“We have determined, from inspection of fragments, that the missile employed was of Russian origin.”

Stone made something of a display in capping his pen and returning the jotter to his pocket. “I’m afraid, Ambassador, that a lawsuit at this time is premature.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that, at this moment, you have no witnesses or other evidence to connect this Major Rattle to the crime, nor to identify the perpetrators. The only facts you can place in evidence are that the victims are dead, the aircraft destroyed, and that the missile used was of Russian origin, which contradicts your other allegations.”

“But we wish to file the lawsuit immediately, to bring this horrible crime to the attention of the world.”

“If you should do so, the suit would be dismissed out of hand by the judge at the first hearing, for lack of evidence. And I must tell you, Mr. Ambassador, that should this case go to trial, I would much rather represent the defendant than the claimant.”

The ambassador sat, blinking rapidly, apparently unable to speak. Finally, he found words. “Then I must apologize for wasting your time, Mr. Barrington. Good day.” He rose and left the room.

The butler approached. “This way out, please.”

Chapter 32

Fred showed Felicity into the study and took her luggage up to the master suite, as instructed.

Stone embraced her. “You look very beautiful,” he said.

“A great weight has been lifted from me,” she said. “That sort of relief, rare as it is, tends to knock off about ten years.” She accepted a martini. “Cheers. How was your day?”

“Surreal,” Stone replied. “I received a phone call from the Dahai ambassador to the UN, a fellow named Abdul-Aziz, asking me to come see him.”

“I know of the man. He is a brother of the sultan of Dahai. Why on earth would he want to see you?”

“He wanted to retain me as his attorney to file a lawsuit in New York.”

“How would he even know of you?”

“That, like most of everything else he said, was shrouded in secrecy.”

“Whom did he wish to sue?”

“Ian Rattle.”

Her mouth fell open; she closed it. “Don’t make me pull this out of you, Stone.”

“He said that Ian was responsible for the deaths of the twins, who were the sultan’s sons; another man, who was his nephew; and two pilots of the Dahai air force. He wanted me to file a wrongful death suit, seeking five hundred and fifty million dollars for their families and the cost of the airplane.”

Felicity clasped her breast. “I am staggered. Did he actually know you know Ian?”

“I don’t believe so. In any case I feigned ignorance.”

“And how did you respond to his request?”

“I told him that he had no grounds for a suit and that, given his lack of evidence, I would rather represent the defendant than the complainant.”