“You’re just looking for a free ride. And Rocky has accepted a new job from Lance, running legislative affairs for the Agency.”

“Oops! No more New York nights, huh?”

“You guessed it.”

“Well, it’s early. You’ve got all day to look for a dinner date.”

“I was going to ask you to fly up to Maine with me and for both of us to testify at the parole hearing.”

“Who, me? Maine? I run the NYPD, remember? I don’t meddle in other law enforcement departments, especially in other states. And anyway, I’m going to be luxuriating in a big, comfortable house in Bel-Air.”

“How long are you staying?”

“At least until you get back from Maine, without your head, which will be handed to you.”

“Thanks for the encouragement. It means an awful lot.”

“My advice is more important: take a pass on this one, and don’t get the attention of those boys.”

“I’ve had worse advice,” Stone said. “Come to think of it, I’ve had worse advice from you.”

“Have a nice time,” Dino said. “I’m certainly going to.” He hung up.

—

Stone, showered and dressed, went down to his office, and Joan popped in.

“Good morning,” he said. “Please call the L.A. Arrington and let them know Dino and Viv are flying in. She’s arriving from Hong Kong. Find out the flight numbers from Dino, and have the hotel meet them and take them to my house. Also, ask them to staff up for a few days. They can ask Dino how long.”

“Will you be going to Maine tomorrow?” Joan asked.

“I’ll let you know later.”

She left. He picked up the phone and called the Maine State Police in Augusta and asked for Sergeant Young.

“Tom Young.”

“Hi, Tom, it’s Stone Barrington.”

There was a long pause, then: “I’ll call you back on another line in five minutes. Don’t mention any names.” He hung up.

Stone tapped his foot for seven minutes, then his cell rang.

“Tom?”

“Goddamnit, I told you, no names!”

“Sorry, that was clumsy of me.”

“Tell me why you’re calling, not that I don’t know.”

“You know about . . . the hearing?”

“Of course, I do.”

“I had a thought that you and I might attend and give our personal views on other crimes they committed, and . . .”

“Stop right there.”

Stone stopped.

“Let me be as clear as I can about this: my boss is retiring in a few weeks, and I want his job. Under the past governor I’d have been a shoo-in. But although the new governor and I have a pleasant relationship, there’s no certainty that he’ll pick me.”

“I understand, but . . .”

“Let me finish.”

Stone shut up.