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Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. Books by Stuart Woods
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  63. AUTHOR’S NOTE

“Your girl doesn’t have to share that experience. We’ll do our best to protect her, if she goes back to Rome, but if she leaves the duBois building, she’ll be a target for kidnapping, or worse.”

“I’ll speak to her about that.”

“When you fly to Ciampino tomorrow, flight-plan for a noon arrival. You’ll be met on the ramp and directed to a secure hangar that we maintain there.”

“Thank you, Lance.”

“The head of our Rome station is Jim Lugano, a bilingual Italian American and a good man. He’ll meet you at the hangar with a secure vehicle, and you can talk about dealing with Casselli on the way into the city.”

“Fine.”

“Your debacle at Lipp seems to have turned into something of an advantage—you were always lucky, Stone. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Marie came into the library with a tray of Dino’s croissants, butter, jam, and coffee, followed shortly by Hedy and Viv. Everybody said good morning, sat down, and dug into the pastries.

After breakfast, Dino stood up and beckoned to Viv. “We’re going to take a little walk,” he said. “We’ll talk more when we get back.” They left.

“I have a feeling we’ve been left alone for a talk,” Hedy said.

“Right. I have to go back to Rome tomorrow, and the best advice I can get is that you shouldn’t return to the city.”

She started to protest, but he held up a hand. “I’m moving into Marcel duBois’s apartment above his offices, and if you come you’ll be a virtual prisoner there. It’s thought by thoughtful people that in Rome you would be a target for kidnapping.”

Hedy made a gulping sound.

“Let me propose two alternatives: you can return to New York, or you can stay here, in this house, and paint. In either case, I’ll have the Rome apartment cleaned out and your things returned to New York, and I’ll take care of the rental charges there.”

She thought about it for a moment. “Well, if I can’t go with you, I think I’d prefer to stay in Paris and paint.”

“Casselli is tracking my phone, so tomorrow he’ll know that I’ve left Paris. Please wait until noon tomorrow, when I’ll be back in Rome, before you leave the house alone. I’ll ask Rick LaRose to have an eye kept on you, though you won’t be aware of it.”

She came over, sat in his lap, and kissed him. “Thank you,” she said.

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