Chapter 34
Stone was about to go upstairs to get ready for his dinner with Josie when Joan buzzed him.
He tapped the Speaker button. “Whoever it is, tell them I’ll call them back tomorrow.”
“Even if it’s Dino?”
“Is it Dino?”
“Why would I ask that if it wasn’t?”
“Because that sounds like something you’d do.”
“True, but it is Dino.”
“Fine. I’ll take it.”
“On one.”
Stone switched lines. “Hi, Dino. I only have a few minutes.”
“Hot date? Oh, wait, you don’t do that anymore.”
“I never said I’m not dating anymore.”
“Maybe not in so many words.”
“Is there something you want? Or are you taking a page from Joan’s book and trying to antagonize me?”
“Joan’s antagonizing you?” Dino asked.
“You say that like it’s a new thing.”
“If it helps, I’m not purposely trying to antagonize you this time.”
“Marginally.”
“Guess what my people found.”
“If by people you mean everyone in the NYPD, I wouldn’t even hazard a guess.”
“Not the whole force, just the subset I tasked with checking CCTV cameras for a particular part of the city, on a particular afternoon.”
“Did you miss the part where I said I don’t have a lot of time?”
“The non-date thing?”
“Dino!”
“I’m talking about CCTV footage taken on your street, a block away from your place, soon after your meeting about Trenton Sidney’s will.”
Stone stilled. “Andre Parker?”
Stone’s cell phone vibrated on his desk, with the arrival of a text, just as Dino said, “I sent you a picture.”
Stone picked up his mobile and opened the message.
The picture was of a sedan stopped in the right lane of Stone’s street. Andre Parker was clearly visible in the driver’s seat. Standing on the road next to the car’s passenger door was another man. Even though he was in profile and the image quality was less than stellar, Stone recognized him.
“That’s Oliver Humphrey,” he said, stunned.
“You’re positive?”
“Absolutely.”
“I was hoping you’d know who he was,” Dino said. “We hadn’t ID’d him yet.”
“This doesn’t necessarily mean they were in cahoots. Maybe Parker was asking for directions.”
A second text arrived. This one was a link.
Stone clicked on it and was taken to a video of Humphrey’s and Parker’s interaction. At first, Humphrey looked surprised, then worried as if someone might see them together. Though there was no audio, it was clear they knew each other.
“Well, shit,” Stone said when the video finished.
“I take it you don’t think Parker was asking for directions now.”
“I do not.”
“Good, because I think we found the man who hired Parker.”
Stone blew out a breath. “It didn’t even cross my mind that it would be Humphrey.”
“You thought it would be one of the sons, didn’t you?”
“One son specifically,” Stone said.
“Do you want me to tell Commander Choi? Or shall I?”
“You should keep it official and do it.”
“Will do.”
“Do you have any other earth-shattering news? Or can I go now?”
“Enjoy whatever it is you’re not doing tonight.”
“Goodbye, Dino.”
Stone took Josie to the Modern, where she opted for the lamb and he the smoked sturgeon.
“I wish I could stay longer,” she said.
“Then stay.”
She smiled. “If only it were that easy. I’m directing a TV show next week and have a script read-through at three p.m. tomorrow at Universal. So, I’ll be in the air before you even wake up in the morning.”
“The curse of being in demand.”
She raised her drink, and they clinked glasses.
“When can you come back?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow. “Just like a man, making the woman do all the work. If I’m not mistaken, your son mentioned you have a house in L.A.”
“At the Arrington Hotel. And I haven’t been there for a few months.”
“Then perhaps it’s time for a visit.”
“I think you might be onto something.”
Stone’s phone vibrated, and he let the call go to voicemail. A few moments later, it began vibrating again.
“Someone really wants to talk to you,” Josie said. “You should answer it.”
“Sorry,” he said. Then he checked the screen and saw it was Dino. He pressed Accept. “Is this important?”
“Only if you’re interested in tagging along while we nab Oliver Humphrey.”
“Wouldn’t that be the Coast Guard’s responsibility?”
“We’re lending an assist. Commander Choi will be with us. And Humphrey is in town, having dinner with three members of his college’s board of trustees.”
“Where?”
“At Le Bernardin.”
“That’s only a few blocks from me.”
“Where are you?”
“The Modern.”
“How nice for you.”
“When is this happening?”
“We’re on our way now. Can you be at Le Bernardin in fifteen minutes?”
Stone’s eyes flicked to Josie. “Maybe.”
“Then maybe I’ll see you there.”
When Stone hung up, Josie said, “What was that all about?”
“How would you like to witness the arrest of the person behind the Amanda Jae’s sinking?”
Her eyes lit up. “Very much!”
“It would mean skipping out on dinner.”
“We can eat later.”
Stone signaled to the waiter.