Bel-Air dead sb-20

by Stuart Woods

  “How can we do that?” Arrington asked.

  “As of today, you own-what?-eighteen acres of Bel-Air?”

  “Yes, I suppose so.”

  “Prince has gone into the hotel business, bought several prime properties around the country. That’s mostly why he wants Centurion, so he can build another. He tried to buy the Bel-Air Hotel but failed. I think he wanted it very, very badly.”

  “So?”

  “So, if he owned your property here, he could build his own hotel in Bel-Air.”

  Arrington blinked. “I suppose there is enough land for that,” she said. “But how would that stop him from buying Centurion?”

  “You could make the sale of your land conditional on his agreeing not to acquire Centurion. I suspect that, although the Centurion deal might make better business sense, his ego would prefer having his own hotel in Bel-Air.”

  “You know,” Arrington said, “I might like to have my own hotel in Bel-Air. That would be quite a project, wouldn’t it?”

  “Stop having that dream for the moment,” Stone said. “Let’s see how this works out.”

  “If you say so,” she said.

  28

  Stone gave his car to the parking attendant at the Bel-Air and walked across the bridge to the hotel. The swans were back in the little stream, as if they had never left. Maybe they hadn’t, he reflected.

  Stone presented himself to the headwaiter and was shown to a large, semi-circular booth at the rear of the garden restaurant, where Terry Prince was already seated.

  “Forgive me for not getting up,” Prince said, offering his hand as Stone slid behind the table. “Would you like a drink?”

  “Some iced tea,” Stone said. He reckoned he should keep his wits about him today.

  Prince ordered a mimosa for himself and iced tea for Stone. “I hope you’re having a pleasant stay in our city,” he said.

  “Very much so,” Stone replied.

  “You mentioned the absence of my driver.”

  “I read about it in the L.A. Times.”

  “Ah, yes; I didn’t see that myself.”

  “Then you don’t know that Alexei was killed in the same fashion as Jennifer Harris?”

  “Really? I did read about Ms. Harris, as I suppose you did.”

  “Actually, I saw the police report,” Stone replied. “The puncture wound was filled with spirit gum, so that it might go unnoticed. It didn’t, though.”

  “That sounds bizarre,” Prince said.

  “The mark of a practiced professional, I’d say.”

  “Do you have some expertise in professional murders?” Prince asked.

  “I was a New York City homicide detective for many years, before I began practicing law.”

  “Ah, that wasn’t mentioned in the announcement.”

  “Announcement?” Stone asked.

  “You haven’t seen this morning’s New York Times?”

  “No.”

  “There was an announcement of your joining Woodman amp; Weld as a partner.”

  “I see. Actually, I’ve been of counsel to the firm for rather a long time.”

  “Well, I congratulate you on achieving partner level in such a prestigious firm.”

  “Thank you.”

  Menus arrived, and they ordered. Stone could not resist the taco soup, a favorite of his.

  “Most of my business interests are on the West Coast,” Prince said, “but I’m considering some projects in New York, among them a new hotel.”

  “Sounds interesting,” Stone said.

  “I think it will be,” Prince replied. “Might you have an interest in representing me for my New York projects?”

  “I’m afraid I would have a conflict that would prevent me from doing so,” Stone said.

  “You’re referring to your representation of Mrs. Calder?”

  “I am.”

  “How did you become involved with her?”

  Stone paused. Did Prince’s use of “involved” have a double meaning? “We’ve been friends for a number of years.”

  “I understand she’s broken ties with Howard Sharp, in Charlottesville,” Prince said.

  “I’m not surprised you know about that,” Stone said, “having bought her house there.”

  “Yes, that was Mr. Sharp’s last representation of her,” Prince said. “I thought he did a good job.”

  “That means the way he did his job somehow reacted to your benefit, I suppose.”

  Prince laughed heartily. “You’re very perceptive, Stone.”

  “Let’s just say I think she will be happier with Woodman amp; Weld,” Stone replied.

  Lunch arrived and they began to eat.

  “Stone,” Prince said, pausing to take a sip of his tea. “I’m sorry we seem to be working at cross-purposes in the Centurion transaction.”

  “It’s not a transaction yet,” Stone said.

  “Touche. In the Centurion offer, shall we say.”

  “Yes.”

  “I wonder if you might not soften your position in that deal if you were personally participating in it, instead of just representing Mrs. Calder.”

  “What are you suggesting, Terry?”

  “I would not be so crass as to make you an offer,” Prince said smoothly. “But if you could somehow bring the deal to a swift conclusion, you might be free to represent my New York interests all the sooner, might you not?”

  “As long as you were not involved in a business deal adversarial to Mrs. Calder’s interests, that would be ethically possible.”

  “Well, then, do you think we might move forward on the Centurion deal, then?”

  Stone put down his fork. “I take it that Jim Long is still alive,” Stone said, “and I’m beginning to think that he might even have regained consciousness.”

  Prince said nothing, only shrugged.

  Stone’s cell vibrated on his belt. “Will you excuse me a moment?” he said, sliding from behind the table and walking into the garden. “Hello?”

