“Those are slightly less restrictive, but don’t bring a gun into your home until you have the permit in hand.”

“Okay,” Laurence replied.

37

STONE AND JINX arrived at Teterboro, where they were met by Fred in the Bentley.

At home, Stone introduced Jinx to Joan, and Bob made a fool of himself over her. Stone gave Jinx the tour, then dispatched her to her own apartment downtown after asking her to dinner. She had promptly agreed. “Fred will come for you at seven o’clock,” he had said, giving her a kiss.

Stone went into his office and called Dino.

“You made it back?” Dino asked. “I was beginning to doubt your return.”

“We spent a couple of days with Laurence and his girl, Theresa.”

“How is our young billionaire?”

“Half a billionaire—he started out with more, but after a few real estate investments and many pieces of art, his net worth is down a hundred million or so.”

“That’s gotta be tough on the kid.”

“Well, yeah.”

“I dreamed I came into that much money the other night, and I couldn’t think of anything to spend it on.”

“Sure you could, and if you couldn’t, Viv would take up the slack.”

“Good point.”

“Dinner at Patroon, seven-thirty? I’ll introduce you to a new jeune fille.”

“See you there.” They hung up.

Stone went through the mail and signed a stack of checks, while Fred unpacked for him. Joan sat down, handing him things to sign. “How’s our boy billionaire?” she asked.

“Half a billionaire,” Stone said. “There’s a difference.”

“What can a billionaire buy that a half billionaire can’t?”

“An office building, his own country, like that.”

“Ah.”

“By the way, the annual Strategic Services event is going to be held at Laurence’s apartment, instead of here. When the invite comes, accept.”

“Will do. Helene will be enormously relieved.”

“Why? She wouldn’t have had to do anything. The caterers would have handled it.”

“Yes, but she’d feel the responsibility to supervise them and count the silver when they’d gone.”

—

STONE WALKED DOWN to Patroon, while Fred went to pick up Jinx; he got there first and found Dino and Viv waiting for him. A waiter brought him a Knob Creek.

“You promised us a new girl,” Viv said. “Where is she?”

“She lives downtown—in an artist’s loft, I think. Fred will deliver her.”

“How convenient,” Viv replied.

“Dino,” Stone said, “if Laurence Hayward calls you to get your help with a gun permit, please turn him down.”

“I nearly always turn down people who make that request,” Dino said.

“Good.” He looked up to see Jinx enter the restaurant and stood up to make the introductions. Once Jinx had settled into their booth, Viv pounced, grilling her for a good ten minutes about her work, her apartment, and anything else she could think of.