“Now I see why you’re wearing that ridiculous cap,” Dino said, as they walked ashore, through the gates, and up to the pavilion at the top of the lawn.

—

They had a good lunch, then Stone, Dino, and Gala walked over to the Squadron jeweler, Benzie’s, while the Hinckley men made the boat ready for departure. Once there, Stone bought a Squadron tie pin, and he bought Gala a ladies’ burgee pin.

Back on the boat, Stone tried a few maneuvers inside the small marina for practice, then they departed the harbor and headed back down the Solent toward the mouth of the Beaulieu River. Stone’s phone rang.

“Yes?”

“It’s Geoffrey, sir. Your call was very timely. The boat attempted a landing, but I refused their lines and waved them off. A police car arrived at that moment, and an officer explained to them that the dock was private property and did not welcome uninvited guests.”

“How many were aboard?”

“Three, sir. One of them sounded very much like the gentleman on the phone last evening.”

“What happened then?”

“They crossed the river and attempted to tie up at Dame Felicity’s dock. They were greeted there by two of her security staff bearing automatic weapons and were rebuffed. They then continued upriver a bit too far and ran aground on a falling tide. The harbormaster pulled them off the mud, and they headed back downriver.”

“That’s all fine, Geoffrey. Thank you for handling it so well.”

Shortly they turned into the Beaulieu and were careful to follow the channel upriver. Halfway to the Windward dock, Stone asked Gala to go below. She did so, and they passed the boat they had seen earlier, now headed back to the Solent, with two men in sight. Boris had apparently gone below. Stone ignored the waves of the big bald man and his cohort, and he recognized the bald man as one of those who had accosted him at the Bel-Air Country Club.

When the boat was out of sight, Stone called Gala back to the cockpit. “The coast is now clear, and so is the river.”

“Did you get a good look at them?”

“Two of them. I knew one. I believe Boris may have been below. Geoffrey said that the third man sounded like the man on the phone last night. They got a somewhat hotter reception at Felicity’s dock. Clearly, they didn’t know on whose property they were about to trespass, and they were greeted by armed guards.” He explained to Chris and Dustin. “The property across the river is owned by the head of MI6, the British foreign intelligence agency, whose members do not suffer fools gladly.”

—