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Back The Old Success
Chapters (53)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Martha Grimes
  3. MARTHA GRIMES
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. PART I
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. PART II
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. PART III
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. PART IV
  39. 30
  40. 31
  41. PART V
  42. 32
  43. 33
  44. 34
  45. 35
  46. PART VI
  47. 36
  48. 37
  49. 38
  50. 39
  51. PART VII
  52. 40
  53. Back Cover

“Or arguing. If you don’t get someone, I will, it’ll just take a lot longer. So please.”

Half an hour later the little seaplane came down on a stretch of moonlit water not far from the sand. She paid a fisherman a huge sum to take her out in his boat to the plane, he saying what she was paying was much too much, and she saying nothing is too much.

She felt she was being blown into the plane more than just heaving herself up and in with the help of the pilot’s outstretched arm. The plane took her to the mainland and a small airport and a jet. Thence to London City Airport and a helicopter to London’s center and the hotel, where the helicopter hovered above the roof. The pilot yelling over the noise about the rope ladder, not substantial but not too long and that would get her to within a couple of feet of the roof, and for God’s sakes to be careful.

She reached over, planted a kiss on his cheek, gave him a smile and a thumbs-up. She twirled more than climbed down the ladder and dropped to where two hotel valets stood, arms up to grab at her. Then running to the roof door, hauling it open, down one flight, then two, three, to the corridor and the door of the room, where she stopped to draw in breath and thank them.

Forgetting to turn on the light, forgetting to lock the door, Tony sat in his room, still thinking about that phone call, knowing that she couldn’t come, yet comforted by her promise to come. An impossible promise, but she held it out nonetheless. This kept him from thinking about Sammy for tiny stretches of time—just knowing that someone could feel the loss as he himself felt it. But all the same, he really needed her now, and there was no way she could come. There were footsteps, a little talking outside his door, and he’d started to get up when the door opened. Because his room was in darkness, the light flooded in from the hall, outlining the dark figure standing in his doorway.

“Tony.”

“My God. You’ve come—” His head dropped in tears. “Sammy.” He choked.

She fairly flew across the room and flung her arms around his neck.

And so she came.

PART III

Soul of Kindness

27

He went home one night …