“I’m sorry, but we’ve accepted an invitation to dinner in Connecticut that night, so we’re going up for the weekend.”
Genevieve smiled sweetly. “What a pity. I was sure it would be something like that.”
Dino turned to his girlfriend. “Genevieve,” he said softly but with an edge, “put a sock in it.”
She swiveled toward Dino but was met with a steely gaze. “I’m sorry, Stone,” she said, a little sheepishly.
At that moment the heavens opened for Stone along with the door to the restaurant, and Tatiana walked in, looking fresh and ready for the evening. Stone, vastly relieved, stood up and kissed her on the lips. “Tatiana Orlovsy, this is Dino, Genevieve, Eliza, Edgar and Elaine.”
“I’m so pleased to meet all of you,” Tatiana said, taking an offered chair next to Stone. She turned to him. “The men finished half an hour ago, and you’d never know anything had happened in the kitchen.”
“I’m really glad you could make it,” Stone said. He turned to the others. “Tatiana had a small fire in her kitchen last night, but there was no serious damage.”
“No,” Tatiana said, “just smoke and water, and it cleaned up nicely.” A waiter brought her a menu, and she ordered.
Stone watched and listened as, for the rest of the evening, Tatiana charmed and amused everybody except, maybe, Genevieve.
In the cab home, Stone kissed Tatiana. “I can’t tell you how glad I was to see you this evening.”
“Just what every girl wants to hear,” she replied, kissing him back.
“I used to go out with Eliza before she and Edgar were married, and Genevieve has been giving me a hard time about it.”
“Well,” Tatiana said, “she won’t do that while I’m around. You’re now under my protection. Oh, I talked to my lawyer, and he’s applied for a subpoena for Henry’s financial records.”
“Good.”
“I still wonder how you know about those expenses.”
“Trade secret,” Stone said, then changed the subject.
56
When Stone got to his desk the following morning there was a message from Bill Eggers on his desk. It read: “Get your ass over here.”
Stone buzzed Joan. “Is this note on my desk your interpretation of what Eggers said?”
“No. That’s what he said verbatim.”
“Thanks.” Stone hung up and got into his jacket.
Stone reached Bill Eggers’s office seconds ahead of Harlan De
al.
“Sit down, gentlemen,” Eggers said.
They sat.
“Stone,” Eggers said, “it grieves me to hear that you are, once again, the principal suspect – in fact, the only suspect – in the tampering with yet another female friend of Harlan.”
“Frankly, Bill,” Stone said, “I’m getting a little tired of this.”
“So is Harlan,” Eggers replied, “which is my point. Do you deny this?”
“Let me lay this out for you both as clearly as I can,” Stone said. “I was invited to dinner at Harlan’s home last Sunday evening – at the last possible moment, I might add – and I believe I caught sight of you, Bill, across a crowded room. I also encountered the lovely Carla there, in the company of Barton Cabot, so I naturally assumed that Harlan’s purpose in asking me there was to observe me in her company, which I thought was a petty thing to do.”
Deal came to life. “Now wait a minute-”