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

Jim laughed. “I can’t argue with that, but I have not been authorized to kill him.”

“Seek authorization.”

Jim laughed again. “Jesus, Stone, I didn’t know you were so bloodthirsty.”

“I want my friend back, and I don’t care if Casselli has to die in order to achieve that.”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t much care if he has to die, either. He’s just interfering with our regular work.”

“Ask Lance. Ask somebody.”

—

Jim excused himself, left the room, and called Lance.

“This is Cabot.”

“I’ve just been having a chat with Stone Barrington. He wants me to kill Leo Casselli.”

Lance burst out laughing. “Is that all? Just bump him off? Who does he think we are?”

“Lance,” Jim said, “Stone has a point.”

“You mean you’re happy to eliminate Casselli? Is that how you think we behave?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Well, yes, but that sort of thing usually calls for a presidential finding.”

“Usually, but not always. Casselli could have an accident.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Maybe the sort of thing these guys use to take each other out—his car nudged over a cliff, a bomb under his seat, a bullet to the head. After all, Casselli has just erased two of his top lieutenants, because he’s afraid they might be talking to the police. There are surely those who might think that calls for a response. They must have family members or friends who might hold a grudge. If Casselli died, assumptions would be made about who did it and why, and I don’t think we would rank high on anybody’s list of possible perpetrators. If you need a bureaucratic reason, he’s keeping us from our usual work.”

“I like that. Do you know where he is?”

“Not yet, but I’ve issued orders to find him.”

“Talk to me again when you have a location and a more definite suggestion for a plan.”

“Right.” Jim hung up and went back into the living room.

“Well?” Stone asked.

“It’s being discussed.”

32

Dino came into the room. “I’m getting cabin fever,” he said. “Let’s go for a drive.”

“We don’t have a car,” Stone replied.

“I can arrange that,” Jim Lugano said, “and I’ll provide security.” He got on the phone.

Stone and Dino rode down in the elevator.

“You’ve been awful quiet, for you,” Dino said.

“I’m thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

“About killing Casselli.”

Dino laughed. “And how are you going to manage that?”

“Just find out where he is and kill him.”

“Don’t the police or the CIA know where he is?”

“Apparently not—their best guess is Naples.”

“There are probably people better qualified than you to take him out. You’ve never assassinated anybody, have you?”

“There’s a first time for everything. I asked Jim to put it to Lance.”

“What’d he say?”