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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

“I suspect that Moishe Aarons—or one of his people—frustrated with their lack of success in laying hands on Pablo, may have leaked the connection to someone who knows someone in that part of the world. News travels fast, even over there.”

“I suppose it does,” Stone said, trying to figure out how to deal with this.

“Mind you,” Lance said, “that is very Machiavellian, even for Moishe.”

Stone was beginning to regret that he had spoken so harshly to Aarons. “Lance,” he said, “do you think that this translates into an immediate threat against Pablo?”

“Oh, yes,” Lance said, as if he had been misunderstood. “If what happened at my brother’s Lake Waramaug house is any indication.”

Stone waved for another bourbon. “All right, what happened at Lake Waramaug?”

“The house was set afire by unknown arsonists about an hour ago. It’s still burning.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

“No, but the house is going to be a total loss, and I’m going to have to find the money to pay for its rebuilding and the replacement of certain valuable antiques. God, it may take an act of Congress.”

Stone was appalled. “No insurance?”

“Well, yes, but filing a claim would just provoke a lot of unwanted questions from a claim adjuster, and those might find their way to a congressional committee.”

“I see,” Stone said.

“Stone,” Lance said, “if you know where Pablo is, you’d better get him out of the country, and pronto.”

“Pronto,” Stone repeated tonelessly.

“Yes,” Lance said.

“Excuse me for a minute,” Stone said. He went into the empty dining room next door, the one Elaine used for big parties, and called Pablo.

“Yes?”

“It’s Stone.”

“Good evening.”

“What time can your airplane be at the place we discussed?”

“I’m told by the pilot ten a.m. tomorrow morning.”

“Then I need to pick you up at eight a.m. sharp. Where can we meet?”

Pablo gave him an Upper East Side address. “We will be standing just inside the door of the building promptly at eight. What will you be driving?”

“A black Mercedes E55 sedan,” Stone said.

“You sound very concerned,” Pablo said.

“I am, but I can’t tell you any more now. I’ll explain everything on the way to the place.”

“All right,” Pablo said. “Should I be armed?”

“It couldn’t hurt,” Stone said. They said goodbye and hung up.

Stone returned to the table, where Lance and Dino were ordering dinner. “Spinach salad, chopped; rib eye, medium rare,” Stone said to the waiter.

“Did you manage to make contact?”

“Yes,” Stone replied.

“Did you impress upon him the danger he’s in?”

“No,” Stone said, “it would have just made him nervous, and I don’t want him nervous.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Lance asked.

“Please, Lance,” Stone said, “don’t help any more.”

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