Fast and Loose

40

Stone went straight to the hospital to see Charley Fox.

“When you didn’t call I began to think something had gone wrong,” Charley said.

“You could say that,” Stone replied. He related the events of midday.

“Macher!” Charley said.

“Of course, who else?”

“Can we nail him for it?”

“I’ve already talked to Dino, who has talked to the DA. There were no prints on the bomb, and the phone was bought at a convenience store in New Jersey. And I can’t swear it was Macher on the phone. It’s called ‘insufficient evidence to indict.’”

“I’m glad there’s a guard on my room,” Charley said.

“There are a dozen Strategic Services people in the building. You’re quite safe.”

“When I’m out of here,” Charley said, “Macher and I are going to have a reckoning.”

“Don’t let that weigh on your mind,” Stone replied. “You’ll internalize your anger, and it will affect your recovery.”

“I feel an intense need to deal with it on a personal level.”

“I can understand that, but it’s not the way to go about it. The DA is still considering whether to charge Macher with the murder of Christian St. Clair, so he’s far from out of the woods.”

“Something else,” Charley said.

“What?”

“He’s not going to stop.”

“Charley...”

“No, I’m happy about that — it will give us other opportunities to kill him legally.”

“Not while I’m your attorney,” Stone said.

“Then at some point I’ll just have to fire you.”

“You know who we should talk to about this?”

“Who?”

“Ed Rawls.”

Charley managed to sit up a little straighter in his bed. “You’re damned right,” he said. “Ed is smarter than any of us, and he knows more ways to skin a cat than anybody alive.”

“What can I get you to make your stay more pleasant?” Stone asked. “Magazines? Books?”

“They have a very good library here. A lady comes around every day with a cartful of reading material.”

“Anything else?”

“A bottle of single-malt scotch and a straw.”

“All in good time.”

“I must be getting better — I’m horny.”

“Maybe you should discuss that with Kaley,” Stone said.

“Don’t you worry, I will. Oh, I didn’t tell you — Kaley’s going to move into the mansion with me.”

“Now that’s good news.”

“She’s out shopping now for enough new furniture and stuff so that we can forget Macher ever lived there. She’s going to keep her job at Strategic Services.”

“By the way, there’s a locksmith at the mansion as we speak, rekeying the locks, and Mike’s people will change the alarm code. I’ll send everything over to Kaley as soon as the locksmith drops off the new keys.”

“I think you’d better call the old employees — the accounting people and the cleaning and cooking staffs — and tell them to come back to work tomorrow.”

“All that’s in hand. There’ll be somebody there to let them in. There’s enough cash in the company accounts to pay their salaries and other operating expenses, for the moment. I’ve already sent the bank new signature cards with my and Mike’s signatures. We’ll add yours later.”

“Right. Stone,” Charley said, “there’s something else you can do for me.”

“Anything at all.”

“Your pistol and my knife are in my desk drawer in the apartment. Could you get them over to me? I’d be more comfortable with them on hand.”

“Did you get your application in for the carry permit?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll ask Dino if he can rush it, and I’ll get the knife to you. That’ll have to do until you’re licensed.”

“Oh, all right. I was always better with the knife than the gun when I was in training.”

“By the way, Marisa’s father has said that your medical bills and your stay here are on him, so don’t worry about that.”

“That’s very good of him.”

“You can thank him when you see him. In the meantime, I’ll have a word with Arthur Steele at the Steele Insurance Group and get a full corporate package put together for Triangle, you, and the new employees.”

“You think of everything.”

“I’ll have to, until you’re well enough to think.” Stone said goodbye and went home.

“Get your closing done?” Joan asked.

“By the skin of my teeth.” He told her of the day’s events.

“Sheesh! That Macher is a bastard, isn’t he?”

“If that’s the worst name you can think of.”

“Oh, the locksmith dropped off the new keys to the mansion,” she said, handing him a set.

“Please messenger a set and the new alarm code to Kaley Weiss at Strategic Services. Oh, and Charley has a knife in his desk drawer in the apartment — include that in the package, but not the gun.”

She went to get it done, and Stone called Dino.

“Bacchetti.”

“Thanks for the help of the NYPD today,” Stone said. “They did a great job.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Charley Fox has applied for a carry permit, and since he’s already been attacked, I can’t see any impediment, can you?”

“Nope. I’ll oil the machinery and get it done. Shall I send it to him at the clinic?”

“That will make him feel much better.”

“As long as he doesn’t hunt Macher down and shoot him.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already had that conversation with him.”

“Bad news,” Dino said. “The DA called and says he can’t move against Macher on the murder charge.”

“Don’t tell me, not enough evidence.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth.”

“I’d certainly feel better if he were behind bars, no bail, awaiting trial.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t provide that service without some paperwork from the DA, and these days I can’t send somebody out to hunt him down and kill him.”

“You never could do that,” Stone said.

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could?”

“I always knew you had fascist tendencies.”

“Don’t tell anybody.”

“Dinner later?”

“Sure. Patroon?”

“Done.”