“Self-defense is an effective motive for a shooting, but killing someone, for whatever reason, is a pain in the ass. That will haunt Susannah for her whole life.”

“At least she has a life.”

“You have a point. Just remember that killing somebody is never an easy solution to your problems. Between Ed and me, we can sue Boris into submission. It will take a while, and it will be expensive, but it can be done.”

“The problem is, Boris doesn’t understand your logic. He considers revenge a reasonable motive for anything, and between his money and his connections with the Russian mob, he has the means to carry it out. I can tell you from experience that right now, he’s very angry, and he’s plotting.”

“He’s also on the other side of a very large ocean, and he will have plenty of time to cool off before we cross it again.”

“You don’t understand, Stone. Boris doesn’t cool off, he just simmers until the next time he comes to a boil.”

“How has he managed to succeed in Hollywood if he’s that kind of person? He’s going to have a very hard time finding another studio deal, after what’s happened over the past ten days.”

“Hollywood doesn’t much care what kind of person he is, as long as he makes money for them, and his series of thrillers have brought in something like a billion and a half dollars in worldwide ticket sales over the past four years. That kind of cash flow can cause the community to look the other way. I’ll bet you that within a week, in spite of all that happened with Centurion and the Arrington and the Bel-Air Country Club, Boris will have a deal with another studio.”

“I won’t take that bet, because you could be right,” Stone said. “Come on, let’s ride down to the mouth of the river, and I’ll show you the Solent.”

“What’s the Solent?”

“It’s the body of water that separates England from the Isle of Wight. It’s only a couple of miles wide, but it’s the capital of yachting in England, maybe in Europe.”

“Do you have a boat?”

“I have one on order that’s due for delivery here any day, now.”

“What sort of boat?”

“A Hinckley 43, a very nice little motor yacht. It will be good for pottering around the Solent and up and down the English Channel, and it’s easily managed by one or two people, so it doesn’t require a professional crew.”

“Is it American-made?”

“Yes. I didn’t know enough about British boats to be comfortable ordering one, but I know Hinckley very well. Their factory is an hour’s drive from my house in Maine.”

“Can we go out on it when it comes?”