“And how is it that you know her exact address?” Tatiana asked, with mock suspicion.
“I looked it up before I called you,” he lied. “Serving her will even the score until you get his financial records, then it will be game, set and match. And, by the way, you shouldn’t be surprised if this turns up in some gossip column or other. They have people at the courts who tip them off about these things.”
“Oh, no,” she said.
“The price of freedom, my dear.”
“Well, then, I’ll shut up and pay it. What kind of clothes will I need in Connecticut this weekend?”
“Country stuff like tweeds for the daytime and, I don’t know, maybe an LBD for the dinner party. It’s black tie.”
“Is black tie the norm up there?”
“No. It’s very odd. I sense some sort of special occasion, but I don’t know what it is. You’ll enjoy seeing the house, though; it’s very beautiful.”
“That’s not all I’m going to enjoy,” she said, then hung up.
57
Late that night, as Stone was returning home from dinner, the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Stone, it’s Barton Cabot.”
“Good evening, Barton.”
“I’m sorry to call you so late, but something has come up.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Quite the contrary.”
“Okay, what’s right?”
“I’ve just had a call from Peter Cavanaugh, the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. He wants to see Mildred’s collection tomorrow morning at eleven, and he’s bringing along his chief curator of American furniture.”
“That’s great.”
“Greater than you know. This means two things: One, he’s moving fast in order to get in ahead of the other museums, and two, he’s already got the money, or most of it, promised by some benefactor or benefactors.”
“That’s great.”
“Yes, it is. Now, here’s what I want you to do: First of all, I want you to be at Mildred’s house tomorrow morning at ten-thirty.”
“All right, I can do that if I leave early enough.”
“And on the way, I want you to call… What’s Mildred’s lawyer’s name?”
“Creighton Adams.”
“I want you to call him and have him tell the guards on the property to let us in the house at ten-thirty.”
“I can do that, and I’m sure he won’t have any objections. Why do you want me there?”