Woods, Stuart - Stone Barrington 42 - Indecent Exposure by Woods Stuart

Author:Woods, Stuart [Woods, Stuart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2017-06-06T00:00:00+00:00

32

Stone was at his desk when Joan buzzed him. “Bob Cantor is here,” she said.

“Send him in.”

Bob walked into the office, they shook hands, then he sat down.

The other Bob, the Labrador retriever, wandered into the office, sniffed at Cantor, approved, and lay down with his head on the man’s foot.

“Bob, have you met Bob?”

“He’s named for me?”

“No, it’s just a coincidence. His mother whelped a large litter, and she was running out of names.”

“I see. Would you like a report?”

“Shoot.”

“I followed Gloria Parsons from her office to Alphonse Teppi’s loft, where the two had a conversation about you.” He placed a recording device on Stone’s desk and pressed a button.

Stone listened carefully. “Ah, that’s where the piece about my murdering my wife came from.”

“Did she try that?”

“She did, and she got fired for her trouble.”

“I heard something about that during my surveillance,” Bob said. “She’s back at work, though.”

“At Just Folks?”

“Under a new name, Laurentia Scott-Peebles, known as Scotty. She’s also writing a dinner party column under the name of Penelope Fairleigh. She’s making slightly more as a freelancer than she made on staff.”

“I don’t seem to be able to get rid of her.”

“You want me to do something about it?”

“No, just let it ride. She’s a good writer, I’ll give her that, even under the two pseudonyms. I’ll just keep the knowledge as ammunition for a later date.”

“She also managed to get Danny Blaine out of Fishkill.”

“How the hell did she do that?”

“By fucking the governor. Blake commuted the kid’s sentence.”

“Well now, that’s interesting on two counts,” Stone said.

“It’s apparently getting to be a weekly thing,” Bob said. “They talked about it in bed.”

“I know someone who needs to know this,” Stone said, “but not until the proper time. Have you made tapes?”

“Yes.”

“Please continue to do so.”

“She also had lunch with Danny and told him about being fired from the magazine. He wants revenge, but she’s told him to cool it, she doesn’t want him to go back to prison, and by the way, neither does the governor.”

“Well, that shows restraint. Stay on her, and let’s see what else turns up.”

“As you wish. I gave Joan my bill to date.”

“Thanks, Bob, and keep those reports coming in.”

The two men shook hands, and Bob left. The other Bob didn’t even notice the removal of his pillow; he just snored on.

—

Joan buzzed him. “Peter Rule on one.”

“Peter? How are you?”

“Very well, Stone. Are you, by chance, free for lunch today?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I saw your name on the Yacht Club’s newly elected members’ list this morning. Why don’t we meet there? Twelve-thirty?”

“See you then.”

Stone had nearly forgotten that he had been proposed for membership. Those wheels ground slowly, he guessed. He had gone most of his life without joining any kind of club, and now he belonged to three, and he didn’t mind a bit.

—

They met in the bar, then moved into the beautiful dining room, which had been designed at the turn of the last century to resemble the belowdecks of a ship, and ordered seafood, which seemed appropriate.

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