“We’ve finished renovating Sir Charles’s cottage. They’d be very comfortable there, and we can feed them from the main kitchen, unless they’d like to do their own cooking.” Sir Charles was the previous owner, from whom Stone had bought the property.

“Sounds ideal.” Stone gave him the names. “And give them a car to use for sightseeing and shopping.”

“As you wish.”

“Have you got a dog that could stay in the cottage? I’ll bet the boy would like that.”

“Of course. We’re never short of dogs.”

“Thank you, Major.”

Stone hung up, satisfied that all was well.

49

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Joan buzzed Stone. “There’s a Mr. Henry Parker to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment.”

“Send him in.”

A large African-American man in a business suit came into his office, and Stone rose to greet him. He was a good six-three and something over two hundred pounds, fit-looking.

“Good morning, Mr. Parker,” Stone said.

“Please call me Hank.”

“And I’m Stone.” He pointed the man to a chair. “Coffee?”

“Thank you. I got up early this morning and missed mine.”

Stone poured him a mugful and set it on his side of the desk. “Tell me what I can do for you.”

“You’ve already done plenty for us,” Parker said. “I want to thank you for that.”

“You’re very welcome.”

“I just need to know something about the place we’re going. I don’t want it to be too big a surprise to my family.”

“I have a house in the south of England, not far from the English Channel. It’s on about a hundred and twenty acres of land. There’s the main house and half a dozen cottages. I’ve asked the estate manager, Major Bugg, with two g’s, to put you in the recently updated cottage where the previous owner lived while the main house underwent a renovation. I thought you might be more comfortable in something smaller than the big house, but when you see it, if you don’t think it’s the thing, speak to Major Bugg and ask him to put you in the main house.”

“A cottage sounds better for us.”

“They can bring your meals from the main kitchen, or you can cook your own, or some combination of the two. I’ve asked Major Bugg to make a car available to you for shopping or sightseeing.”

“Wonderful. How far is it from London?”

“About ninety miles. It’s an hour and a half’s drive, but it might be easier to take the train.”

“I’d like for Marty and Tommy to see London. I was stationed there some years ago.”

“What did you do in the army?”

“Special ops. I retired two years ago, after thirty years.”

“How do you feel about dogs?”

“Love ’em—we all do. Ours is staying with friends while we’re gone.”