“I forgot the question.”
“If all you guess is true, what has Charlie done with my secretary?”
“That remains to be seen. Maybe he has another buyer, one who’s less gullible than Ab Kramer.”
“I would not describe Ab as gullible.”
“Then maybe the secretary that Charlie had delivered to Ab yesterday is your piece, not the one I delivered to you.”
“Then that would still mean that Charlie paid Mildred four hundred thousand dollars too much for the Charleston copy. It’s possible but certainly not plausible. What would he want with a copy anyway, if not to fool Ab? If I’m to put any credence in your theory, I’d have to accept that either Charlie or Ab is a fool, and I can tell you that, from my knowledge of both of them, neither is a fool.”
“Let me think about this some more,” Stone said. He hung up and continued driving home, baffled.
46
Late Sunday morning Stone woke up with a feeling of unease. He was in the shower before he figured out why: The wedding was at two o’clock. Unease turned to dread. Why, he asked himself, had he promised to go to the wretched event? Because, he replied to himself, he didn’t think it would actually happen.
He grabbed a towel and stepped out of the shower. She might not show, he pointed out to himself; there was still time. He felt better.
He made himself a large brunch: a bagel, cream cheese and Irish smoked salmon, orange juice and coffee, enough to last him until dinner. The phone rang, and he picked it up.
“Hello?”
“It’s Dino.”
“Hey.”
“You want a ride to the church?” Dino sounded as if he were suppressing laughter.
“Oh, shut up. I’ll take a cab.”
“I just want to be sure you show up; you promised Genevieve, remember?”
“I remember.”
“If you don’t show up, she’ll blame me.”
“Why would she blame you?”
“
For not seeing that you got to the church on time.”
“I’ll manage.”
“I’ll pick you up at one-thirty.”
“Okay.” Stone hung up and looked at the kitchen clock. He had only forty-five minutes. He finished eating, went upstairs and got into a suit and tie and some well-polished black shoes. He was standing outside the house when Dino’s car, driven by his rookie detective, pulled up. Stone got into the backseat with Dino and Genevieve.
“I’m so glad you’re going to the wedding,” Genevieve said.
“I told you I would, didn’t I?”
“Dino said he didn’t think you would.”
Stone leaned forward and glared at Dino, who was sitting on the other side of Genevieve. “Dino was just covering his ass in case I didn’t show,” he said, then leaned back again.
“Did you send a gift?” Dino asked.