ve heard the last of Mr. James.”