Double Jeopardy

6

Stone had finished breakfast in bed and was working on the Times crossword, trying not to think about the Stone twins, when his phone rang. He recognized the Virginia number immediately.

“Hello, there,” he said with enthusiasm.

“Hello, yourself,” Rocky replied.

“How goes your recovery?”

“Slowly. It’s rehab five days a week, and it hurts when I do that.”

“You have to, if you want a working body,” he advised.

“I know, and I will.”

“How’s your mom doing?”

“Not as well as I. Her drugs don’t work anymore. Her doctor won’t tell me how long she’s got, but a doctor friend tells me only a few weeks. As he put it, ‘Life is a river, and your mother has hit a waterfall.’ All they can do is keep her out of pain. It looks like I’ll be well just about the time she goes.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I lost both my parents a long while back. They pretty much took care of each other, until Dad died, then she didn’t last long.”

“She’s still trying to take care of me,” Rocky said. “She’s making soup right now.”

“Do you miss work?”

“Funny you should mention that. Lance called me yesterday, told me to take my time and then...”

She didn’t finish the sentence. “And then, what?”

“He offered me a new job, running a department.”

“Good! What department?”

“Legislative affairs — liaising with Congress, both houses.”

“That sounds like a great leap forward,” Stone said, but he was feeling less enthusiastic than he was trying to seem.

“It’s a D.C. job, of course. I couldn’t handle it from New York. I don’t suppose you’d like to live in D.C.?”

Stone didn’t hesitate. “Good guess.” He’d already been offered a very nice position in D.C. and turned it down, in spite of the free house and limo service. And he couldn’t imagine living in the same city with both Holly and Rocky. “Are you going to accept his offer?”

“I already have,” Rocky said, “if with some big regrets.”

“I appreciate the compliment.”

“Mom still has the family apartment in Dupont Circle, so I’ll redo it and move in there when... when we’re done here.”

“So you won’t be coming back to New York?”

“No. I’m listing my apartment with a broker today.”

Oh, the finality of it, he said to himself.

“I’m going to work very hard at not missing you,” she said. “Goodbye, Stone.”

“Bye-bye, Rocky.” She hung up first.

Stone decided to feel sorry for himself until noon, then shake it off.

The phone rang again. “Good morning, Dino,” he said. “A little early for you, isn’t it?”

“I got a speech to make in L.A., and Viv is going to fly in from Hong Kong to meet me there.”

“Use my house,” Stone said.

“Hey, there’s an idea! I wish I’d thought of that.”

“I’ll call the Arrington and tell them to staff up. You can have Ben and Peter and the wives over for dinner.” These were their two sons.

“Why don’t you and Rocky fly out and meet us?”

“You’re just looking for a free ride. And Rocky has accepted a new job from Lance, running legislative affairs for the Agency.”

“Oops! No more New York nights, huh?”

“You guessed it.”

“Well, it’s early. You’ve got all day to look for a dinner date.”

“I was going to ask you to fly up to Maine with me and for both of us to testify at the parole hearing.”

“Who, me? Maine? I run the NYPD, remember? I don’t meddle in other law enforcement departments, especially in other states. And anyway, I’m going to be luxuriating in a big, comfortable house in Bel-Air.”

“How long are you staying?”

“At least until you get back from Maine, without your head, which will be handed to you.”

“Thanks for the encouragement. It means an awful lot.”

“My advice is more important: take a pass on this one, and don’t get the attention of those boys.”

“I’ve had worse advice,” Stone said. “Come to think of it, I’ve had worse advice from you.”

“Have a nice time,” Dino said. “I’m certainly going to.” He hung up.

Stone, showered and dressed, went down to his office, and Joan popped in.

“Good morning,” he said. “Please call the L.A. Arrington and let them know Dino and Viv are flying in. She’s arriving from Hong Kong. Find out the flight numbers from Dino, and have the hotel meet them and take them to my house. Also, ask them to staff up for a few days. They can ask Dino how long.”

“Will you be going to Maine tomorrow?” Joan asked.

“I’ll let you know later.”

She left. He picked up the phone and called the Maine State Police in Augusta and asked for Sergeant Young.

“Tom Young.”

“Hi, Tom, it’s Stone Barrington.”

There was a long pause, then: “I’ll call you back on another line in five minutes. Don’t mention any names.” He hung up.

Stone tapped his foot for seven minutes, then his cell rang.

“Tom?”

“Goddamnit, I told you, no names!”

“Sorry, that was clumsy of me.”

“Tell me why you’re calling, not that I don’t know.”

“You know about... the hearing?”

“Of course, I do.”

“I had a thought that you and I might attend and give our personal views on other crimes they committed, and...”

“Stop right there.”

Stone stopped.

“Let me be as clear as I can about this: my boss is retiring in a few weeks, and I want his job. Under the past governor I’d have been a shoo-in. But although the new governor and I have a pleasant relationship, there’s no certainty that he’ll pick me.”

“I understand, but...”

“Let me finish.”

Stone shut up.

“His views about the subjects of the hearing are well-known, to the extent that, if the board should deny parole, he’ll issue a pardon. If I buck him on this, it’s a certainty that I’ll be passed over for the promotion. That job is all I’ve ever wanted.”

“I do understand,” Stone said. “Do you have any advice on how I should proceed?”

“Yes. First, don’t show up at the hearing. If you decide to do so anyway, don’t ask me for advice on how to proceed. Clear?”

“Clear. Thanks, anyway.”

“You have nothing to thank me for.” Young hung up.

Stone started thinking again, then he made another call.