“Yes, but I’ve managed to stay out of serious trouble.”

She laughed. “A bachelor would look at it that way.”

“It was just a joke,” he said.

“I wonder,” she replied.

“I’ll have the driver take you home, if that’s all right.”

“Of course,” she said. She reached up and put her hand on his cheek, then kissed him in a meaningful way. “I hope you’ll ask me out again.”

“What are you doing this weekend?” he asked.

“I’m perfectly available.”

“I’ll pick you up at nine on Saturday morning, then.”

“Where are we going?”

“A surprise,” he said. “Bring country clothes and some good boots for walking and a warm coat.”

“I’ll be ready,” she said.

He kissed her again, then put her in the car and sent it on its way. Now he had something to look forward to.

TWELVE

Stone was having breakfast in bed the following morning while doing the Times crossword puzzle with the TV on. He was distracted from the puzzle by the mention of Jack Gunn’s name and turned his attention to the TV.

“A moment ago,” the reporter was saying, “the forensic accountants who have spent the past days combing through the business records of Gunn Investments made the following statement.”

A man in a pin-striped suit appeared on camera: “After a thorough inspection of the books and computer systems of Gunn Investments, we have concluded that no money is missing, and no wrongdoing has been committed by anyone in the firm. We did find and have corrected an anomaly in the firm’s computer software that incorrectly transferred some of the firm’s general fund to three of its foreign accounts. Those funds have been returned to the New York account, and the books now balance. We have recommended to the Securities and Exchange Commission that the firm’s customer accounts be unfrozen, and we have recommended to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York that no charges be filed against any member of the firm.”

The camera returned to the reporter. “There you have it. Gunn Investments has been given a clean bill of health, and Jack Gunn is scheduled to make a public statement in about an hour. We’ll have that for you. In the meantime, David Gunn, Jack Gunn’s son, has returned to Miami after a week-long sail in the Caribbean.” The camera showed a handsome young man in sailing clothes being mobbed by reporters at a marina.

“I knew nothing about all this until we sailed into the harbor this morning,” he said. “I’ve been at sea and out of touch for a week, and I’m returning to New York today to be of any help I can in sorting this out.”

Stone turned the volume down and went back to his puzzle, but he couldn’t concentrate. Herbie had told him that David Gunn had spoken to his sister, Stephanie, a day or two earlier. Now he was saying he’d been out of touch for a week?