“You might just be on alert for the next couple of hours; it’ll take that long for the truck to pick him up.” The trooper gave him a little salute, got back into his car and left.

Stone went back into the house and found Celia in the kitchen, making breakfast.

“What was that all about?” she asked.

“That was our local constable, a state trooper. Someone damaged Daltry’s car at the Mayflower last night, and he blamed me.”

“Is everything all right?”

“Yes. I know the man. He’s seeing Daltry out of town.”

“He’ll come back,” she said.

“After breakfast, we’ll go back to New York. It would be too easy for him to find you.”

“All right.”

After breakfast Stone called the trooper and arranged to hire an off-duty officer to watch the house for the weekend; then they packed up and left for New York.

They were back on I-684 south when Stone pointed ahead of them. “Look,” he said. “That’s Daltry’s car on the flatbed; he’ll be in the truck.” He pulled her head into his lap. “Stay down until we’re out of sight.”

He caught a glimpse of Daltry sitting next to the truck driver as they passed. A glance in the rearview mirror detected no reaction from the man as they passed. He kept Celia’s head in his lap until they had exited the interstate onto the Saw Mill River Parkway.

They spent the remainder of their weekend cloistered in Stone’s house, cooking, massaging and making love.

36

Stone was sitting up in bed reading the Times when Celia came in with a breakfast tray and set it on his lap.

“Thank you,” he said.

“I’ve got to leave.”

“We’ve got to keep you under wraps for a while longer,” Stone said. “You’re welcome to stay here.”

“I have a friend in New Jersey who’s agreed to put me up. What’s more, I can see some clients out there for a while.”

“When do you want to go?”

“She’s expecting me for lunch.”

“I’ll get a car to take you out there as soon as Joan comes in. Leave me the address and number, and I’ll keep you posted on events as they happen.”

She slipped out of her robe. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Stone was tempted to ditch his breakfast and join her, but he calmed himself. He finished his breakfast and was doing the Times crossword when Joan buzzed him.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning. Did you have a good weekend in Connecticut?”

“It was cut short; we spent most of it here. Could you call the car service and get a car and driver to take Celia to New Jersey?”

“What time?”

“About an hour.”

“Will do. I’ve already called Bernard Finger’s office, but Sam Teich isn’t in yet, and Finger isn’t back from Las Vegas.”