Family Jewels

57

Stone and Holly were getting dressed for the jewelry showing in their separate dressing rooms.

“Viv phoned me,” Holly called across the master bedroom. “The Lees invited them to dinner, too. They’re going to pick us up at four forty-five.”

“Great,” Stone called back. “Nice to have a police escort.”

“I don’t get nearly enough of those,” Holly called back.

“Not even traveling with Kate?”

“Mine is a White House job. I don’t travel with her that much, unless we’re in the middle of some foreign crisis.”

Stone adjusted his bow tie and stepped into the bedroom. Holly was having a last look at her spectacular red dress. “Wow! Where do you find these clothes?”

“I never have time for a day of shopping, so if I see something I like in a shop window, I buy it and save it for when I get one of these invitations, so I’ve always got something to wear.”

“Smart girl. Where do you get the money to buy three-thousand-dollar dresses, if you don’t mind my asking.”

“Not at all. I make a decent salary, and I have my army pension on top of that.” She looked at him coyly. “And I have money you don’t know about.”

“Oh? And where did that come from?”

“I found it in a tree.”

“Not at the end of a rainbow?”

“No, in a tree — literally.”

“Kindly explain.”

“I’ll tell you one of these days, when I’ve had a few drinks.”

“I love a mysterious woman.” He looked at his watch again. “We’d better get downstairs.”

As they reached the front door, Dino’s big black SUV glided to a halt out front, followed by an unmarked police car. They got into the rear seat.

“Very nice, Dino!” Holly enthused.

“It’s only my due,” Dino replied. “I’m a terribly important person.”

“Don’t ever retire,” Viv said. “I like the car.”

They arrived at the Carlyle and, accompanied by a Secret Service agent, took an elevator to the Lees’ apartment. A butler opened the door and they found former President Will Lee, in a tuxedo, with an infant in his arms.

“May I introduce William Henry Lee the Fifth, called Will Henry, after his great-grandfather?”

Viv and Holly made oohing and aahing noises, while Stone and Dino kept a respectful distance. A moment later, the President of the United States swept into the room wearing a knockout black cocktail dress, quite low-cut, for a president.

“Now that you’ve all worshipped at the shrine of the latest member of the dynasty, can I force a drink on anyone?”

Everybody made affirmative sounds, and the butler supplied them with chilled liquids and comestibles.

“Well, now,” Kate said, when she was settled on a sofa, “tell me how we can steal this beautiful necklace tonight.”