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“He did seem upset, didn’t he?”
“I think he was looking forward to personally conducting a hanging,” Stone replied.
“I enjoy disappointing authority,” Lance said, “unless the authority is mine.”
“Will you stay aboard for dinner?” Stone asked.
“I will, thank you, and if you’re headed back to Teterboro, I would be grateful for a lift.”
“I’ll order the aircraft for eight o’clock,” Stone said.
59
The group wasall pretty quiet on the flight home. Vanessa slept, unfortunately, fully clothed. Everyone deplaned, Stone last, because he had to find his briefcase. When Stone came down the stairs he looked around and Vanessa was gone. Lance rode in with Stone because, as it turned out, he was begging a bed as well.
Helene made a late-night nibble and a nightcap for them, and they sat in Stone’s study. “Fill in the blanks for me, Lance,” Stone said.
“There are no blanks to fill,” Lance replied. “You know everything you should know, perhaps even more than you should know.”
Stone took a breath to ask a question, but Lance stilledhim with a raised hand. “Either you already know the answer to your question, or you should not know. I thought I explained that.”
“So I can never ask a question again?”
“Not on the subject of the past few weeks.”
“I don’t suppose I should ask where Vanessa went, then?”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Lance said, patting his pockets and coming up with an envelope. “She asked me to give you this after we got home.”
Stone opened the envelope and took out a single sheet of paper. The note was brief:
My dear Stone,
I want to thank you for all your kindnesses of the past weeks. I have enjoyed myself immensely.
Now, I fear, I must cease to exist, so we will not speak again.
Fondly, Vanessa
Stone turned to Lance, who held up a restraining hand. “You either know, or shouldn’t,” he said.
END
