Stone’s phone buzzed, and he picked it up. “Yes?”
“A woman who says her name is Carla is on line one for you.”
“Tell her I’m with a client, and I’ll call her back in a few minutes.” He hung up.
“Hello, Mildred?” Barton was saying. “How are you? Yes, it’s been a few years. I hope you’re well. I’m very well, thank you. I’m in New York, at the moment, but I’ll be driving to Newport in a few minutes, and I thought that, if you’re amenable, I might drop by Bristol and call on you.” Barton consulted his watch. “Lunch would be delightful. Would it be all right if I brought a friend?” He pointed at Stone and mouthed YOU.
Stone shrugged and nodded.
“You’re sure we won’t be putting you out? Fine, I’ll see you at one o’clock. Good-bye.” He hung up the phone, smiling. “That was easier than I expected,” he said. “She sounded very happy to hear from me.”
“You’re off to a good start, then.”
“I suppose I am. We better get moving, I guess.”
“I’ll open the garage door for you,” Stone said. He got up and pressed the button, then opened the inside door to the garage. “Just let me speak to Joan for a moment, then I’ll be right with you.” He walked into Joan’s office. “Please give me Carla’s number.” She did. “I’m going to drive up to Rhode Island with Barton. I should be back tonight.”
“Have a nice trip,” Joan said.
Stone went back to the garage. “I’d better follow you in my car,” he said to Barton. “You don’t want to have to drive me back to New York.”
“Good idea,” Barton said.
Stone hung his jacket in the backseat and got his car started. A moment later, they were headed to the East River Drive and thence to I-95.
When they were well under way, Stone called Carla.
“Hello?” Her voice was low and sexy. Stone repressed his thoughts.
“Hi, it’s Stone. I’m sorry; I was in a meeting when you called.”
“Are you out of your meeting, now? Would you like to come at… to lunch?”
Stone chuckled. “Love to, but I’m on the road. I have to drive up to Rhode Island for a meeting with a client.”
“Oh, shit,” she said.
“It’s just as well; Harlan Deal could still be having you watched. We had a meeting yesterday, and I think I threw him off the track, but you never know.”
“You mean we can’t get together at all?”
“Let’s give him time to lose interest,” Stone replied. “How did you and Barton get on?”
“Exactly how you thought we would,” she said with a little petulance.
“My congratulations to you both,” Stone said.
“Oh, go fuck yourself,” she said.
“That seems to be my only alternative.”
“Call me next week.” She hung up.
Stone tried redirecting his thoughts to eighteenth-century American furniture but did not entirely succeed.
43
Stone followed Barton up I-95, all the way through Providence, then they left the interstate and drove down the Bristol Peninsula to the town of Bristol.