Page 79 of Near Miss

“Not necessary. She came to behind a dumpster and managed to get away. She’s safe now.”

“Thank God! You gave me a turn there.”

“Imagine the turn I got,” Stone said.

“Well, yes.”

“Have you alerted Dino about Gromyko?” Stone asked. “He can manage a very big net with a phone call.”

“Ah, no. I guess I didn’t want to explain why we hadn’t had an arraignment.”

“I’ll alert him.”

“I’d be grateful, and I will keep you posted, Stone.” He hung up.

Stone called Dino.

“Bacchetti. Don’t tell me, Gromyko hasn’t been arrested.”

“How did you know?”

“Because I run the kind of shop where, when people say to me, ‘I’ll get back to you,’ they get back to me.”

“I just talked to Tom Kinder and heard only discouraging words.”

“Does he want me to put an APB out?”

“He does, but he doesn’t want you asking questions.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“As I knew you would.”

“Shall we take Carly to dinner tonight?”

“I’ll ask. Clarke’s at seven-thirty?”

“Done.” Dino hung up.

Dressed for dinner, Stone came down from his room a little early to find Helene waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Carly was with her, wearing something new from Bloomie’s.

“Mr. Barrington,” Helene said, “Fred asked that you leave by way of the garden gate.”

“And why is that?” he asked.

“He says the Strategic Services people spotted two suspicious people in a car parked down the street, watching the house.”

“That’s a good reason.”

“He said he will pick you up there, in an SUV he borrowed from the firm.”

“Thank you, Helene.”

She smiled and left.

“Shall we?” Stone said to Carly.

As they made their way to the gate, she asked, “Do you think it’s the Russians?”

---