“And you got all that from one phone call?”

“You can do that, if you call the right person,” Wheaton said, stroking her Rolodex like a puppy.

“Tell me, Prunie, did your contact address the issue of the father of the nine-month baby?”

Wheaton’s eyebrows went up. And she smiled broadly, revealing perfect dental implants. “No, my dear,” she said, “but I think you have a future in the gossip business.”

29

When Stone arrived at his desk Joan handed him a slip of paper. “Mike Freeman would like you to have lunch with him and a friend at the Four Seasons, at one o’clock,” she said.

Stone looked at the paper. “Who’s his friend?”

“He didn’t say, even when I asked him, but there’s nothing else on your calendar, so I accepted for you.”

“All right,” Stone said.

“Also, Herbie Fisher’s divorce petition has been granted.”

She handed him a document. “Here’s his copy of the decree.”

“That was unusually fast,” Stone said.

“My information is that a lot of petitions have been withdrawn, pending the new no-fault law coming into effect.”

“Get Herbie for me, please.”

A moment later the phone buzzed, and Stone picked up. “Good morning, Herbie.”

“Good morning, Stone. You got me on the way out to class.”

“I won’t keep you. Your divorce petition has been granted; you’re a free man again.”

“That’s great news, Stone.”

“Try and hang on to your freedom for a while, will you?”

“I’ll see what I can do. Bye.” Herbie hung up.

Stone shook his head. He fully expected to hear soon from Herbie that he had found The One.

Stone walked up the stairs at the Four Seasons and immediately spotted Mike Freeman at his regular table in the Grill, along with another man. As he approached the table, Stone saw a thickly built gentleman in a good suit with short, salt-and-pepper hair, whom he did not recognize.

Mike stood when he saw Stone coming and offered his hand. “Stone, I’d like you to meet Hank Hightower. Hank, this is Stone Barrington.”

Stone shook the man’s hand and sat down.

“Drink?”

“I’ll stick with San Pellegrino,” Stone said.

Mike ordered the water for them all, and menus arrived. He waited until lunch was on the way before continuing. “Stone, Hank is CEO of Steele Security, the insurance company.”

“Ah, of course,” Stone said.

“Steele, as you probably know, is a broad-based insurance company, offering just about every sort of coverage.”

“Yes, I’ve seen the ads,” Stone said. “You’re an old-line company, aren’t you, Hank?”

“Since 1850,” Hightower replied.

Mike continued. “Hank and I have worked out a way for Steele to offer its best customers additional coverage from Strategic Services: personal security, various travel coverages, et cetera. For instance, many of Steele’s clients when traveling domestically or abroad take along expensive items, like jewelry.”

“Yes,” Hightower said, “and these days, with all the terrorism in the world, many of our customers are feeling a bit nervous about the personal safety of themselves and their families—kidnapping, robbery, that sort of thing.”