Chapter 9
Stone had just finished getting dressed on Saturday morning when his phone rang. Tamlyn’s name showed up on the screen.
“Good morning,” he said. “If you let me know what time you’ll be landing, I’ll meet you at the airstrip.”
“I’m so sorry, Stone. I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it. I’m in D.C. and will be heading to Mexico City this afternoon.”
Stone sighed silently. “That’s disappointing, but I understand.”
The line went silent for several seconds.
“Look, Stone…”
“No good sentence starts like that.”
“No, I guess it doesn’t. You are a wonderful man whose company I love…”
“I hear a but.”
“You do. But with the responsibilities of my new job, which is in a new city for me, not to mention a new country, I’ve started to realize I don’t have the bandwidth to give us the time we deserve.”
“I can take up as much or as little of your time as you want me to.”
“I know you can, and I appreciate you saying that, but I know myself. I’ll feel horrible for putting you in that position.”
“It won’t bother me.”
“But it will bother me.” She paused. “Maybe after things settle down in a few months, we can try again. If you are not otherwise occupied.”
Stone sat at the end of the bed. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“It’s absolutely not what I want. But it’s what I need right now.”
Though she couldn’t see him, he tried to smile but failed. “I understand. And I look forward to when you’re free again.”
“Me, too. For now, go enjoy life, just not too much.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
A sense of melancholy washed over him as they said their goodbyes.
After the call ended, he stayed on the bed for several minutes, processing what had just happened. He finally made his way downstairs, hoping a cup of coffee would perk him up.
“Good morning, Mr. Barrington,” Mary said as he stepped into the kitchen.
“Good morning, Mary.”
She poured him a cup of coffee. “You look like you could use this.”
“Thank you.”
As he took a sip, he looked out the window and saw an unfamiliar boat pulling up to his private dock.
“Oh, good,” Lance said from behind him. “They’re here.”
“Who’s here?” Stone asked.
“My team. I told you they were coming. I thought it best that they arrive without drawing the attention of the locals. Word has a way of spreading quickly on this island.”
He was not wrong about that.
“Glad my dock could be of assistance,” Stone said.
Behind them, Dino entered the kitchen and joined them at the window. “What’s all the fuss?”
“Lance’s minions have arrived,” Stone said.
Outside the window, a man jumped off the boat and tied it to the dock. Five people then climbed off, each carrying a black duffel bag. Once they were all on the dock, the first man released the rope from the cleat and tossed it back on board. The boat pulled away.
“Very efficient,” Dino said. “Do they practice that at the Farm?” The Farm was the CIA’s training center.
“I’m afraid Agency training procedures are classified,” Lance said.
“So, yes, then.”
Stone’s eyes narrowed as the agents began walking toward the house. “Is that Carly?”
“As a matter of fact, it is,” Lance said. “I thought Agent Riggs would be perfect for this assignment.”
“Agent Riggs? I was under the impression she had not taken a position with the Agency.”
Lance waved Stone’s comment off. “It’s just a matter of time.”
Carly Riggs was a lawyer at Woodman & Weld, and a brilliant one at that. She had aced the New York Bar Examination and immediately proved her worth after joining the firm by bringing in several high-revenue clients.
Lance had gotten wind of her talents and, despite Stone’s warning, offered to put Carly through CIA’s new agent training program without officially hiring her.
She had readily agreed and taken a leave of absence, which had been extended when the two-month training had ended, to go to the government’s language school on the West Coast.
Stone had made her promise not to accept a job offer from Lance without speaking to him first. Though it had been months since they last spoke, he knew Carly was the type of person who would keep her word.
Stone headed out the rear door, Lance and Dino following behind him.
“Stone!” Carly said, seeing him. “I know it’s your place, but I didn’t realize you’d be here, too.”
“I didn’t realize you’d be here at all. What happened to language school?”
“Oh, I finished that weeks ago. I’m now proficient in both Spanish and Mandarin and have a working knowledge of Japanese and Russian.”
“Then why are you still at the Agency?”
“I’m doing an internship.”
“The Agency has internships?”
“We do for Carly,” Lance said.
“I’m not talking to you,” Stone said. On the subject of Carly, he and Lance did not see eye to eye.
“Don’t worry, Stone,” Carly said. “Bill Eggers knows.” Bill was Woodman & Weld’s managing partner.
“Does he know when you plan on returning to the firm?”
“Um, about that. We need to have that talk I promised you.”
“Don’t tell me—”
“I haven’t said yes to anything yet.”
“But you have been offered something, haven’t you?”
“Not true,” Lance said. “No offer has been made, only possibilities discussed.”
Stone glared at him. “I clearly remember telling you she was off-limits.”
“Excuse me,” Carly said. “You don’t decide my life. I do.”
“What Carly said,” Lance said.
“Same goes for you, Director.”
Stone looked at Lance. “What Carly said.” He turned back to Carly. “Yes. Let’s have that conversation.”
“Not now,” she said, as if he was being silly. “I have work to do.”
“Where would you like us to put our things?” asked one of the men who’d arrived with Carly.
“There’s a two-bedroom apartment above the garage,” Lance said. “You’ll all be staying there. We’ll set up shop in the main house dining room.” He glanced at Stone. “If that’s okay.”
“Why not? Since you’ve commandeered most of the place anyway,” Stone said.
“Hello, Mr. Barrington,” said the other female member of the group. She had a distinct French accent. “Good to see you again.”
He looked at her, confused at first, then his eyes widened. “Berlin.”
She nodded and smiled guiltily.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I forgot your name.”
“Jillian Courtois.”
“That’s right. Good to see you again, Jillian. Has Lance been treating you well since taking you on board?”
