in Washington last year.”
“Well, Ms. Covington is a founder of the performing arts program at Knickerbocker Hall, and you have an interview with her on Monday afternoon at three.”
Peter’s jaw dropped. “How did you do this?”
“The lady is the mother of one of Woodman amp; Weld’s clients, and a phone call was made on your behalf. She wants you to bring with you what you have of your screenplay and film.”
Peter fell back onto the sofa, clutching his chest. “I’m having a heart attack!”
“Relax, and drink your tea,” Stone said.
“Oh, listen, I’d like to get my driver’s license,” Peter said.
“Peter!” his mother interjected. “You’re only sixteen!”
Peter smiled. “Not anymore,” he said.
“Oh, God,” Arrington moaned, “we’ve created a monster!”
13
A rrington was stretched out on the bed in her slip. She took A a deep breath and let it out. “There’s something I have to tell you,” she said.
Stone sat down on the bed. He didn’t like the sound of this. “All right.”
“I’ve been seeing someone for the past year. Back in Virginia.”
Stone allowed himself to think about all the women he’d been out with during that time. “All right,” he said.
“You’re not jealous?” she said with mock concern.
“Well, of course, but you’re a free woman. Are you having some sort of problem with him?”
“He’s the architect for the new house,” she said, seeming to evade his question. “The relationship began to sour a few weeks ago, but I didn’t want to cut him off at the knees while he was still working on the house.”
“That’s a reasonable decision to make,” Stone said. “I assume you will eventually get around to answering my question.”
“What question was that?” she asked, innocently.
“Is he giving you trouble?”
“Sort of.”
“Sort of how?”
“He’s becoming jealous of you.”
“Why has he even heard of me?” Stone asked.
“I’ve mentioned you a few times as being an old friend. He latched onto your name immediately, and began making little digs about you.”
“I can handle little digs,” Stone said.
“He turned up at the hospital in Charlottesville yesterday and intimated to the nurse at the desk that he was some sort of intimate of mine, and they let him into my room. An argument ensued, not our first.”
“Was his behavior an escalation over what you’ve seen in the past?”
“Yes. He very nearly became violent, but a doctor walked into the room at just the right moment.”
“What do you think he would have done?”
“I’m not sure, but recently I heard that he had beaten up a woman he’d been seeing last year, and that he was just off probation for that incident. Then, when he had gone a nurse came into my room when I was alone and warned me about him.”
“Warned you how?”
“She told me that he had been seeing her older sister earlier this year, while he was still on probation, and he had been violent with her, had broken her nose. The nurse called him and said if he saw her sister again, she’d report him and he’d be sent to prison for breaking his probation. He responded that, if she did that, he would kill both her sister and her.”
“This is not good,” Stone said.
“No, it’s not. I felt lucky to have gotten out of the state without further trouble from him.”
“I think it might be best if I speak to him,” Stone said.
“Oh, no, Stone! That might just roil the waters.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve handled this sort of thing before for clients, and you’re my client. He just needs to be reminded of what he has to lose. He’s a professor at UVA; he’s a respected architect, well known in the community. If he behaves badly, that could all go away. Requesting a protective order from the court could make that happen, once the locals heard about it.”
“If you think that’s the way to go, then fine, but I’m just afraid that he’s become more irrational the past few months, and I don’t want you to push him over the edge.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be very lawyerly,” Stone said. “I won’t yell at him or make overt threats.”
Arrington took his hand. “Then I’ll trust you to handle him,” she said.
14
S tone called Dino and invited him and Ben to join them for dinner, and by eight-thirty they were about to be seated at Elaine’s.
Peter tugged at Stone’s sleeve. “Dad, may Ben and I have our own table?”
Stone looked at Arrington and she nodded. Stone arranged it, two tables down, then the three adults took their seats.
“I’m glad they’re getting along,” Dino said. “Ben doesn’t warm to a whole lot of people.”
“I’m glad, too, Dino,” Arrington said.
“Before I forget,” Dino said, “I’ve been asked to deliver an invitation. Eduardo Bianchi has invited the three of you to join his family for Christmas dinner. Strangely enough, I’m invited, too.” Eduardo was Dino’s former father- in-law.
“Arrington?” Stone asked.
“Yes, of course; we don’t have other plans, do we?”
“The choices are dinner at a hotel or a Chinese restaurant.”
“We’d love to, Dino,” Arrington said.
“Eduardo is very interested to meet Peter,” Dino said. “He’s been hearing about him from Ben.”
“I wonder if the boys will insist on their own table,” Stone said, glancing down to where they sat, talking rapidly and gesticulating.
“Stone,” Dino said, “Ben seems to think that Peter is eighteen. Why is that?”
“I’d better bring you up to date,” Stone said, then he told him about all the arrangements that had been made. “It’s better this way, we think.”
“I think it’s better for Ben, too; I won’t tell him.”
Stone looked up to see Herbie Fisher enter the restaurant in the company of a petite, dark-haired beauty. Herbie brought her to the table. “Good evening, Stone, Dino. I’d like you to meet Gina Carlo.”
Stone and Dino stood and shook hands. “And, Herbie,” Stone said, “you haven’t met my friend Arrington. Arrington, this is my client Herbert Fisher.”
“I’ve heard good things about you,” Herbie said. “Mostly from Joan, Stone’s secretary.”
“I’m glad she has a good opinion of me,” Arrington replied, smiling.
Herbie excused himself, and they were shown to a table at the rear of the restaurant. A moment later, two large men came in and were given a table in Siberia, where the tourists were sent. Then, after another moment, two other large men came in and took seats at their table. Some hard looks were exchanged, and one of the second pair spoke, uninterrupted, for about a minute. The first two men looked at each other, shrugged, and then left the
