“Bye.” Stone hung up and looked around. They were on what looked like the Van Wyck Expressway, and cars were scattering before them. “I like this,” he said. “This is how to go to the airport.”

“You’re lucky it isn’t rush hour,” the driver said.

“He’s lucky he knows me,” Dino said.

“I know you, and I love you, Dino.”

“Stop that.”

“Is his hand on your knee again, boss?” the detective asked.

“He knows better than that now.”

“Shucks, I was counting on shooting him.”

They were off the expressway and onto the labyrinth of roads around the airport. They stopped at a gate, which rolled back to admit them, and a security guard gave them the gate number and directions.

“You can turn off the siren now,” Dino said. “But keep the lights on.”

“Gotcha, boss.” The driver floored it, and two minutes later they pulled up next to a giant airplane, connected to the terminal by a snaking boarding tunnel.

“Thanks, Dino,” Stone said. “I owe you.”

“I’ll send you a bill. Now get your ass on the plane—it was supposed to push back three minutes ago.”

A security guard waved Stone to a door, and he ran up a flight of stairs, emerging in the tunnel near the aircraft door. A flight attendant awaited, his hand on the door. “Any luggage, Mr. Barrington?”

“None,” Stone said, entering the airplane.

“Just a moment.” He closed the door behind them, turned right, and started down an aisle. They were in the tourist cabin, and the attendant was pointing at a seat right in the middle of the airplane.

“Wait a minute—no first class?” Stone asked.

“The flight is full. This is it.”

Stone sighed and squeezed past the knees of two very large passengers and flopped into the seat. An extremely fat man sat to his left, taking up the entire armrest. “Welcome aboard,” he said.

“Thanks.” Stone looked to his right and found a woman of reasonable proportions.

“Aren’t you the lucky guy?” she said.

“Not lucky enough,” Stone said, trying to find something to do with his left arm. “How long is this flight?”

“For me, nine hours. For you, forever.”

“Too right.”

“I’m Hedy Kiesler,” she said. “Actually Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, but only my mother calls me that.”

“All of it?”

“Just Hedwig. If you call me anything but Hedy, I’ll hurt you.”

“I believe you,” Stone said, offering a hand. “I’m Stone Barrington.”

She leaned in. “I’m glad you made it. I thought I was going to have to deal with the fat guy.”

“I heard that!” the fat guy said.

“Sorry.”

The airplane was moving backward; after a moment an engine started. A female flight attendant appeared. “Mr. Barrington? I have two seats for you and your companion in first class.”

“What companion?” Hedy asked Stone.

“I think she means you. Join me?”

“You bet your sweet ass,” she said.