Criminal Mischief

23

They walked into a huge dining room with a band accompanying young women in grass skirts, and with everybody singing “Hawaiian War Chant.” They were seated instantly. “Welcome, Mr. Dickens,” the maître d’ said.

“Is there another party in the dining room named Dickens?”

“No, sir. You’d have to go to our library to find another one.” He left menus and a wine list and walked away.

“Did you book the table under Dickens?” Stone asked Dino.

“Maybe. I was still sleepy, and of course, there’s the jet lag.”

“Swell.”

Dino snagged a waiter. “Two mai tais,” he said.

“ ‘Mai tais’? Really?”

“It was the only thing Hawaiian I could think of,” Dino explained.

Two large pink drinks appeared on the table. Stone took a sip.

“How’s your mai tai?” Dino asked.

“Not bad,” Stone said. “But it’s not Knob Creek.”

“I hear they’re bringing out one.”

“Don’t hold your breath.” The menu selections all had elaborate descriptions. A waiter appeared.

“I’ll have that first thing on the menu,” Stone said.

“Me, too,” Dino echoed.

Stone ordered a bottle of chardonnay, and the waiter walked away. “Do you have any idea what we ordered?” Stone asked.

“I think it said something about shrimp.”

Stone felt somebody’s knee nudge him and looked around to find nobody. He looked around again and found two large brown eyes looking up at him expectantly.

“What is it?” Dino asked.

“It’s a Labrador retriever,” Stone said. “Yellow, just like Bob.”

“What does he want?”

Stone suddenly got it. He felt his jacket pocket and found some small lumps. “A cookie,” he said, freeing one from the jacket. “Sit,” he said. The dog sat, and Stone gave him the treat. He didn’t move, except for his tail.

“I beg your pardon,” a woman’s voice said.

Stone turned to find an attractive woman in a tight, flowered silk dress.

“Is my dog bothering you?”

“He discovered that I have treats in my pocket. I have one at home just like him. What’s his name?”

“Felix. And yours?”

“Bob.” Stone gave Felix another cookie; it was gratefully received. “My name is Jack Austen,” Stone said. “This is my cousin Fred Austen.” He indicated Dino.

“Hello, I’m Frances.” They shook hands.

“Would you like to join us for a drink?” Stone asked.

She looked across the dining room. “My party hasn’t arrived; I’d love to.” She sat down and Felix sat next to her, but not too far from Stone. “What are you drinking?”

“Mai tais,” Stone said. “It was the only Hawiian thing Fred could think of.”

“Me, too,” she said. “Where are you two from?”

“Atlanta,” Stone said. “And you?”

“Hartford, Connecticut,” she said, after a moment’s thought.

“How long have you been in Honolulu?” Dino asked.

“Only a few hours,” she said. “We’re just passing through.”

“What’s your final destination?”

“We haven’t decided yet.”

“ ‘We’? Did you bring along a husband?”

“I don’t have one of those. I’m traveling with a friend.”

“Did you arrive by air or sea?”

“Air. Private.”

“So did we,” Dino said. Stone kicked him under the table.

“My friend has a Gulfstream.”

Stone shot Dino a glance before he could answer. “Bombardier,” Stone said. “It’s a Canadian aircraft.”

“I’m vaguely familiar,” she said.

“Does Felix enjoy air travel?”

“Sort of. He goes to sleep as soon as we’re wheels up.”

“Bob, too, but we didn’t bring him.”

“Where did you arrive from?” she asked.

“Manila. We started in Atlanta and flew east to Dubai, then onward.”

“So, we’re jets that pass in the night,” she said. “Do you ever get to Hartford?”

“Only once. Do you get to Atlanta?”

“I think we’ll be abroad for some time this trip,” she said.

“Next stop?”

“Sydney, I think. Marty hasn’t decided yet.”

“What business is Marty in?”

“He’s an investor.”

“So am I,” Stone said.

“How’d you make your fortune?” she asked.

“The old-fashioned way. I inherited it.”

“So effortless,” she said.

“Well, sort of. You have to keep your investment people from stealing from you, and that takes work.”

“Like that fellow in New York, recently. I can’t remember his name.”

“We’ve been traveling. Don’t get a lot of news. Don’t care about a lot of news, to tell you the truth.”

“Well, never mind, I won’t burden you with more.”

“Thank you so much. Another mai tai?”

She looked across the room. “My party is arriving,” she said, “so I won’t have time.”

“Another day,” Stone said. “In some port or other.”

She stood, and they stood with her.

“So nice to see you. Thanks for the drink.”

“Same here. Anytime,” Stone replied.

“Let’s go, Felix,” she said, and the dog obediently followed her.

“No leash,” Dino said.

“Funny, you were watching Felix, and I was watching her ass. What does that say about us?”