“Good,” Mike replied, and the young man left.

“Mike,” Stone said, “I don’t think there’s any more we can do here.” He handed Mike a key. “Here’s the key to the house.” He gave him the security code. “We’ll head on back to the city now.”

Mike’s cell rang again. “Yes, Lance?” He pressed the speaker button.

“Mike, I wanted you to know that the NSA has detected a great deal of chatter in the air around the Middle East since the bombing at Tora Bora, and Pablo’s name has been mentioned several times, and not in a complimentary way.”

“Well,” Mike said, “it looks as though we’ve made the right moves to secure Pablo’s safety. That was a good call on your part.”

“You may thank Stone for his insistence on that point,” Lance replied. “I’ll let you know if we pick up anything more specific.”

“Thank you, Lance,” Mike said, but Lance was gone.

FIFTY-TWO

Stone and Willa were halfway back to New York when his cell came alive. He pressed the speaker button on the dash. “Hello?”

“It’s Joan. I just left the house after doing some work and there are two men on the block I don’t like the look of.”

“Describe them.”

“Young, Mediterranean-looking, very fit.”

“Now, don’t get all excited,” Stone said, laughing.

“Ha-ha,” she said.

“Please call Bob Cantor and ask him to put a couple of men at or near the house. Tell them not to shoot anybody, but I don’t want the house burned to the ground, either.”

“Will do. When are you coming home?”

Stone glanced at his watch: “An hour or so.”

“Do you want me to wait for Bob’s people?”

“No, go on home. All this weekend work of yours is beginning to worry me. Am I in some kind of trouble?”

“Usually, but not at the moment,” she replied, and hung up.

“You’re very fortunate to have Joan,” Willa said. “Ask her if she’d like to work in the DA’s office, will you?”

“I most certainly will not,” Stone replied. “Anyway, she’d be bored rigid down there.”

“Gee, I’m not,” Willa said.

As Stone turned into the block he saw Willie Leahy, one of Cantor’s men, on the other side of the street. He slowed and opened his window. “Any problems?” Stone asked.

“The problems have departed,” Willie replied.

“Under their own steam?” Stone inquired.

“An ambulance was not necessary,” Willie said. “We’ll see if any other problems come to take their place.”

“Thanks, Willie. Use the kitchen for your breaks.”

“How long you want us on, Stone?”

“If no one has turned up by noon tomorrow, then stand down. And don’t work straight through; make Bob send some relief.”

“You bet your ass,” Willie said, then turned back to his work.

“Do you always have armed security on tap?” Willa asked. “I saw the bulge under his arm.”

“From time to time; it’s not a regular thing, but sometimes I sleep better with Willie and his brother, Peter, around.”