“Well, I’ve read enough of it to say that it could be Paul’s work. But you have to understand, he was something of a chameleon as a writer. He changed styles from book to book, depending on the plot and characters.”

“Thanks for trying, Liz.”

She returned to the afterdeck, leaving Stone and Dino alone.

“What’d I tell you?” Dino said. “She’s going to be useless in finding this guy.”

“I’m feeling pretty useless myself,” Stone said.

“I don’t think we’re going to get anywhere with the Frederick James name,” Dino said. “My guess is, he’s just using it as a pen name, that he’s living his life under an entirely different name, maybe even more than one.”

“That’s a depressing thought,” Stone said.

As if on cue, Dan Griggs called back. “I’ve had a whole squad calling around to the hotels,” he said, “and there’s no Frederick James registered anywhere.”

“Thanks for your help again, Dan. I won’t bother you unless we turn up something concrete.” Stone hung up, and the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“It’s Berman.”

“Anything?”

“Mr. James has an American Express card, and that’s it—no debts, not even a bank account.”

“American Express wouldn’t give somebody a card who had no credit record,” Stone said.

“Then he must have applied under a name that does have a record, then asked them to put another name on the card. By the way, I have a friend at American Express. I called him and he looked up James’s address.”

“Great! What is it?”

“One Vanderbilt Avenue, New York City.”

“Thanks, Bob.” Stone hung up. “Another dead end.”

“You got any other ideas?” Dino asked.

“No.”

“Neither have I.”

“Well, we’re just going to have to wait until he has another go at Liz,” Stone said.

Chapter 38

38

EVERYBODY SEEMED TO BE TAKING A NAP, EXCEPT DINO. “I need some things from the drugstore,” Stone said. “You want to come?”

“Nope,” Dino replied. “Married men don’t need things from the drugstore.”

“Toothpaste and dental floss,” Stone said.

“Whatever you say.”

“I’ll be back in half an hour, if anybody calls.”

“See ya.”

Stone walked to the parking lot and got into his borrowed Mercedes convertible, putting the top down. He pulled out of the driveway, behind a passing Ford, which was driving rather slowly. Stone edged up behind the car, hoping to pass, when, suddenly, the Ford came to a screeching halt, and Stone plowed into it with a crash.

“Oh, shit,” he said aloud. Now he had smashed up Thad’s car, and it was his own fault. He got out of the car and walked toward the Ford. As he did, a man got out of the Ford, and to Stone’s surprise, he was smiling.

“I’m sorry I hit you,” Stone said, “but why did you slam on your brakes like that?”