“One moment, please.”
Stone stood waiting, tapping his foot.
“Mr. Barrington, your code has been reinstated. I’m sorry for the difficulty.”
“But you have no idea how it got changed?”
“No, sir. It can be changed from your keypad, but that requires the original code.”
“Thank you,” Stone said, then hung up. He stepped outside the door. “Okay, Carla, we’re all right now,” he called. He opened the trunk with his key and brought their bags inside. “Here we are.”
“It’s lovely,” she said. “Now can I have a drink? That bourbon you like, perhaps?”
Stone poured her a drink, then took their bags upstairs and returned to pour himself one.
Carla was sitting on the living room sofa. “It’s very pretty, fresh flowers and all.”
“The housekeeper,” Stone said. “Do you mind if I make a quick phone call?”
“Of course not, as long as it’s not for phone sex.”
Stone laughed, sat down beside her, picked up the phone and called Bob Cantor.
“Cantor.”
“Bob, I’ve just arrived at the Connecticut house, and my alarm code didn’t work. Somehow, it had been changed. Do you have any idea how that could have happened? I mean, you installed the system, after all.”
“A very sophisticated electronics nut could use a small instrument to read your code and change it,” he said. “He would have to change the code to get past your system, then change it back before he left.”
“He didn’t change it back.”
“Then one of two things happened: Either he forgot to change it back, or he wanted you to know he had been there.”
“Why would he want that?”
“Just to annoy you, probably, and to make you feel unsafe in your own house.”
“How can I prevent this happening again?”
“I have a modified circuit card that can be installed in your keypad that will make the alarm go off immediately if he should try it again. It won’t even wait the usual thirty seconds.”
“When can you install it?”
“How soon do you want it done?”
“As soon as possible.”
“I can drive up there now, if you like, but you’re going to have to buy me dinner and put me up for the night.”
“There’s a problem with that.”
“I take it you are not traveling alone.”
“Correct, but I’ll put you up at the local inn and buy you dinner there.”
“Oh, good, then I can bring company.”
“Sure, you can.” Stone looked at his watch. “We’re going to dinner at seven-thirty; I suggest you arrive at the house shortly after that, do your work, then go check in at the Mayflower. I’ll make your reservation.”