They tied up at the Windward dock, and tidied up the boat. Then Chris and Dustin presented the paperwork for British registration of the yacht and an acceptance document for the boat. “All the safety equipment required by the British is aboard, and the boat is fully legal here,” Dustin said, handing him a card. “Should you need parts or service of any kind, call these people, who are aware of your boat.”

Geoffrey came down to drive them back to the house and gave Stone a package. “Dame Felicity sent this to you by messenger,” he said.

Stone opened it to find a Squadron white burgee and a British white ensign, which could be flown only by Royal Navy vessels and members of the Royal Yacht Squadron.

“But I’m an American,” he said to Geoffrey. “I can’t fly this ensign.”

“Dame Felicity says that if the yacht is British-registered, an American member may fly the white ensign.”

Stone rigged both flags on their staffs and left them below for future use.

A cheerful fire awaited them in the library, and they had drinks before dressing for dinner.

18

Over dinner, Stone brought Dino up to date on the problems with Boris Tirov.

“What do you suggest?” Stone asked.

“Suggest? I’m out of my jurisdiction. What’s the name of that police inspector you dealt with last year after the murder? Sherlock something?”

“Deputy Chief Inspector Holmes,” Stone replied. “No Sherlock.”

“Why don’t you give him a call?”

“Good idea,” Stone replied. “I’ll ring him in the morning.”

“When do we head for Rome?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. The celebration isn’t until the day after.”

“Are we staying at the Arrington?”

“Yep.”

“What do the celebrations consist of?”

“A big cocktail party, followed by a dinner for as many people as can be squeezed into the dining room.”

“Who are the guests?”

“I’ve left that up to Marcel duBois, so I have no idea. I imagine they’ll be pretty, though.”

“It’s a good thing I went shopping in London,” Gala said. “I found the perfect dress at Harvey Nicks.”

“Perfect is good enough for me,” Stone said.

—

After dinner, Geoffrey announced a phone call from Dame Felicity for Stone.

“Good evening.”

“Good evening. What the hell is going on down there? I’ve heard there was a disturbance at my dock today.”

“I didn’t witness the event, but Geoffrey tells me that weapons were brandished by your people, but no shots were fired by anyone.”

“Who were the would-be intruders?”

“One of them we believe to be Gala’s ex-husband.”

“Is he mad?”

“Very possibly. He’s certainly unbalanced, and he has some unsavory Russian connections.”

“What a delightful combination of personal traits. If there’s a next time, I’ll tell my people to fire at will.”

“Please wait until I’m in Rome, which will occur tomorrow evening.”

“How long will you be away?”