“I got his name and his story about the business.”

“Can you check that out? Maybe get a photograph of Paul Bartlett?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Riley said.

The car arrived. Stone thanked the detective and he and Callie got in and drove away.

“What he said about the Wilkeses rings true,” she said. “He was standing near them when I saw him, and Mr. Wilkes does have a lot of business interests in the midwest.”

“At first I was sure it was Manning,” Stone said. “But now . . . Well, let’s see what the police turn up.”

“Why are the police involved?”

Stone took a deep breath. “I’ve already told you about Allison; Manning was her husband.” He told her the story.

“And you think Manning is in Palm Beach? What evidence do you have of that?”

“Nothing concrete,” Stone said. “Just a hunch, brought on by the trashing of Liz’s study at her house.”

“Bizarre,” Callie said.

“Indeed.”

They pulled into the driveway of the Shames house, got out and walked toward the yacht.

“So,” Callie said, “what about this threesome?”

“Well, there are problems about that,” Stone said, trying to think of some.

“What sort of problems? I’m certainly not one of them. I think she’s very attractive.”

“She’s my client, and she’s the girlfriend of another client, for a start.”

“And where in the canon of legal ethics does it say you can’t sleep with a client?”

“I, ah, can’t quote you chapter and verse, but believe me, it’s inadvisable.”

“Come on, Stone, what’s the real reason? You’re a red-blooded American boy. You must harbor the fantasy of two women in bed with you—and with each other.”

“I can’t deny that,” Stone said, reaching the gangplank and helping her aboard. “I suppose the main reason is that I wouldn’t want to share you with anybody, not even another beautiful woman.”

“Now, that was the politic thing to say,” she said, smiling at him. “But is there some other reason?”

“Apart from what I’ve already said, it just doesn’t feel right,” he replied.

“Now, that’s the best reason you’ve given me,” she said. “Maybe another time.”

“You never know,” Stone replied.

“I can tell you’re interested,” Callie said.

“How?”

She rubbed the back of her hand across the front of his trousers. “Let’s just say, it shows.”

Stone laughed and pulled her to him. “Think you could be satisfied with just me?”

“I expect so,” she replied, leading him toward his cabin.

Chapter 20

20

STONE HAD A LATE BREAKFAST THE FOLLOWING MORNING and was finishing his coffee, when Juanito came aboard from the house with a Federal Express package for Stone. He ripped it open.

Joan wrote in a note: “Bob Berman brought this by for you. He said you’d know what it is.”