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“Because Hackett has disappeared,” Stone replied.
“What do you mean, disappeared?”
“Just that. He’s gone, and I don’t know where. I doubt if anyone else does, either.”
“Then he may have signed his own death warrant,” Felicity said.
49
Stone was in his bathroom, brushing his teeth, when the phone rang. He closed the door and sat down on the toilet lid. “Hello?”
There was a sort of scraping noise, and then a voice seemed to come through a long tunnel. “Stone?”
“Jim?”
“Yes. I’m sorry about the quality of this thing, but we’re still working out the kinks. When we do, it will be a hot new product for us.”
“I can understand you,” Stone said. “That’s hot enough for me. Can you tell me where you are?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, but you may consider that I am at a sufficient remove to prevent unexpected events.”
“How did you travel there?”
“In someone else’s transport,” Hackett replied.
“That’s what I was thinking; they could have tracked your tail number.”
“I have reason to believe that I arrived here unnoticed by anyone.”
“I’m relieved to hear it, because, I have to tell you, I have even more reason to believe that your life is in danger.”
“Is Felicity hunting me?”
“She is the least of your problems.”
“Then what has changed?”
“I’m not sure that anything has changed, but I know more now than I did before. I should tell you that your ruse in the churchyard has been uncovered, so to speak, and that if that news makes its way to London the danger will become acute.”
“That news has not made its way to London yet?”
“No, but that could change.”
“I’m sorry I had to lie to you, Stone, but I did not consider you as much a friend as I now do.”
“Let’s put that behind us. I believe that your business interests in the UK may be in as much danger as you are.”
“I had anticipated that, and I’ve done what I can to minimize the risk.”
“Tell me, Jim, why was there no fingerprint record in the dossier you sent?”
“I don’t know; I received it exactly as you saw it.”
“And why does your dossier and that of Timothy Timmons bear the same photograph?”
Silence.
“Hello, Jim?”