  “Stone, it’s Harvey Stein. Jim Long is awake, but not talking yet. His doctors seem very relieved, and they may let me see him before the day is out.”

  “That’s good news, Harvey. Will you keep me posted?”

  “Of course.”

  Stone hung up and returned to the table. “Wonder of wonders,” he said, “Jim Long is awake.”

  “I’m very happy for him,” Prince said. “You must have good sources.”

  “Not as good as yours,” Stone said. “After all, you heard first.”

  “Only a short time ago.”

  “Still, you had time to talk with me, before I found out.”

  “Information is a valuable commodity,” Prince said.

  Stone signaled for a waiter to remove his plate. “You must have a very large payroll, Terry,” he said.

  “Large enough for my purposes.”

  “I understand the police are concerned about connections among the stabbings of Harris, Alexei, and Long. But then, you already knew that, didn’t you?”

  “I assure you, I have no connection to any of those events.”

  “No? Even though two of them are Centurion shareholders who take our side in the deal? And the other is suspected of killing Ms. Harris?”

  “Again, I have no connection with any of that.”

  “I think the police are going to become even more interested, should an attempt be made on anyone else associated with Centurion,” Stone said. “And let me tell you this: if anyone else associated with my client should have some… accident, I am going to take a personal interest in the case-over and above the police investigation.”

  Stone placed a hundred-dollar bill on the table and got up. “Good day,” he said, and walked away.

  29

  Stone drove back to the house in a fury. He found Dino on his way out.

  “What are you so pissed off about?” Dino asked.

  “Does it show?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “I just had lunch
with Prince, and I regret having done so.”

  “Wasn’t he nice?”

  “He tried to bribe me to throw the Centurion deal his way.”

  “What did he offer you?”

  “Nothing specific, just the promise of a lot of business in New York.”

  “Anything else?”

  “He blithely denied any connection to the stabbings of Jennifer Harris and Jim Long. Long is awake, by the way, and it looks like he’ll make it.”

  “If Prince doesn’t get to him again.”

  “His lawyer has security on the job. Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to check in with Rivera, to see if there’s anything new on the recent mayhem.”

  “Did you tell him about this guy, Carter, at Parker Center?”

  “Yeah, he’s looking into it,” Dino said, then added, “Arrington’s around somewhere.”

  “I’ll find her.”

  Stone gave Dino the car keys and watched him go. He walked through the house and emerged to find Arrington sunning herself, topless, by the pool. He walked over and kissed her on each nipple.

  “That was nice,” she said, smiling.

  “It certainly was.”

  “Where have you been?”

  “Having lunch with Mr. Prince.”

  “Did you enjoy yourself?”

  “No.” Stone told her the details.

  “He really is slimy, isn’t he?”

  “I hope there’s something terribly wrong with the house you sold him,” Stone said.

  She laughed. “I told him there were bats in the cellar and raccoons in the attic, but he didn’t believe me.”

  “Are there?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes. It will be a nice surprise for him. I put it on the disclosure form, too, but I’ll bet he didn’t bother to read it.”

  “He implied that Howard Sharp somehow slanted things in his favor during the proceedings.”

  “Then he deserves the raccoons and bats.”

  “I think you’re well rid of Mr. Sharp,” Stone said.

  “Well, I’m certainly a lot happier with you and Woodman amp; Weld,” she said. “I’m very impressed at how smoothly you’re all handling things. I would never have dreamed of asking Chase for a two-hundred-million-dollar loan.”

  “The rich are different from you and me,” Stone said. “Well, from me, anyway.”

  “I never paid much attention to what I have,” Arrington said, “as long as the check arrived every month, and there was enough to pay for the house and furnishings. That reminds me: the auction of all my furnishings is this weekend, so I hope to be able to fly home tomorrow.”

  “I’ll speak to Mike and see that everything is ready for you.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart. When I’m in the new house I want you to come and visit. It would be nice if you got to know your son a little, too. I think you’ll like him.”

  “I’m sure I will,” Stone replied, though the thought of dealing with a child frightened him. “I hope I’ll know what to say to him.”

  “Oh, he’s easy to talk to; easy to listen to as well.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  Stone’s phone buzzed, and he answered it.

  “Hi, it’s Mike.”

  “Just talking about you,” Stone said.

  “I hope that’s good. I just wanted you to know that all the paperwork on the airplane will be finalized by the end of business today. The pre-purchase inspection went very well indeed, only a few small things to be corrected. It’s in beautiful shape.”

  “Can she fly out tomorrow morning for Virginia?”

  “She can indeed. Our New York office has arranged temporary housing for her crew, while they look for something more permanent, and she now has hangar space at Charlottesville Airport.”

  “You’ve done a fantastic job for her, Mike. Please send your bill to me in New York, and I’ll see that it’s taken care of.”

  “There won’t be a bill; it was mostly a few phone calls.”

  “You’ve done a lot more than that,” Stone said. “I owe you.”

