“I thought Tommy might like to have a dog as a friend while you’re there, so he will. By the way, there are a pool and a tennis court behind the main house, and there are bicycles and horses for riding, if you’re so inclined.”

“Wow! Tommy will be very excited.” Parker arranged his features to something more serious. “How long will we be there?”

“Hard to say. It might be best for you to stay until the election, in November.”

“Then Tommy will miss some school.”

“I’ll ask Major Bugg to arrange a tutor for him. I expect it would be helpful if you can get a curriculum from his school.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

Stone buzzed Joan. “Please bring me a thousand pounds sterling.”

Joan came in with an envelope and Stone handed it to Parker.

“You’ll need some local currency. If you want to open a bank account while you’re there, Major Bugg can arrange it.”

“Thank you. I’d like to take a couple of guns with me. We’ve been warned these people have already committed murder.”

“You can’t do that. The firearms laws are much stricter in Britain than here, but you’ll have two armed security people watching over you at all times. They work for the London office of a company called Strategic Services. It’s their airplane you’ll be flying on, and the CEO of the company, Mike Freeman, will be aboard. He’s flying to Brussels, and he’ll drop you on my private landing strip on the way.”

“Private landing strip?”

“It was a bomber base during World War Two. Customs and Immigration people will meet you there and clear you in.”

“What’s the weather like this time of year?”

“Cooler than here, and with more rain. You might take sweaters and a raincoat. There’ll be umbrellas in the cottage. If you’re there until November, you might need a warmer coat, or a liner for your raincoat.”

“Is there any sailing available?”

“The property is on the Bewley River, spelled B-e-a-u-l-i-e-u, and you can probably rent a sailing dinghy in the village of the same name. There’s a rubber dinghy with an outboard on my dock, and you’re welcome to use that on the river. It’s quite a beautiful place.”

“This sounds like it’s going to be a wonderful vacation.”

“I hope so. You can stay as long as you like, even after we get the all-clear.”

“Once again, I’m very grateful to you.”

“Hank, you’re right to take this seriously. As you say, these people have already committed kidnapping and murder. Listen to your security people. They know the territory, and they know what they’re doing.”

Parker stood and offered his hand. “I won’t keep you any longer.”