Dirt

two.”
    “Stone, does this business mean this person is getting violent?”
    “Not necessarily, unless he’s caught in the act.”
    “I do
not
want to catch him in the act.”
    “That’s what the cop will be for. I don’t think you have to worry about violence, Amanda; he hasn’t attacked anyone else but me, and I did get in his way.”
    “I’m relieved to hear it, but I’d still like your policeman to come. How soon can you get somebody?”
    “Right after my nap,” Stone said. “They want me to take lots of naps.”
    “Oh, of course, I don’t want to interfere with your recovery.”
    “Don’t worry about it; I can still use a phone.”
    “What kind of watch was it?”
    “What?”
    “Your wristwatch that was stolen; what kind?”
    “A Rolex. It had my name engraved on the back.”
    “What kind of Rolex?”
    “The quartz one; I don’t remember what they call it. Why are you worried about my watch?”
    “I was just curious. You go back to sleep, and call me when you’ve found a guard for me.”
    “I’ll do that,” Stone said, and hung up.
    This was not going well, Amanda thought. She called Richard Hickock and was put through immediately.
    “Have you heard?”
    “Heard what?” Hickock asked, as if he weren’t sure he wanted to know.
    “Stone Barrington’s in the hospital. Somebody broke into his house and hit him over the head.”
    “Jesus Christ. Does this have anything to do with our problem?”
    “He disconnected the bugging in his house, and he thinks they came back to put it in again. Has he checked your office?”
    “I had it done; both the office and the apartment are clean.”
    “What about … that little friend of yours?”
    “That was bugged. Stone’s guy figured it out.”
    “I’m hiring a security guard,” Amanda said. “I don’t want my place bugged again.”
    “I don’t blame you,” Hickock replied. “I’m having my premises checked daily, and I’m not using my cell phone when it counts.”
    “Good God, can they bug a cellular phone?”
    “A cell phone is a radio; people can listen in if they have the right equipment. I know a guy who’s got a scanner thing in his car; he listens to other people’s phone conversations for entertainment while he’s being driven around town.” “That’s disgusting!” Amanda jotted a quick note to herself to ask Stone how to get a scanner.
    “Well, that’s life these days.”
    “I suppose it is. Do you have anything to report?”
    “Nothing. Is Stone okay?”
    “Yes, he’ll be out of the hospital by tomorrow at the latest, or I’m having a word with his doctors.”
    “Good, we need him on the job.”
    “Good-bye, Dickie.”
    “Bye.”
    She hung up just as Martha buzzed her. “Yes?”
    “Allan Peebles is on line two.”
    “Peebles? That awful man who edits the
Infiltrator
?”
    “That’s him; he’s called twice this morning already. His message is on top of your stack.”
    “What could he possibly want to talk to
me
about?”
    “I’ve no idea. Do you want me to get rid of him?”
    No need to court trouble, she thought. “No, I’ll speak to him.” She pressed the button. “This is Amanda Dart.”
    “Amanda, this is Allan Peebles.”
    “Yes?”
    “We don’t know each other — not really, I mean, but I thought we should talk.”
    “Talk? About what?”
    “Well, Amanda, you and I
are
the principal targets of this
DIRT
scandal sheet, aren’t we?”
    “So?”
    “So, I thought perhaps we should compare notes.”
    “I don’t have any notes, I’m afraid,” she said.
And if I did have any, she thought, you’re the last person on Earth I’d share them with
.
    “Tell me, have your telephones been bugged?”
    She paused. “Why do you ask?”
    “I thought so. Where can we meet?”
    “I suppose you could come to my office.” She certainly was not going to be seen in public with this man.
    “Oh, no, I’m not talking anywhere that might be bugged.”
    “Just what is it, exactly, you want to talk about?” she asked.
    “I’m not going to talk about it on the phone.”
    “How long are you in town for?”
    “Until the day after tomorrow.”
    “I’ve got somebody working on this; I’ll have him get in touch with you.”
    “Listen to me, Amanda; I probably know more about this than you do, but I’m not talking to anybody else. It will have to be you and I, face-to-face.”
    Amanda thought for a moment. “You be on the corner of Madison and Seventy-second Street, outside the