Cold Paradise

ALL WE ASK IS THAT YOU TAKE SOME MONEY AND LEAVE ALLISON UNDISTURBED. TALK TO ME.

James’s answer:

SIR: I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MANIAC YOU ARE, BUT YOU ARE FLIRTING WITH THE BIGGEST LAWSUIT YOU EVER HEARD OF, PLUS MAYBE CRIMINAL CHARGES OF EXTORTION. THIS CORRESPONDENCE IS AT AN END, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN.

Dino, looking over Stone’s shoulder, read the e-mail. “Well, that was certainly indignant. You think he’s bluffing?”

“Yes,” Stone said. “What’s more, I think we may have smoked him out. I don’t think we’ve heard the last of Mr. James.”

40

Stone was reading the papers the following morning, when Thad appeared on deck, carrying two briefcases. He gave them to Juanito. “Put these in the car, will you, please?”

“You leaving?” Stone asked.

“Yes. I’ve got to go back to New York, then back to the Coast again.”

“Thad, it might be a good idea if you took Liz with you.”

“Why?”

“Well, I don’t know if or when Paul Ma

“What am I going to do with her in New York, lock her in a hotel suite? I’m going to be very busy for the next week or so, and I’d have little time to spend with her. And from what she tells me, I think she’d be afraid to go out shopping or anywhere else on her own.”

“You have a point,” Stone said.

“I’d feel much better if she were here with you and Callie and Dino.”

“For how long?” Stone asked.

“For as long as you’ll stay, or until you reach some sort of accommodation with Ma

“Thad, I can’t stay forever, but I’ll give it another week or two. Maybe we’ll hear from this Frederick James again. If he really is Ma

“Does James know where you are?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so.”

“You want me to hire some private security to back you up?”

“No, not at the moment. If it gets bad we can always do that.”

“If you want help, just tell Callie. She’ll know who to call.”

“All right.”

The two men shook hands, and Thad left the yacht.

Dino, who had been having breakfast during this conversation, now spoke up. “Listen, Stone, I’m begi

“Dino, you only met this guy when you arrested him. I got to know him a little in St. Marks, and he made this very angry scene in New York right before you picked him up. He wanted his money, and he wanted it bad. I’ve got a feeling he still does.”

“A feeling? What’s that? Your hunches were never all that good, you know.”

“Liz feels the same way, and she knows him better than anybody.”

“So now we’re operating on Liz’s hunches? Don’t get me wrong, I’m getting used to living on a big yacht and having my every wish catered to; I always knew I could. I’ll stay here until the chief of detectives sends somebody down here for me with an extradition warrant.”

“She’s not a stupid woman. She and Paul pulled off quite an insurance fraud, you know.”

“Pulled off? You think nearly getting herself hanged is pulling it off? The whole thing completely backfired on them. They’re stupid, both of them.“

“Okay, so it didn’t work out. She’s still pretty smart,” Stone said stubbornly.

“Anyway, she may not be your only problem.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I haven’t mentioned this, but yesterday we got followed around town by a car.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Somebody is tailing us.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It didn’t seem related to Liz and her problems.”

“And what do you think it’s related to?”

“I think it could be the former Mrs. Barrington.”

“Oh, shit,” Stone said. He had nearly forgotten about Dolce. “What kind of a car?”

“Sort of an anonymous-looking sedan, probably Japanese. The windows were tinted dark. I couldn’t see who was inside.”

“Everybody’s windows are tinted dark down here; keeps out the heat.”

“I think you should take Dolce seriously.”

“You think I don’t?”

“I think you don’t take her seriously enough.”

“And how do I do that? Carry an automatic weapon at all times?”

“You could do worse. And I’m worried about Callie.”

“What about Callie?”

“If Dolce sees you with her, she could be in trouble.”

“Oh, God,” Stone moaned. “When is this going to be over?”

“As far as Dolce is concerned, it’ll be over when one of you is dead, and she might want that sooner than later.”

“You think she’s suicidal?”

“Homicidal, more likely.”

“Thanks, I needed that.”

“Anytime.”

The cell phone on Stone’s belt vibrated. “Hello?”

“Mr. Barrington?”

“Yes.”

“This is Frederick James.”

“Good morning, Mr. James,” Stone said loudly, so that Dino would get it. “I didn’t think I’d hear from you again.”

“I changed my mind. I want you to answer a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“How did you know that I know Paul Ma

“Let’s not be cute, Mr. James. I think you are Paul Ma

“Well, I’m not, but I’ve been in touch with him.”

“When?”

“Recently.”

“How recently?”

“Recently enough. I know about his past with Allison, and the business with the insurance company. Quite frankly, I know more about him than I want to know.”

“Don’t we all?”

“I got to thinking about what you said in your e-mail. Does Allison really want to buy him off?”

“Yes, she does.”

“For how much?”

“I don’t know that I can discuss that with you, since you claim not to be Paul Ma

“Tell me this, then. Why do you think I’ve been trying to get in touch with you?”

“You really don’t know?”

“No, I don’t, or I wouldn’t have asked you.”

“A man called my office several times and wouldn’t leave his name. I suspected it was Paul Ma

“That’s pretty tenuous, isn’t it?”

“Is it? Wasn’t I right?”

“Actually, you may well be. Paul Ma

“Well, I’m glad you admit, at least, to being in the same room with Ma

“Have you ever met Ma

“I got to know him rather well, but he was using another name at the time.”

“Listen to my voice. Does it sound like the voice of Paul Ma

Stone admitted to himself that it did not. “Ma

“Exactly. I have rather a light voice, wouldn’t you say?”

“I suppose.”

“And Ma

“Yes.”

“Does that do nothing to convince you that Ma

“It helps. Of course, we can resolve the question of identity very easily.”

“How?”

“We can meet, face-to-face.”

“Where are you, at the moment, Mr. Barrington?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“I’d rather not say, too.”

“Then we might as well be on different continents.”

“We may very well be.”

“How are we going to resolve this?”

“I may be able to help you deal with Ma

“Deal, how?”

“You’re trying to buy him off, aren’t you?”

“Let’s just say that I’m trying to bring a difficult situation to an amicable close.”

“Then I’ll take him your offer.”

“You know how to get in touch with him?”