“Too much of a good thing?”

“Way too much.”

“I hope you don’t feel the same way about scrambled eggs, bacon, and English muffin,” he said.

“I love all of them.”

Stone called Helene, and she sent breakfast up on the dumbwaiter.

Then the TV screen went dark, and the words BREAKING NEWS appeared.

“This just in to NBC News,” a young woman was saying. “American air forces are engaged in heavy bombing in the Tora Bora region, southeast of Kabul, in Afghanistan. Sources tell NBC that thousand-pound penetrating bombs are being dropped on what may be a network of caves in the mountains there, and there is speculation that the target may be Osama bin Laden.” She began to relate the history of U.S. action in that region of the country.

“You think they got him?” Willa asked, taking a bite of her muffin.

“I hope so,” Stone said.

Joan buzzed him. “Pablo for you.”

Stone picked up the phone. “Pablo?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Have you seen the news?”

“I’m looking at it right now.”

“So am I,” Pablo replied.

“Do I want to know where you are?”

“Just as well not, I think.”

“If this works, you could be a hero.”

“Nonsense. If it works, my name will never be mentioned. At least, I hope not.”

Suddenly an old photograph of Pablo appeared on the TV.

“Sources at the CIA are telling us that this man, Pablo Estancia, was the source of the intelligence placing Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora. Born Erwin Gelbhardt, in Darmstadt, Germany, he acquired the nickname ‘Pablo’ as an international arms dealer. We are also told that agents of the CIA interviewed him for four days earlier this week and that he provided a map of the cave network where bin Laden is supposedly hiding.”

“Oh, shit,” Pablo said. “Did you hear that?”

“Apparently, we’re both watching NBC,” Stone said.

“Yes, I suppose we are. Why on earth would Lance Cabot air this information?”

“I suppose they must be very confident that bin Laden is there,” Stone suggested.

“But why bring me into it?” Pablo asked plaintively. “Now they’ve pinned a big target on my back.”

“I have no idea,” Stone said.

“It’s some sort of revenge,” Pablo said.

“Revenge for what?”

“I’ve no idea,” Pablo said. “I have to go, Stone. My family is arriving this afternoon, and I have to get them to somewhere safe.”

“Is there anything I can do to help, Pablo?”

“No, I don’t think so. Don’t blame yourself for this, Stone.” He hung up.

“Well,” Willa said, “that was a very interesting conversation—at least, your side of it.”

“Try and forget you heard it,” Stone said.

“That was your man, huh? Your client?”

Stone nodded. “He’s been royally screwed, and I don’t know what I can do about it.”

The phone rang again. “Hello?”

“It’s Holly. Have you seen the reports?”