“He has not yet informed me. I’m picking him up at the hospital at ten o’clock, so we can be there shortly after that.”

“Hang on a second.” Tommy put him on hold and came back two minutes later. “Okay, the assistant county attorney, Jim Rawlings, will be here. In my office.”

“Thank you, Tommy. See you then.” Stone hung up, thinking this must have something to do with some drug deal that Evan and Charley had collaborated on.

STONE PULLED U P to the specified hospital door at ten o’clock, and Evan stepped out, his left arm in a sling, looked around furtively and got into Stone’s car.

Stone drove away. “Evan, let me give you a tip: When you’re leaving a building while worried about being shot at, don’t pause and look around; just dive into the car.”

“Thanks, that’s a good tip,” Evan said.

“How are you feeling?”

“A little sore, but the drugs are good.”

“Temperature gone?”

“Yes, my head is clear.”

“Good. We have a meeting with Tommy Sculley and Jim Rawl-ings, the assistant county attorney. Now perhaps you can tell me why you want the meeting?”

“I’m going to solve Charley Boggs’s homicide for them.”

“Yes, you mentioned that. How do you plan to do it?”

“You’ll find out at the same moment they do, Stone. What I want you to do is to negotiate an immunity agreement for Gigi and me with the county attorney before I tell them.”

“What do you wish to be immune from?”

“Prosecution for any crime or knowledge of a crime committed in the state of Florida.”

“That’s kind of broad, isn’t it? Why don’t we narrow it down to the specific circumstances?”

“I like the idea of broad,” Evan said. “And remember, it has to include Gigi, too.”

“Why Gigi?”

“Stone . . .”

“I know, I know. I’ll find out when you tell them.”

“Yes. I just want a clear and enforceable understanding with the prosecutor, before I tell them what I have to tell them.”

“And speaking of the lovely Gigi, where is she?”

“Grocery shopping for the boat. I don’t want her included in this meeting.”

“Just in the immunity agreement?”

“Exactly.”

“Evan, tell me why you think they will agree to give you immunity from all crimes? After all, you could have robbed a few banks or something.”

“I haven’t robbed any banks. They’ll give me the agreement because it’s the only way they can solve Charley’s homicide.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

“Trust me, Stone. All will be revealed after we have the immunity agreement.”

Stone sighed and continued to drive. They reached police headquarters and parked the car and Stone hurriedly walked Evan inside.

“Don’t worry about my being shot,” Evan said. “That problem is going to go away after this meeting.”