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“By whom? The late Mr. and Mrs. Charles?”
“By their executor,” Stone replied, as a server delivered fresh drinks. “Do you want to see the TRO?”
“Yes, please.”
“It’ll have to wait until tomorrow. It’s in my desk drawer. Besides, the police will already have shot him by now.”
“For what cause?”
“Nothing special. He just brings that out in people.”
A silver bell tinkled, and the crowd began looking for their place cards at one of the many tables awaiting them. Stone located theirs at the table with Joan and the mayor and his wife. Stone was seated between Mrs. Shawn and Joan.
“Thank you so much for ejecting that horrible little man,” the mayor’s wife said.
“You’re very welcome,” Stone said. “And I’ve never heard him described more aptly.”
“He actually pushed his way into our car. The mayor is far too lenient with people like that. He kept telling us that you are his lawyer.”
“You may rest assured,” Stone said, “that that was a bald-faced lie.” She turned to speak to someone else.
Joan nudged him. “I’ve remonstrated with the butler. Hewas cowed by the presence of the mayor. What did you do with Eddie?”
“He’s being buried on a construction site around the corner. Concrete will be poured.”
“I’m so relieved,” Joan said.
—
After dinner there was dancing, to the music of Peter Duchin, and Bridget caught up with Stone.
“Hi there, where were you seated?”
“In plain view of you, and I read lips.”
“I’m sorry, but lip-reading is not admissible evidence in a court of law, unless the witness is a deaf-mute.”
“You made that up!”
“Are you absolutely sure? I refer you to the criminal code.”
“I’ll bet there’s a copy in the library here,” she said.
“The previous owner would have had little use for it.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you!”
“Would you hire an attorney who didn’t?”
TWENTY-NINE
Stone also danced with Joan, who was more fleet of foot than he had suspected, and with the mayor’s wife, who liked dancing closer than Stone was comfortable with, in the circumstances.
He caught up with Bridget, who had been dancing with the mayor.
“The mayor doesn’t like Eddie Jr., either. I think he pretended to just to annoy his wife.”
“I wouldn’t want her annoyed with me.”
