They led her away, then Griggs came back. “We took a nine-millimeter away from Manning,” he said, “but it looks like the security guard was shot with a smaller caliber. You have any thoughts on that?”

Stone thought about that for a moment, then he shook his head and closed his eyes.

“We didn’t recover the slug.”

Good, Stone thought.

“I understand there was some sort of scuffle in the garden after Manning was stopped. You know anything about that?”

Stone opened his eyes. “A drunken guest,” he said. Apparently Griggs thought he’d been shot by Manning. “She had to be removed.” He closed his eyes again and kept them closed until Griggs went away.

Stone was comfortable in a reclining seat on the G V. His arm was still numb, and he was still in a slight morphine haze.

Callie put a pillow behind his head. “Anything else I can do for you?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said, “but not right now. Could I have a telephone, please?”

“I’ll get you one.”

Stone looked at his watch. Just past seven A.M. He had been taken to the airplane on a stretcher, but he had managed to walk up the airstair steps on his own. Callie had packed his clothes. They had been in the air for half an hour, and Dino was dozing across the aisle.

Callie brought him the phone. “After your call, you should get some sleep.”

“Have you got the phone number for the Breakers Hotel?” he asked.

She took the phone, dialed the number for him, handed the phone back and walked toward the front of the airplane.

“The Breakers,” an operator said.

“Please connect me with Mrs. Vance Calder,” Stone said.

“One moment.” The phone began ringing.

“Hello,” a sleepy voice said.

Stone thought for a second, then pressed the off button on the phone.

Dino stirred and turned toward Stone. “Who was that?” he asked.

“Good question,” Stone said.

“Why did you hang up?”

“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”

“When?”

“When a man answers.”

Acknowledgements

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO MY EDITOR, DAVID Highfill, and my publisher, Phyllis Grann, for their continuing care and contributions to my work.

My agents, Morton Janklow and Anne Sibbald, and all the people at Janklow & Nesbit, continue to manage my career, always with excellent results, and they, as ever, have my gratitude.

I want to thank my friends, David and Carolyn Klemm, for sharing their Palm Beach existence with me and for showing me the town, its restaurants, golf courses and shops.

My wife, Chris, is my first and most critical reader, and I thank her for her strong opinions and her love.

Teaser chapter

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THE SHORT FOREVER

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ELAINE’S, LATE.