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“Inside through the kitchen door,” Lance said, “while my people check out the grounds.”
They were at lunch in the library when Lance got another call, listened, then hung up. “The black BMW followed us to the house, though they were too far back to see if we drove here. He went past the house to the end of the road, then made a U-turn and came back this way. By that time we were safely tucked away in the garage, then into the house.”
“That was a circuitous routing,” Stone said, “but clever.”
“Thank you,” Lance said. “Being evasive was always one of my better qualities. Now, can you order the airplane for takeoff at dawn tomorrow?”
“I can,” Stone said, and called Faith. He hung up. “Wheels up at six o’clock,” he said.
“We’ll keep a close watch for bogies tonight,” Lance said.
“Will you be flying with us?”
“I believe I will accept that invitation,” Lance replied. “My boss likes it if I get a free ride now and then.”
“Who’s your boss?” Vanessa asked.
“I am,” Lance replied.
39
They packed at bedtime,Stone having little to pack. Someone came and got Vanessa’s boxes and bags and put them on the cart for loading on the morrow.
“Well,” Vanessa said, sliding into bed with Stone. “It was a brief visit, but an enjoyable one.”
He turned to greet her. “And never more enjoyable than right here.”
They enjoyed themselves again and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
They were awakened for breakfast at five and boarded the airplane while the luggage was loaded aft. Lance sat up forward, so he could see the pilots.
Stone sat down beside him. “Do you fly, Lance?”
“Do you mean myself? With my hands on the controls?”
“Yes.”
“No. I was trained for it but was too busy to keep up with the training schedule to stay current.” Lance handed him a fresh copy of yesterday’sNew York Times. “The crossword is virginal,” he said.
Stone joined Vanessa across the aisle and shared the paper with her.
“I see theTimeshas stopped printing John’s death notice,” she said.
“Lance probably checked the three-day option on the form, thinking that was enough to get the word into the air.” He thought about that. “Still, there was the attempt on Jack at Islesboro, and that was after the notice ran.”
“I wonder if they’ve found him yet,” she said.
“Who, the Russians?”
“Da.”
“I think Lance would have heard by now.”
“You have a point,” she said, filching the arts section, which contained the crossword, and burying her nose in a fashion piece.
They raced the sun across the Atlantic and called it a tie at Teterboro. The airplane was towed into the Strategic Services hangar, where they and their luggage deplaned. Lance had his own car waiting to take him to the heliport.
Back in the city, Fred dropped Vanessa and her goods ather building, where she gave Stone a grateful, luscious kiss, along with her thanks. “Don’t call until tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll be sleeping until then.”
