AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I think it would be best if we both proceeded on the premise that Hackett is Hackett and Whitestone is dead,” Stone said.
“That would be convenient for you, wouldn’t it?” she said archly.
“It would be realistic for both of us,” Stone replied. “May I now be released from the bondage of your investigation?”
“Not quite,” she said. “I still expect you to report any new in
formation that arises from your working relationship with Hackett.”
“That would be a conflict of interest,” Stone pointed out.
“Not when you took the work at my suggestion, so I could find out more.”
“You are a spider,” Stone said, “who toys with her victims mercilessly.”
“That’s an inappropriate metaphor,” she said. “I am simply tenacious where my work is concerned. The safety of my country depends on it.”
The phone rang, and Stone picked it up.
“It’s Jim Hackett.”
“Hello, Jim.”
“You’re in the clear; Dolce appears to have left town.”
“How could you know that?” Stone asked.
“We’ve been watching her bank accounts but, regrettably, not her bank. She went into the head office yesterday and cashed a check for half a million dollars. The manager knew her personally and said she arrived and was taken away in a chauffeured black car. Said she was taking a vacation. When our computer caught the transaction I spoke to the manager.”
“Why do you think she left town?”
“Because she bought one-way airline tickets to Hong Kong, Rome, Johannesburg and Dubai, using her credit card, and all those flights arrived before we learned about it. I had each of them investigated, and a woman answering her description was on each flight.”
“So she still could be in New York?”
“I think we’ve made things too hot for her here,” Hackett replied. “It seems more likely that she was actually on one of those flights; we just don’t know which one.”
“So you think it’s safe to return to my house?”
“I do. I’ll send a car for you.”
“Don’t bother; I’ll take a cab,” Stone replied. He thanked Hackett, hung up and reported the conversation to Felicity.
“All right,” she said. “If you think it’s safe, we’ll go. I’ll pack and send someone over for the computer.”
AN HOUR LATER Stone walked into his house. Everything seemed perfectly normal, and Joan was in her office. Felicity had taken another cab to her office.
“Did you have a nice vacation?” she asked.
“I suppose so,” Stone replied.
“Herbie came by again to thank you.”
“Don’t let him know I’m home, please. I don’t want to be thanked again.”
“Will you be home for a while now?”
“I believe so; it seems Dolce has left the country.” He told her about his conversation with Hackett.
