Foreign Affairs

He disappeared inside, then returned a couple of minutes later. “It’s good,” he said, and he took their bags inside. “Nobody can see into the place, and the terrace overlooks the courtyard, not the street. I couldn’t have picked a better place myself.”

Stone had a look around: there was a large kitchen, two bedrooms and baths, and a comfortable living room, plus a large terrace accessed through French doors. “Very nice,” he said.

“My name’s Hal,” the big man said. He handed Stone two cell phones. “One for each of you. Use them for outgoing calls. You can use your own phone for incoming ones. I’ll be in or around the courtyard downstairs tonight. A guy named Ernie will relieve me in the morning, and he’ll check in with you. My phone number is speed dial one, his is two, three will get you Mr. Freeman, in New York.” He took Stone aside and handed him a compact 9mm handgun and a spare magazine. “It’s loaded, and there’s one in the chamber,” he said.

“Thank you for your help.”

“It’s what we do. Good night.”

He left and Stone went into the bedroom, where Hedy was unpacking his things and putting them into a huge wardrobe on one side of the room. He put the gun in the bedside table drawer.

“Now,” she said, finishing her work and handing him a terrycloth robe. “You’re my guest.”

12

Stone woke to an unfamiliar sound: there was a light knocking far away, and it began to increase in volume. He got into his robe, took the gun from the bedside table drawer, and walked through the living room and the kitchen to the front door. “Who is it?” he shouted, before opening the door.

“Ernie.”

Stone unlatched the door and found a smaller version of Hal there.

“Mike Freeman sent me. I just wanted you to know I’m on the job,” he said.

Hedy appeared from behind Stone, pulling on a sweater over jeans. “I’ve got to go out for breakfast stuff,” she said.

“Walk her to the store and back, will you?” Stone asked Ernie.

“Sure thing. You go

Stone nodded.

“Hey,” Ernie said, pointing to the edge of the front door. “Give me your door key.”

Hedy handed it to him. He inserted and turned it. Six bolts emerged from the door. “Look at that,” he said. “It’s like a safe: heavy steel and six bolts that go into a steel jamb. Nobody’s coming in here without a bazooka.”

“Good to know,” Stone said. He had never seen a door like that, either.

Hedy let herself out.

“Lock it from outside,” Stone said, and she did.

Stone got a shower and a shave, and by the time he was out of the bathroom, Hedy had come back and had scrambled eggs and Italian sausage ready.

“Really good,” Stone said. “You know, there’s something very familiar about your name, and I can’t place it.”

“Hedy Eva Maria Kiesler? It’s the real name of the actress from the forties, Hedy Lamarr. She’s Vie

“‘I am Tondelayo,’” Stone quoted. “That was her famous line from White Cargo. She was very beautiful.”

“Very smart, too. She invented some sort of torpedo that was used in World War Two. She had several patents, I think.”

“So you skipped the mechanical talent and went straight for the artistic?”

“Something like that. I can pick a lock, though, if it’s not too complicated.”

“Good—you never know when you’ll need a lock picked.”

“I want to start to work today,” she said. “Will that disturb you?”

“No more than you usually disturb me. There are a lot of books in the living room. I’ll see if I can find something in English.”

—

After breakfast, Hedy set up her easel on the terrace, and Stone found a collection of Mark Twain pieces. They were both fully occupied until noon, then they went out to look for some lunch, with Ernie a dozen paces back, watching everything like a predatory bird.

They found a workingman’s tiny café a few doors up the street and had some lasagna, then took a stroll around the neighborhood. There were a couple of dozen restaurants within a five-minute walk, and the Pantheon, the ancient pagan Roman temple that featured the world’s largest unsupported dome, a ten-minute walk away. They continued to the Piazza Navona, with its three Bernini fountains and a zillion tourists.

They were back at the apartment by three, and Stone’s phone was ringing.

“Hello?”

“It’s Mike. Everything okay?”

“Yes. Your guys got us out and to the apartment safely, and Hal approves of our security here.”

“My people made the transition at Marcel’s offices and apartment on schedule this morning. The Italian guards are out, and I’ve got more people arriving about now from our Paris office.”

“You said last night that you were hearing things. What things?”

“My people are hearing that the local Mob have taken a very big interest in Marcel and you. They apparently see the new hotel as a gold mine for them in bribes and extortion. My tech guy went through the security system and computers at Marcel’s office and found the phones bugged, and the computer network breached. All that has been taken care of, and new defenses have been installed.”

“Do you think you can get a message to Leo Casselli?”

“Probably. What do you want me to tell him?”

“Just let him know that we’re not going to play his game, that he’d be smart to leave us alone.”

“I think the disco

“Are we doing enough? Anything we’re missing?”

“I’ve spoken to Dino, who’s spoken to somebody in the Rome police, and I think that’s all we can do, until they make another move.”

“Okay, I’ll keep you posted on what’s going on at this end.”

“Same from here.” They hung up, and Stone went back to his Mark Twain.

—

As darkness was falling that evening, and they were contemplating di

“It’s Ernie,” he said. “Lock that fucking bank vault door of yours.” He hung up.

13

Stone locked the door.

“What’s up?” Hedy asked.

“I don’t know, Ernie said to lock the door.”

“Would you like a drink?” she asked.

“Not right now. I want to find out what’s happening, first.” There was a sharp metallic rapping on the door, and Stone walked over to it. “Who is it?”

“Hal.”

Stone unlocked the door, and Hal walked in.

“We made a couple of bad guys in the neighborhood and watched them for a few minutes. They appeared to be searching, and they finally got into a car and left.”

“That’s good. Do you think they know we’re in the neighborhood?”

“Possibly.”

“How could they?”

“Have you used your own phone today?”

“No, I used the one you gave me.”

“Let me see your iPhone.”

Stone handed it over.

Hal removed the SIM card and handed it to Stone. “Don’t put this into the phone until you want to use it.” He did the same to Hedy’s iPhone. “It could be that they picked up on one or both of your phones when you were at the Hassler and tracked them to this street but weren’t able to localize on the apartment. This is a densely populated neighborhood, and even with a signal they might be unable to zero in on you. For instance, even if they got the building right, they wouldn’t be able to tell what floor you’re on. The good news is, we were able to put a tracker on their car, so if it returns, we’ll get a heads-up on our receiving equipment.”