'Got it.'
There was a knock at the door, and Herbie Fisher stood there. 'Hey, Stone.'
'Hey, Herbie, come in.'
Herbie took a seat.
'You don't look so happy,' Stone said. 'What's going on?'
'Well, I'm not seeing very much of Stephanie.'
'Why not? You still live together, don't you?'
'Of course, but she leaves the apartment at seven in the morning and misses dinner a lot of the time.'
'Well, she's just started a new job, hasn't she?'
'Yeah, I guess.'
'Are you still going on your honeymoon?'
'Eventually, when Stephanie can take a break from work.'
'What, exactly, is she doing at Gunn?'
'International stuff. She sometimes gets calls in the middle of the night about something that's happening with an overseas market.'
'Is she making lots of money for you yet?'
'Not yet, and not a hell of a lot for herself. She and David only get a ninety-thousand-dollar salary each; they could do better at a bigger firm, right out of college.'
'But they both will do very well indeed over the long run, right?'
'Right, I guess, when Jack decides to retire or kicks off.'
'How's Jack's health?'
'He's in better shape than I am,' Herbie replied.
'More time at the gym, Herbie,' Stone said. 'Now, if you haven't got anything specific to bring up, I have to get back to work.'
Herbie stood up. 'Yeah, sure; I'm just glad to know you're here, representing me.'
'That's very flattering, Herbie. See you soon.'
Herbie shambled out, and Stone got busy making notes for when Lance returned his call.
THIRTY
Stone and Dino arrived on the sidewalk simultaneously, then walked into Elaine's together. Their drinks were on the table almost as soon as they sat down.
'Have I got a tale to tell you,' Stone said.
'People been telling me tales all day,' Dino replied. 'Did you know that criminals lie all the time?'
'I seem to remember that they do,' Stone said. 'But you always catch them at it, don't you?'
'Most of the time,' Dino said. 'Now, tell me your tale.'
Stone began with the story of the sale of Strategic Air Services to the CIA, then continued with the trip to Iraq, the extraction from Spain, and, finally, Pablo's short drive out of the airplane and his subsequent hiring of Stone.
'You're shitting me,' Dino said when he was done.
'About which part?'
'The whole thing. You made it up out of thin air, didn't you?'
'I swear, every word is true.'
'You were in Iraq?'
'Well, not so's you'd notice it, but even if my feet didn't touch the ground, I was there-and in the Azores and Spain, too.'
'You know, I did see something on TV about a Mercedes found in a swimming pool in Rye.'
'That's the one. How else could it have gotten into that guy's pool?'
Stone looked up to see Lance Cabot walking into the restaurant. He shucked off his coat, hung it up, and pulled up a chair. 'You rang?' he said to Stone.
'I did, but a return phone call would have done.'
'I was in town anyway,' Lance said. 'Good evening, Dino.' They shook hands.
'How you doing, Lance?'
'I'm not sure yet; that depends on what Stone has to say to me.' He ordered a drink, made a toasting motion, and took a gulp. 'Well?' he said to Stone.
'You might want to wait until your second drink,' Stone said.
'Why? Is your news that bad? I presume you do have news of some sort, or you wouldn't have called me.'
'The news is quite good, if you're willing to be flexible.'
'Uh-oh, what's the deal?'
'I have a new client: Erwin Gelbhardt, aka Pablo Estancia. And he wants to make a deal.'
Lance froze, just sat and stared at Stone. 'You have a conflict of interest,' he said finally. 'You're under contract to me; you can't represent both sides.'
'First of all, I'm not currently in your employ, and second of all, this is not, strictly, a legal matter. All it requires is some conversation about terms, then the signing of a letter, then my client begins to talk.'
'You're representing a man who is a fugitive from justice.'
'He's not a fugitive from justice, Lance, just from you.'
'He's wanted by the IRS.'
'Let's not characterize the IRS as justice.'
'What does he want?'
'He wants you off his back-also, the backs of his family and personal staff.'
'And in return?'
'He's willing to tell you, in detail, about every arms transaction he has made for the past twelve years. Then he just wants to retire peacefully to this country and live out his life. He is sixty-eight, after all, past retirement age.'
'Can he document what he's going to tell us?'
'Pablo, as he likes to be called, points out quite correctly that such transactions do not take place on paper. However, he purports to have an astonishing memory for detail.'
'Okay, I'll hear what he has to say, and then we'll talk.'
Stone shook his head. 'Nope.'
'You want something up front?'
'Yes. I want his deal in writing, and when he's finished talking I want a letter from you confirming that he has kept his word and that you have no further interest in interrogating him. I also want a letter from the attorney general stating that the United States has no interest in prosecuting him for any of his actions over the past twelve years.'
'When can he surrender himself?'
'He's not going to surrender himself,' Stone replied. 'He's going to meet with you for three eight-hour days at a place in New York of his choosing. You may record video and audio of the meetings.'
'Twenty-four hours of interrogation?'
'Three days of conversation. You won't need more than that; he talks fast.'
'Five days.'
'Four, and not a minute longer.'
Lance picked up a menu. 'What's that big chunk of veal with the polenta called?'
'Osso buco.'
Lance snared a passing waiter and ordered, then sat very still, apparently thinking hard, while waiting for Stone and Dino to order.
'Where do you want to meet?' Lance asked when the waiter had gone.
