Chapters (73)
- Praise
- Praise
- Praise
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40
- Chapter 41
- Chapter 42
- Chapter 43
- Chapter 44
- Chapter 45
- Chapter 46
- Chapter 47
- Chapter 48
- Chapter 49
- Chapter 50
- Chapter 51
- Chapter 52
- Chapter 53
- Chapter 54
- Chapter 55
- Chapter 56
- Chapter 57
- Chapter 58
- Chapter 59
- Chapter 60
- Chapter 61
- Chapter 62
- Chapter 63
- Chapter 64
- Chapter 65
- Acknowledgements
- Teaser chapter
“The Breakers has golf, tennis, the beach, the works,” Callie said. She parked the car. “Come on, I’ll show you the inside of the place before we eat.” She led the way into a huge, twin-towered building and into a lobby that looked like some part of an Italianate cathedral.
“Jesus,” Stone said.
“Yeah. It was built by Henry Flagler, the railroad magnate, who seems to have built just about everything on the east coast of Florida. Come on, let’s get some lunch.” She led him out of the hotel and through another security gate, where she flashed a photo ID. A minute later, they were seated on a broad terrace, overlooking a huge swimming pool and the sea.
The sun shone brightly, but the breeze made it cool, and Stone put on his sweater.
“You dress well,” she said.
“Thanks. So do you.”
“Are your suits, by any chance, made by Doug Hayward?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I’ve met a number of men who go to him, and I dragged Thad in there once and made him have a suit made. Doug’s a nice man, isn’t he?”
“I’ve never met him.”
“Oh? How can he make your clothes without meeting you?”
“I inherited a lot of stuff from a friend who died last year. It was all from Hayward.”
They ordered lunch.
“Nice friend,” she said.
“Well, I’ve known his wife for a while. She insisted I take the clothes. In fact, she just shipped them to me and said I could send them to the Goodwill, if I didn’t want them. She was afraid they’d end up in some celebrity auction.”
“Celebrity? Who was he?”
“Your favorite movie star, Vance Calder.”
“Holy mackerel. I’ve been dining with Vance Calder’s clothes?”
“You have, indeed.”
“Who killed Vance Calder, anyway?”
“Good question. There were suspects, but no conviction.”
Their lunch came, and Stone dove into a chicken Caesar salad. “How much time do you spend here?” Stone asked.
“Quite a lot, it seems. Thad does more entertaining here than in New York, so I’ve just camped out on the yacht.”
“Does he have a New York apartment?”
“He keeps that suite you saw at the Four Seasons.”
Stone shook his head.
“Yes, I know, it’s a lot of money. Thad would really prefer to live in hotels full-time, but he thought he ought to have a home somewhere, so he bought the Palm Beach house. I think he bought it as much for dockage for the yacht as for the house, but he’s got a big-time designer doing the place up. There’s a warehouse in West Palm already bursting with stuff that’s ready to move in, as soon as the builders are gone.”
“Which is when?”