Stone swapped places with Holly and kept his eyes on the mirror. “They’re both Toyotas,” he said after a couple of minutes.

“If you say so.”

“Think you can lose them before we reach our destination?”

“I believe I might be able to do that.” He turned into a parking lot, then into an alley behind a row of stores, then into the next street over. “They caught a light,” he said, making another turn, “and we’re a block from your destination.”

“Drop us there, then drive around for a while, until they figure out we’re no longer with you. We’ll get a cab.”

The driver let them out in an alley next to the safe store. Stone tipped the driver generously and they went in the back way.

“Oh, shit, the strong case!” Holly said, and ran out the door. She came back a moment later with the case. “He remembered.”

A salesman approached and started showing them safes. “I like the tall, skinny one,” Stone said.

“Good choice. It will take up less than half a closet.”

“Stone set the strong case inside it, and it fit, with room to spare. “Can you deliver it to Tesuque this afternoon?”

“We close at five—say, five-thirty, six o’clock?”

Stone gave him the address, directions, and a credit card. “Oh,” he said, “can you call a cab for us? Going to the Mercedes dealership.”

“Certainly.”

—

THE CAYENNE SAT out front, gleaming, and the salesman came outside. “Here’s your paperwork and spare key,” he said, “including the original window sticker with the options list. It’s loaded to the gills.”

Stone went over the list. Umber, with cognac and espresso leather; and, seemingly, every possible option.

“We’re giving you a year’s subscription to the satellite radio and a tank of gas.”

Stone shook the man’s hand, then he put the case into the trunk and pulled the cover over it, got into the car and drove away.

“You’re going to love it,” Holly said.

“Let’s get some lunch. Santacafé okay?”

“You’re my guide, I’ll trust you.”

They drove to the restaurant and were given a table in the garden, where Stone could keep an eye on his new car and its contents. They ordered margaritas and some lunch.

“Who do you think was following you?”

“I don’t know,” Stone said, “but nobody was following me yesterday or the day before or last week, and the only thing that’s changed since then is the presence of that strong case.”

“Uh-oh,” Holly replied.

7

THEY WERE ABOUT TO have a drink when the doorbell rang, and Stone found a van backed up to his front door. The salesman and another man got the safe onto a dolly and wheeled it down to where Stone stood before a double-doored hall closet.

“Right here,” Stone said.