“I didn’t think so. You’ve been too cool.”

“And why do you think her name on this list would make me less than cool?” Stone demanded.

“Well, you’re raising your voice,” Dino said, “and, all of a sudden, you’re sweating.”

Chapter 62

62

STONE AND DINO TOOK ONE MORE WALK AROUND THE property, then, at six o’clock, they headed for the front door to check out the arrival procedures. Guests were already pulling up in Bentleys, Rollses and Mercedes-Benzes, and Stone was pleased with the efficiency with which the cars were being taken away and parked by the attendants.

He watched as a couple moved through the metal detector, which had been disguised as a rose arbor. A quiet beep was heard, and a smiling police officer approached the couple.

“Excuse me, sir,” he said, and quickly ran a handheld wand over the man’s clothes.

“Probably my house keys,” the man said, holding up a large clump.

“I expect so, sir,” the cop replied. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“That was handled well,” Dino said quietly.

“That’s the Palm Beach Police Department for you,” Stone replied.

The three dozen wedding guests had been asked to arrive early, and by six-thirty they were all present with drinks in their hands. At six thirty-five, there was a murmur from the group as Liz descended the main staircase, resplendent in a beautiful ivory lace wedding dress. She was met at the bottom of the stairs by Thad, who towered over her a good eighteen inches, Stone reckoned. He escorted her into the living room to the fireplace, where a judge was waiting to perform the ceremony.

“Let’s go out back,” Stone said.

“What, you want to miss the wedding?”

“Nobody in that room is going to bother them. If there’s a threat, it’ll come from outside.”

“Okay.”

They walked into the garden and had a look around until Stone was satisfied. There was applause from inside, and Stone turned in time to see, through a tall window, the bride and groom kissing. “That’s one possibility down,” Stone said.

“What do you mean?”

“If Manning wanted to stop the wedding, he’d have already made his move.”

“I guess so,” Dino replied. “But if he wants to create a very rich widow, he’s got all evening.”

“That’s the scary part,” Stone agreed. He looked up to see Guido and two other men approaching. They were carefully dressed in rented tuxedos, and Stone was relieved to see that the jackets were sufficiently loose-fitting not to reveal any weapons. “Evening, Guido,” he said.

“Yeah, you, too,” Guido said. “Everything cool?”

“So far.” Stone dug into a pocket and came up with three yellow lapel pins. “Put these into your buttonholes,” he said. “They will let security know you’re okay.”

The three men complied.

“Where you want us?” Guido asked.