the whole block with their vehicles? It would upset the neighbors.” He took a couple of deep breaths and worked on getting his heart rate down.
Joan picked up her phone from the floor, where Rutledge had set it, and walked quickly back to her office.
Peter spoke up. “I guess we won’t need the security guys tomorrow,” he said.
64
Stone sat in his office with Herbie and Joan. The police and the body had departed, and the special cleaning crew had done its work with the bloodstains. Peter and Hattie were upstairs in his room. Stone pressed a large scotch on Joan, then poured one for Herbie and a bourbon for himself.
“You look okay,” Stone said to Joan.
“Strangely enough, I am okay,” she said. “I’m glad I didn’t have too long to think about whether I should do it.”
“You saved all our lives,” Stone said, “and in appreciation, I’m going to make a very large contribution to your pension fund. I’m counting on you never to retire, though, because then I’d have to shoot myself.”
Herbie laughed aloud and took another sip of his scotch. “Maybe this isn’t the best time,” Herbie said, “but I came here to apply for a job as an associate.”
Stone smiled. “I think you must have passed the bar.”
“Top of the list,” Herbie said. “I didn’t tell you, but my law degree was with honors.”
“That’s better than mine,” Stone said. “As for the job, we’re jam up full here, what with Allison helping, but I’ll recommend you to Bill Eggers at Woodman amp; Weld, without reservation. Anyway, you need to work in a bigger firm, not just in my office.”
Herbie beamed. “Thank you, Stone.”
“Joan, take a letter to Eggers as soon as Herbie leaves. I don’t want to embarrass him with praise.”
“You mind if I ask who the guy was that Joan offed?” Herbie asked.
Joan choked on her scotch a little.
Stone explained.
“Well, I’m glad he’s off the streets,” Herbie said.
“So am I,” Stone said.
When Herbie had left, Stone dictated a fulsome letter of recommendation to Bill Eggers, then signed it. “Messenger it over, and write Herbie a check for the unused portion of his retainer. What is it, half a million?”
“Give or take,” Joan said. “I take it you’ve changed your mind about your inheritance.”
“I have,” Stone said, “and being out of debt to Herbie is a good cause.”
Two weeks later, Stone took Peter up Park Avenue to Janklow amp; Nesbit and introduced him to Mort Janklow and his principal associate, Anne Sibbald. Kind words were spoken about Peter’s film, and he blushed. Then Leo Goldman arrived with Peter’s contract. A little signing ceremony took place, and Leo handed a check for $20,000,000 to Mort.
Mort will deduct his commission, then wire transfer the remainder of your funds to your bank account,” Stone said to his son. “And as soon as you get home, you have to write a check for five million nine hundred and fifty thousand to the Internal Revenue Service.”
“Ouch!” Peter said.
“Get used to it, Peter,” Mort said. “You’re going to be writing a lot of checks to the IRS.”
“And, Peter,” Leo said, “I have a surprise for you: your film has been accepted for the Sundance Film Festival.”
Somebody found a bottle of champagne, and Peter’s success was toasted.
On the way home Peter said, “What do you want me to do with the money?”
“I think you should open a brokerage account with the Chase Private Bank and let them recommend how to invest it, then buy yourself a nice gift.”
“I’ll have to think about that,” Peter said.
“I’m not going to have anything to do with the money you earn,” Stone said. “I want to see what you do with it.”
“Thank you, Dad,” Peter said.
“Thank you for asking,” Stone replied.
That weekend, Ben Bacchetti took the train down from Choate, picked up his father’s car, and drove himself, Peter, and Hattie to New Haven, to look for housing for themselves. Joan had reserved three rooms for them at a local hotel.
The following day Peter called home.
“Hello?” Stone said.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yes. In fact, it’s better than okay.”
“How so?”
“We found the perfect apartment for us-three bedrooms, living/ dining room, kitchen, and a nice study.”
“What’s the rent?”
“It would be around five thousand a month, if we were renting,” Peter replied. “It’s a new building, to be completed in a couple of months. We saw the model apartment, then took a look at the top-floor unit to get an idea of the space. I’ve decided to buy the apartment.”
Stone thought about that for a moment. “That might be a good use for some of your money, and you’ll probably make a profit on it when you leave Yale. How much is it?”
“It would normally sell for around a million and a half, but they’re asking a million two, because of the recession. I’ll buy the place, and Peter and Hattie will split the monthly maintenance payments.”
“Offer them a million, then settle for a million one,” Stone said. “Give them a check for ten percent and bring home the contract for me to read before you sign it.”
“Great, Dad, I’ll do that. Something else.”
“What?”
“As soon as I get home I’m going to take driving lessons and get my license, then I’m going to buy a car. I’ll need it around here.”
This, Stone thought, was as inevitable as sex with Hattie. “All right,” he said, “but if you get a speeding ticket the keys are mine.”
“Agreed,” Peter said.
That night after dinner at a New Haven restaurant they returned to their hotel, and Hattie led Peter to her room. There, she did some more leading, having had slightly more experience than Peter, and from that point on, Peter led.
At home the following day, Peter gave Stone the contract for the condominium. “How did you know they would take a million one?” he asked his father.
“I didn’t, but you always have to try. You have to remember that developers these days have excess inventory and not enough buyers. They need the cash, and with you as a buyer, they don’t have to wait for mortgage approval.”
Stone read the contract and found it acceptable. “Sign it, and I’ll find a New Haven attorney to close the sale
