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Back Below the Belt Save as PDF
Chapters (67)
  1. Cover
  2. BOOKS BY STUART WOODS
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  66. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  67. What’s next onyour reading list?

“I see that.”

Joan buzzed him. “Hang on, Dino. Yes, Joan?”

“A Carson Rutledge Junior for you on one.”

“Dino’s on two, tell him I’ll call him back.” He pushed the button. “Yes, Mr. Rutledge?”

This time, his voice sounded younger and a little shaky. “Mr. Barrington, I’ve just heard from the police that my father died in a car crash on the interstate an hour and a half ago.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” Stone said.

“His driver was killed, too. The police think he fell asleep, then crashed into a bridge abutment.”

Stone was stunned into momentary silence. “I’m very sorry for your loss, Mr. Rutledge. When your father was here this morning he told me that he had recently begun to fear for his life. Do you have any idea why?”

“I think it may have had something to do with a client’s business.”

“And who was the client?”

“I’m afraid I can’t divulge that.”

“Might it have been Edward Rawls?”

The young man paused. “I believe so.”

“Mr. Rutledge, I’m sorry to bring it up at this time, but I think it might be a good idea if you asked the police to run a tox screen on your father’s driver.”

“You think he might have been drugged?”

“I don’t know, but the circumstances are very much like another accident that I’m aware of.”

“All right, I’ll do that.”

“Again, I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. I’ll call you if I have any further information.” He hung up.

Stone called Dino. “Anything new?”

“We’ve learned that the mother of the twelve-year-old left her apartment shortly after the deaths of the other mother and her daughter.”

“So when she heard, she ran.”

“Sounds like it.”

“I’ve got something, too. The lawyer who delivered the books and birth certificates to my office this morning was very glad to be rid of them and pretty nervous. He told me he feared for his life. I’ve just spoken to his son, and the man and his driver were killed in a crash on the interstate earlier this afternoon. The police think the driver fell asleep, and they hit a bridge abutment.”

“Tell the son to ask the police to run a tox screen on the driver,” Dino said.

“I have already done so.”

“Somebody just handed me a note,” Dino said. “The Virginia state documents office has no record of either of the two birth certificates having ever been registered.”

“They’re numbered.”

“Neither number exists. Apparently, they screw one up now and then and list the certificate as destroyed. Both certificates with those numbers are listed as having been destroyed.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Yeah. It’s a good thing nobody knows you have those documents.”

Stone thought about the “trouble” Rutledge & Rutledge were having with their phone lines. “I’m not sure that’s true,” he said.

45