“It’s a mystery,” Eggers said.

Stone got back on his phone and called Herbie Fisher.

“Hello?”

“Herbie, it’s Stone. How are you?”

“I’m okay,” Herbie replied. “Stephanie is pretty upset. She talked to her mother, and she’s pretty upset, too. Jack got home in time for dinner, and he’s also pretty upset.”

“Herbie, I just heard that you have a brother-in-law.”

“David? Yeah.”

“Where was he at the wedding?”

“He didn’t come to the wedding or the reception.”

“Was he invited?”

“Yeah, but just between you and me, I’m pretty sure his mother and Stephanie were glad he didn’t show up.”

“Does he work for Jack?”

“Yeah. He’s the number three guy there, after Jack and Peter Collins. Jack says Peter is the guy who did the stealing.”

“Herbie, will you do me a favor?”

“Sure, Stone. What do you need?”

“I need to know where David Gunn is, or when anybody in the family last saw him.”

“I’ll see if I can find out, Stone.”

“Be subtle, Herbie; don’t upset anybody. Ask Stephanie.”

“Hang on, I’ll ask her.”

“Herbie!” But Herbie had put the phone down. He came back a moment later.

“Stone, Stephanie says David is on vacation down in the islands somewhere.”

“She doesn’t know where?”

“No.”

“Thanks, Herbie.” Stone hung up. “David Gunn is on vacation somewhere in the islands.”

“Which island?” Eggers asked.

“The daughter doesn’t know which one.”

Dino spoke up. “Maybe one with an unregulated banking system, with numbered accounts?”

Eggers set his drink down. “I wonder why David’s name didn’t come up at our meeting,” he said.

“Maybe Jack Gunn is in denial about his son,” Stone suggested.

“Maybe Jack is in cahoots with his son,” Dino said.

“Bill,” Stone said, “do you think that’s a possibility?”

“I would not hazard a guess,” Eggers replied, “but I’m sure going to ask Jack about it in the morning.”

“How did you keep Gunn from getting arrested?” Stone asked.

“Before I even met him, Jack ordered a firm of forensic accountants—one approved by the U.S. Attorney—to do an audit of the firm’s books. They’ve already started, and they’ll be working twenty-four/seven until they’re done. I think that impressed Tiffany Baldwin.”

Tiffany Baldwin was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, with whom Stone had once had a brief fling that had been featured in the gossip columns.

“I’m very happy that I’m not representing anybody in this mess,” Stone said, “because then I would hate to have to deal with Tiffany.”

“Yeah,” Dino said, “I remember you dealing with her on Page Six of the Post.”

“Please don’t bring that up again, Dino,” Stone whimpered.

“Okay, but I’ll sure remember it,” Dino replied.

“Me too,” said Eggers.

EIGHT

Stone was at his desk the following morning when Joan came into his office. “Good morning,” he said.

“And to you,” she replied. “Before you got in this morning Mike Freeman called and said he’d like you to attend a meeting in his office this morning at eleven.”