“He has, thank you.” She gave him a quick smile, then followed the others to the garage.
Once she was out of hearing range, Dino asked, “And you know her how?”
“Remember the film festival I went to in Berlin?”
“Where Peter and Ben debuted Storm’s Eye?”
“That’s the one.”
“You met her there?”
“Correct.”
It took Dino a second to connect the dots. “The thing with Teddy?”
He was referring to Teddy Fay, a former CIA operative now living life as film producer Billy Barnett. Teddy had come up against someone who’d wanted him dead while on a press tour in Europe, and Stone had helped him out.
Stone nodded. “She was working for the wrong side but realized it in time, and provided assistance that helped Teddy deal with her employer.”
“And I suppose you flew in and snatched her up,” Dino said to Lance.
“I didn’t fly in and—” Lance stopped himself and thought for a moment. “Well, I guess I did fly in. Hmm. Your statement is correct. And she’s turned out to be quite an asset.”
“In other words, all’s well that ends well,” Stone said.
“I’ve always thought so. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to use your cousin Dick’s office and make a few calls.”
Lance headed back to the house.
“This weekend is not turning out the way I planned,” Stone said.
“At least Tamlyn will be here soon,” Dino said.
“She’s not coming.”
“What? Why?”
“She broke things off with me.”
Dino looked at him, shocked. “When did this happen?”
“About fifteen minutes ago.”
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. It’s Mike Freeman’s fault.”
“She wants to date Mike?”
“She doesn’t want to date Mike. She doesn’t want to date anyone.”
“How is that Mike’s fault?”
“Because he’s her boss, and her job is taking up all her time.”
“He’s Viv’s boss, too, and her job takes up most of her time, but she hasn’t left me.”
“You were already married when she joined Strategic Services, and she probably didn’t want to go through the hassle of a divorce.”
“I can’t argue with that.” Dino put a hand on Stone’s back. “Tough break, but it’s not like it’s the first time this has happened.”
“I appreciate your support.”
“What are friends for?”
“I’m beginning to wonder.”
Soon, Carly and Jillian had taken over the dining room table where they were joined by Felicity. Lance made periodic appearances but mostly kept himself ensconced in Dick’s office. The remaining agents acted as security for the property.
It wasn’t long before Stone began to feel like an unwanted guest in his own house.
“Interested in doing a little fishing?” he asked Dino.
“One of my least favorite things to do. Let’s go.”
They took Stone’s Hinckley boat out into the bay and dropped their lines in the water.
“I just realized this is my first time on the sea since the Amanda Jae,” Stone said.
“Do you want to go back to shore?” Dino asked.
Stone thought for a moment, then shook his head. “As long as you don’t throw me overboard, I should be fine.”
“I’ll try to keep the urge in check.”
They fished for more than an hour without a nibble. Stone was about to suggest they try a different spot when both of their phones rang.
Stone checked his screen and saw that it was his son. He accepted the call. “Peter?”
“Hi, Dad. Ben and I have a meeting in the city on Monday and were wondering if you’d like to join us for dinner tomorrow.”
“I would love to. What time?”
“We should arrive late afternoon, so how about seven?”
“Great. P. J. Clarke’s?”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll see you then.”
“I look forward to it.”
Stone hung up a moment before Dino did.
“That was Peter,” Stone said.
“That was Ben,” Dino said.
“Dinner tomorrow night?”
“Seven at Clarke’s.”
“Great minds think alike.”
“Are great minds also thinking we should fly home today?” Dino asked.
“They are.”
They reeled in their lines and returned to Stone’s pier.
Thirty minutes later, Stone and Dino entered the dining room.
“Pardon the interruption,” Stone said. “Dino and I are going to head back to New York.”
“When?” Carly asked.
“Now. Seth’s waiting to take us to the airfield.”
“And miss out on all the fun here?” Felicity asked.
“The fun you’re not letting us in on?” Dino asked.
“I can see how that might not be an attractive option,” Carly said.
“Please try not to burn my house down while I’m away,” Stone said.
Carly’s brow creased. “Why would we do that? Or was that a joke?”
“Not a good one, apparently.”
“What about Tamlyn?” Felicity asked. “Isn’t she supposed to be here soon?”
“Change of plans,” Stone said. “Work.”
Felicity stood. “I’ll walk you out.”
She slipped her arm into Stone’s, and the three of them headed outside.
“Everything all right between the two of you?” Felicity asked.
“Everything’s fine,” he said.
She scrutinized him. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“Touché.”
“Can you at least tell us how the hunt for your killer is going?”
“We’ve come up with a plan.”
“Let me guess,” Stone said. “You can’t tell us.”
“Stop being so dramatic. You’re acting like you’ve been broken up with or something.”
“My relationship status has nothing to do with this conversation, and quit trying to change the subject.”
“I thought your relationship was the subject,” Felicity countered.
“Your plan?” he reminded her.
“Oh, right. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tell you. But it can’t go any further.”
Stone made an X over his chest with his finger. “Cross my heart.”
“Dino?”
Dino raised three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
“I didn’t know you were a Boy Scout,” Stone said.
“Who said I was?”
“Do you want to know or not?” Felicity asked.
“Please,” Stone said.
“We’re going to start a rumor that I’m still alive,” she told them. “That should force the opposition to show their hand.”
“Not to be pedantic,” Dino said, “but it’s not a rumor if it’s true.”
“Ah, but we’re the only ones who know that.”
They reached the station wagon, and Dino climbed in.
Felicity hugged Stone and whispered in his ear, “I’m here if you get lonely.”
“Try not to get killed for real while I’m away.”
He kissed her on the cheek, then climbed in beside Dino.