“Primmy and Carly are all too good at it. When I ask about it, all I get is blank stares.”

“Well, good luck to you. I’ll let you know if anything breaks over here.” Ed hung up.

“Listen, you two,” he said to Carly and Primmy. “I need to know what you’re up to.”

“No, you don’t,” Primmy said. “I’ll give you a hint, though, if you promise not to ask any further questions.”

“Oh, all right, I promise.”

“When we do it, it has to be done naked.”

Carly burst out laughing. “The perfect clue!” she said.

“By the way,” Primmy said, “are we going to see Ed Rawls anytime soon?”

“We can,” Stone said, holding up the car keys. “You can take the MG, but you have to call Ed and tell him you’re coming and be told how to get in.”

Primmy snatched up the keys. “Done. What’s his number?” She went into the next room and made the call, then returned. “Come on, Carly. We have to go see Ed.”

The two drove away in the MG.

—

Primmy and Carly sat down with Rawls on the front porch and told him what they had in mind.

“That’s very interesting,” Rawls said. “I think I can work with that, if I know when this is to take place.”

“Is half an hour’s notice enough?”

“I suppose so. I’m concerned about your safety, though.”

“We’ll be just fine,” Carly said. “We’ll be armed, if it comes to that.”

“My guess is you haven’t told Stone.”

“Good guess. Why make him nervous?”

“You mean, make me nervous, instead.”

“Nah, you don’t get nervous, Ed. You’re the coolest guy we know.”

“I’ll keep telling myself that,” Ed said. “Have you given any thought to the aftermath of your plan?”

“Yes,” Primmy said. “We thought we’d let you take care of that part. After all, what more can we give?”

“That’s one way of looking at it,” Ed replied.

41

Billy Hotchkiss sat at his desk with the newspapers stacked up beside him and read his way through the day. Billy was the captain of his ship, as well as of his soul, and he was highly experienced at manipulating the controls from his desk. He only had to rise rarely. Today was one of those occasions.

Just before lunch he watched as the Stone twins, Eben and Enos, entered his shop and, with a nod of greeting to him, began to browse. Billy knew the twins enjoyed being thieves, so he always kept a careful eye on them and, as soon as they left, added whatever they had taken to their account. This time, to his surprise, they spoke to him.

“Good morning, Billy,” one of them said, he wasn’t sure which.

“Good morning,” he replied, giving them his full attention.