Near Miss

Chapter 24

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal when I’m with you,” Carly said.

Matilda eyed her. “Have you eaten a lot of meals with Stone?”

“That depends on your definition of ‘a lot.’ ”

“More than three?”

“That seems like a low bar, but, yes, more than three.”

Matilda turned to Stone, pressing her softest spots against him. “Do you always treat your junior attorneys so well?”

“Carly is no ordinary junior attorney.”

“Oh, that’s right. The whole acing-the-bar-exam thing.”

“It’s more than a thing,” Stone said.

“Of course. My apologies. I didn’t mean to trivialize it.” She gave Carly a weak smile. “Smart and beautiful. Congratulations again.”

“Thank you.”

Stone’s phone rang. Fred.

“All done here. Ready to go when you are.”

“Thank you, Fred. Were you able to get a positive ID on the driver?”

“It’s Bozo.”

Not a surprise, but it was nice to have it confirmed.

“And he’s not alone,” Fred added.

“Oh?” This was a surprise.

“Trench Molder is with him.”

“Is he now? Not his lucky day, I guess.”

“No, it is not.”

“His bad luck is our good. Thanks again, Fred. We’ll be out in twenty.” Stone hung up.

“Are you going to tell us what’s going on now?” Matilda asked.

“All in good time.”

“I’m curious, too,” Dino said.

Stone gave him a pointed look. “Don’t be.”

“Understood,” Dino said, then looked around the table. “A glass of port before we leave?”

“It would be uncivilized not to,” Stone said.

Bozo’s phone rang. “Yes?”

“It’s Candy. They’re heading out.”

“Thanks. Come by the gym tomorrow morning and I’ll pay you.”

“Will do.”

He started the car.

“We’re on?” Trench asked.

“We’re on.”

Trench sneered. “Finally.”

“Fred?” Stone asked.

“Still there. About six car lengths back.”

Bozo had begun following them again as soon as they’d driven off from Patroon.

“Are we far enough away?”

“We should be.”

“I was hoping for something a bit more definitive.”

“Probably?”

“We need to get you a better thesaurus.”

“I’ll pick up one tomorrow.”

“What are you waiting for?” Trench asked.

They’d been following the Bentley for ten minutes, and Trench was running out of patience. Each tick of the clock was an additional second of life neither Barrington nor Matilda deserved.

“For traffic to thin a bit. Unless you don’t care about collateral damage.”

In the grand scheme of things, Trench didn’t, but additional casualties would take away focus from the two he wanted dead. “Fine. But don’t wait too long.”

The opportunity came two minutes later, when traffic spread out enough to create a clear zone between them and the Bentley.

Bozo lifted the remote that would trigger the car bomb. “Ready?”

“Let me do it.”

Bozo had been looking forward to pressing the button, but as Trench had pointed out before, Bozo wasn’t the one paying the bills. He handed it over.

Trench aimed the device toward the Bentley. “Good riddance, assholes.”

He pressed the button.

The street lit up with an explosion that ripped Bozo’s car apart. The shockwave rocked the Bentley, but Fred kept control and presently had them speeding away.

“What was that?” Matilda asked.

She, Stone, and Carly all looked out the back window.

Lying in the middle of the street, and growing more distant by the second, was the flaming hulk of Bozo’s sedan.

“That is the end of your problems with Trench Molder,” Stone said.

“What do you mean?” Her eyes widened. “Are you saying he was in that car?”

“He and his buddy Bozo.”

“You blew him up?”

“I did no such thing. He blew himself up.”

Matilda looked no less confused.

“While we were having diner, Bozo put a bomb under the Bentley. Fred simply returned it to its rightful owners.”

“So, that should have been our car burning back there,” Carly said.

“That was their plan.”

The blood drained from Matilda’s face. “Oh, my God. I... I knew he wanted us dead, but I didn’t think he’d actually try to do it.”

“Try, yes. Succeed, no.” Stone pulled out his phone and called Dino.

“Miss me already?”

“I thought you’d like to know you’re about to receive word concerning an exploding car.”

“Not yours, I’m guessing.”

“Very astute. I’m not sure who the vehicle belongs to, but I can tell you who was inside.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Trench Molder and his pal Bozo.”

“Next you’re going to tell me you had nothing to do with it.”

“It’s like you’re reading my mind.”

“Anyone hurt on your end?”

“Not a hair on a head.”

“Is there more I should know?”

“Officially, no. Unofficially, the bomb was meant for us.”

“Then unofficially, I’m glad it failed.”

“That makes five of us.”

“That’s my other line ringing. Gotta go.”

“Act surprised.”

“It won’t be the first time.”