“In a manner of speaking,” Eggers said. “I’ve been at a couple of dinner parties where she happened to be, but I’ve always tried to bore her rigid when she tried to talk to me. Sometimes being boring is the best defense with somebody like that.”

“Wheaton has caught wind of our wedding and its circumstances. Apparently, she’s afraid to mention Eduardo, but we might see the mayor’s presiding in print.”

“He won’t like that,” Eggers said. “Rupert Murdoch will get an earful.”

“Wheaton knew Vance Calder, and she met Arrington once. She was digging for information about us and Peter. I figure we’re covered on the birth certificate, but I’d like for you or someone to call Peter’s old school and warn them about giving out any information about him, especially his age.”

“I see where you’re going,” Eggers said. “I’ll take care of it, and I’ll talk to the attorney in Virginia who’s handling the name change.”

“Good, Bill, I appreciate that.”

“Do you want me to have someone call Wheaton?”

“No, don’t do that; it will just pique her interest.”

“Right.”

Stone hung up and called Joan in. “Arrington got a call from Prunella Wheaton today,” he said.

“That old bat? What did she want?”

“She said she’d heard a rumor that someone is prying into our lives, but I think that she’s the one doing the prying.”

“If she calls back, I’ll squash her like a bug,” Joan said.

“No, don’t do that. Put on your sweet act.”

“What sweet act?”

“The one you use when you want something from somebody you hate.”

“But I don’t want anything from her; it’s the other way around.”

“Exactly.”

“Oh.”

“Arrington is always out shopping or at a meeting or taking a nap, or something. Always take her number, but we won’t call back. Be careful about giving her any information at all.”

“I won’t give her the time of day.”

“But be sweet about it.”

“Butter won’t melt in my mouth.” Joan went back to her office.

Stone went upstairs to check on Arrington, who was stretched out on the bed but awake. “When Peter was born was there a birth announcement?”

She shook her head. “No, Vance told the publicity department at Centurion that he wanted no mention of it in the press.”

“How about the columns? Did any of them print anything?”

“No, nothing at all. I spent much of my pregnancy in bed—doctors’ orders—so I wasn’t seen around town with a belly.”

“Good,” Stone said. He had a feeling that they were now going to learn how good a job they had done with Peter’s name and age change.

Chapter 31

31