Dirt

caught a whiff of alcohol as he followed her down a hallway, past a quite formal living room and a small library, to the kitchen, which turned out to be a very large room, with a comfortable seating area before a fireplace. There was a fire going, and a half-empty glass of some brown liquor on the coffee table. There was a stack of house design magazines on the table as well; she had obviously been going through them.
    “Please have a seat,” she said, indicating the sofa. “I know it’s a little early, but I’m having a drink; can I get you one?”
    Thinking that having a drink in his hand might make it a bit harder for her to throw him out when she learned why he was there, he accepted. “Bourbon, if you have it.”
    “Wild Turkey okay?”
    “That would be splendid; on the rocks, please.” He looked out the window at the snow. “It’s becoming a nasty day out there.”
    She returned shortly with a large drink for him, then sat next to him on the sofa, turned toward him, and drew her knees up, revealing fine legs under a short skirt. “Now, whatever can I do for you, Mr….” “Barrington. Stone.”
    “Stone,” she said. “I’m Lou. You said you’re a lawyer?”
    “Yes, in New York.”
    “And what brings you all the way from the city on a day like today?”
    “I wanted to talk to you about your brothers.”
    She gave a short, sharp laugh. “You’re a policeman, aren’t you?”
    “I used to be.”
    “And now you practice at the bar?”
    “Yes. Why did you laugh when I said I was here about your brothers?”
    “Well, Stone, you aren’t exactly the first,” she said. “There have been a parade of policemen through my house over the years, usually looking for Charlie. But you said ‘brothers,’ in the plural, didn’t you?” “Yes.”
    “Funny, no one has ever come looking for Tommy before.”
    Stone sipped his drink. “I was wondering if you know how I could get in touch with them? Either or both?”
    “Now, why would a lawyer want to get in touch with my brothers? A cop, I could understand, but a lawyer? Do you want to sue one of them?”
    “No, as a matter of fact, although I am a lawyer, I’m not here in that capacity. It’s more of a personal matter.”
    “How did you get my name and address?” she asked.
    “From someone in Washington who used to know Tommy.” That was technically correct. “He didn’t have a current address.”
    “Washington, huh? Yes, Tommy used to live there; Tommy has lived in lots of places, lots of countries. He was something in the diplomatic corps, I believe. He was always hazy about exactly what he did.” “Have you…” He was interrupted by the telephone ringing.
    “Excuse me,” she said, then got up and went to a counter where the phone rested. “Hello? Oh, yes, honey, how are you? Everything going well?”
    Stone sipped his drink and looked idly around the room. He felt that in a couple of minutes he was going to know how to find Dryer, or Bruce. He still thought of him as Dryer.
    “How much do you need, honey?” she was asking. “Good God, we sent you down there with enough spending money for the whole semester! You were supposed to discipline your own spending, remember?” Stone, who had not eaten for five hours. was starting to feel the bourbon.
    “Well, if it’s an emergency, I’ll send it, but I am
not
going down to Western Union; I’ll just mail you a check. And if I have this kind of call again, I’m going to let your father handle it! Now you…” She swore and hung up the phone.
    Stone looked over at her, then away.
    She came back to the couch, downed the last third of her drink, and went back toward the kitchen. “My daughter,” she said. “She’s in her first year at the University of Virginia. Doesn’t know the meaning of money.” She came back to the sofa carrying a fresh drink. “You have any kids?” “No, I’m a bachelor.”
    “A bachelor,” she said. She allowed her hand to brush the back of his. “An interesting one, too. How is it you never married, Stone?”
    Stone shrugged and gave her his stock answer. “Just lucky, I guess.”
    She laughed as if this were
really
funny. “Yes, I’m all alone now, I guess. Husband ran off with a twenty-two-year-old, if you can believe it; daughter in college. It’s just me now.” She waved a hand. “All alone in this big house.” “I shouldn’t think a woman as attractive as you are would be alone for very long.”
    She raised her glass. “Thank