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Back Strategic Moves Save as PDF
Chapters (66)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. Acknowledgements
  66. AUTHOR’S NOTE

The man went away, and Stone closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. The phone rang, and Joan came on the intercom. “A Willa Crane for you.”

Stone picked up the phone. “Good afternoon, Willa.”

“You sound tired,” she said.

“I’ve just finished a four-day, ah, deposition,” Stone replied.

“Oh, the one with the CIA?”

“I will not confirm or deny that.”

“I will consider it confirmed, then.”

“I’m afraid your boss is not going to make any cases from what transpired—unless he has extended his jurisdiction to Europe and the Middle East.”

“He will be very disappointed to hear that,” she said.

“In that case, you shouldn’t tell him, but let Lance Cabot explain.”

“Good idea. You free for dinner?”

“Sure. I should have recovered my health by then.”

“Can we go to Elaine’s?”

“Oh, you liked it there, did you?”

“It wasn’t bad; I enjoyed the crowd.”

“Okay, eight-thirty at Elaine’s?”

“See you there,” she said, and hung up.

Stone closed his eyes and lay back. After what seemed only a moment later Joan spoke. “It’s six-thirty; I’m leaving.”

Stone opened his eyes. “Six-thirty? You’re kidding.”

“You’ve been out like a light.”

Stone struggled to a sitting position. “I certainly have.”

“A cold shower will bring you around.”

“Brrrr,” Stone said.

FORTY-SIX

FORTY-SIX

As Stone was leaving the house the phone rang. “Hello?”

“It’s Dino. I can’t make dinner; work.”

“I’m devastated,” Stone replied. “Have you gone off me?”

“Long, long ago,” Dino replied, then hung up.

Stone walked into Elaine’s to find his table uncharacteristically vacant. He sat down and accepted his usual Knob Creek, which the bartender had begun pouring as he was getting out of the cab.

Elaine came over and sat down. “So, where’s Dino?”

“He’s not going to make it tonight.”

“Is he in the hospital? We could send flowers.”

“He says he’s working.”

“That means he’s eating somewhere else. If it’s at Elio’s, I’ll kill him.” Elio’s, a rival restaurant down Second Avenue, had been started by an old headwaiter of hers many years before.

“How would you know?” Stone asked, forgetting for a moment that Elaine always knew everything.

“I have spies.”

“You are conducting a spying campaign against Elio’s?”

“I don’t have to; people tell me things. You tell Dino to watch himself.” She got up and moved to another table.

Willa had not yet arrived, so Stone got out his phone and called Dino.

“Bacchetti.”

“If you’re at Elio’s, you’re a dead man.”

“So that’s what she thinks?”

“She says she has spies.”

“I’m at work.”

“You’d better have witnesses.” Stone hung up, chuckling.

Willa breezed through the door wearing a long sheepskin coat. A waiter hung it up for her. “Whatever he’s having,” she said to him, then sat down.