“Your baggage is aboard,” Freeman said, getting out of the car and having a look around. “Let’s do this quickly.”

Stone and Felicity were out of the car in a second, and in another, up the stairs with the door closed behind them. They were greeted by a uniformed flight attendant, and the man they had traveled with was in the copilot’s seat. In a matter of half a minute, they were taxiing.

The flight attendant showed them to their seats. “My name is Nancy White,” she said. “Please take your seats and fasten your seat belts. The captain would prefer it if you kept them loosely fastened after takeoff.” As they taxied, she showed them the controls for television and music, and indicated a laptop, which could be used for e-mail. “There is a private cabin aft with twin beds,” she said, then went forward and buckled herself into her own seat.

A moment later the engines spooled up, and they were rolling, then flying. Half an hour later, when the screen on the bulkhead showed that they were well east of Long Island and at flight level 510, another uniformed woman left the cockpit and walked back to where Stone and Felicity sat.

“Good evening,” she said, “I’m your captain, Suzanne Alley.” She was tall and quite beautiful. “We’ll have a nice tailwind tonight and clear weather. We should arrive at Blackbush at nine a.m., local time. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Stone resisted an affirmative reply. “Thank you, Suzanne. I don’t think so.”

“Nancy will take good care of you,” she replied. “Let her know if you’d like some dinner.” She returned to the cockpit and closed the door behind her.

Nancy returned. “Can I get you anything?” she asked.

“I’d like a glass of Champagne,” Felicity said, “and a telephone.”

“Certainly,” Nancy said, and she brought both.

Felicity was still on the phone when Stone went aft to the private cabin, removed his jacket, loosened his tie and quickly fell asleep on one of the compact beds.

59

As soon as the airplane rolled to a full stop and the engines were cut off, Nancy had the door open. Stone and Felicity, freshly showered and dressed, came forward to where Captain Suzanne Alley awaited them at the stairs. She handed Stone a card.

“Please call me when you know your return plans, and we’ll be ready,” she said.

Stone thanked her, and slipped the card into his pocket. He and Felicity descended to a waiting Bentley Arnage and were driven away.

“Do you want to tell me what you’re going to do?” Stone asked.

“No,” Felicity replied. “If I recount my plan to you, just hearing it might cause me to . . . What’s the American expression? Chicken out?”

“That’s it,” Stone said. “Come to think of it, I’d rather not know.”