  “I have to run,” Mike said. “I’ll tell the crew to be ready for a nine a.m. departure tomorrow.”

  “Perfect.” Stone hung up and gave Arrington the news.

  “Oh, I’m so happy about this,” she said. “I hated borrowing the Centurion jet, and I was appalled at what air charters cost.”

  “You’ll be queen of the air,” Stone said. “Start making a list of places you’d like to go.”

  “A happy thought.”

  Stone’s phone rang again. “Hello?”

  “It’s Eggers.”

  “Hello, Bill.”

  “We’ve received all of Arrington’s documents, properly signed, and dispersed the funds required in each case. She now owns the airplane, the Baird shares, and the property adjacent to hers. The previous owners have ninety days to vacate, as per the original option.”

  “Great news; I’ll tell her.”

  “I had a call from Terrence Prince earlier today,” Eggers said. “He made noise about big New York projects to come and suggested he might like us to represent him.”

  “I’ve just had lunch with him, Bill, and you can forget about that.”

  “Oh? I thought it an attractive idea.”

  “That’s what he wanted you to think. He was trying to soften me up on the Centurion deal with empty promises. You watch-there won’t be any New York projects.”

  “I did tell him that representing him was out, until the Centurion situation is resolved.”

  “So did I.”

  “What do you think his next move will be?”

  Stone paused and looked over at Arrington. “Arrington is taking her new airplane home tomorrow morning.”

  “Ah, you’re getting her out of harm’s way, then?”

  “Of course.”

  “Stone, you might watch your own back, too.”

  “Dino’s doing that for me,” Stone said. They hung up.

  “Is Bill all right?” Arrington asked.

  “Never better,” Stone said. He told her about the substance of the conversation with Eggers.

  “All good news.”

  “Let’s have a farewell dinner tonight; I’ll take you out.”

  “I’d love that,” she said.

  30

  Stone started to book a table at Spago Beverly Hills, but then thought better of it. He’s already had dinner there once this trip, and with Carolyn Blaine, Prince’s assistant. Instead, he booked a table at Vincenzo, an Italian restaurant he’d heard good things about.

  As he pulled out of the Calder driveway, he noticed a car parked up the street-unusual, because people didn’t usually park on the street in Bel-Air; they had plenty of room inside their gates. As he drove away he saw the car move out, too, staying well behind him, headlights off in the dusk. He noticed that his own headlights, on the auto setting, had come on of their own volition.

  They chatted idly as they drove, with Stone keeping an eye on the car in the rearview mirror, and a few minutes later Stone pulled up in front of the restaurant. The parking valet opened his door for him, and Stone came up with a fifty-dollar bill. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep my car parked on the street, right under that lamp ahead. There are some valuable items aboard, and I’d hate to have the car broken into.”

  “Of course, sir,” the young man said, and from inside the restaurant, Stone watched as the car was pulled forward a few yards and parked under the street lamp.

  They were given a good table, in spite of not being regulars, and Stone was able to see his car.

  “What’s so valuable in your rental car?” Arrington asked.

  “Nothing, really. I just don’t want to make it easy for anyone to tamper with it.”

  “You’re still concerned about my safety?” she asked.

  “You’re perfectly safe,” he said, then slapped his forehead. “A car followed us here, and I was concerned about it. I forgot
that Mike Freeman still has his security people watching you. That’s who’s in the car.”

  She laughed. “Spooked by your own people?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  They had a drink and ordered dinner. “You know, Stone,” Arrington said, “when I last saw you, in Maine, I pretty much said that we shouldn’t see each other anymore.”

  “I remember.”

  “I was hasty, I’m afraid. Of course, you’re not going to come and live in Virginia, and I’m not going to live in New York anymore, but there’s no reason why we can’t get together now and then.”

  “I’m glad you think so,” he replied.

  “I was serious when I said that I want you to get to know Peter. If something happened to me and you became his guardian, I’d like him to already know you.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

  “Now, be realistic. I can get sick and die just like anybody else, or I could walk in front of a passing car. I’m not ill, and I’m careful, but you know what I mean.”

  “I know what you mean,” he replied. “Why don’t you bring Peter to New York for a few days, when he’s on his holidays? You can both stay with me.”

  “Then I’d have to sneak into your bedroom every night, wouldn’t

  I?”

  “One of us would have to do the same thing in Virginia, but it would be good if he knew that we had more than a passing friendship.”

  “I’ll give that some thought,” she said.

  They dined well and returned to the house, the car still tailing them. They were greeted inside the house by Mike’s inside man, who took Stone aside when Arrington had gone to her room.

  “I don’t want to trouble you, Mr. Barrington,” the man said, “but we had a little incident after you left for dinner.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “I’m not sure; we had an alert from the security system, which showed a possible breach of the perimeter fence. We checked it out and found nothing.”

  “Why don’t we take a walk around the perimeter?” Stone said.

  The man spoke into a microphone dangling from his sleeve into the palm of his hand, and another man appeared. “All right, let’s go,” he said, producing a small flashlight and borrowing another from his colleague for Stone.