Kisser (2010)

telephoning you yesterday when I returned from lunch and got your message. You’re looking extremely well.”
    “I am extremely well for a person of my age,” Eduardo said,
    “and I am grateful to my ancestors for the genes passed down to me. My father lived to a hundred and three, and my mother only a year short of that. When she died, my father remarried shortly afterward to a woman of fifty. He told me he had considered a woman of thirty-five but did not wish to be burdened with more children at his age.”
    Stone laughed. The butler appeared with an ice bucket, opened a bottle of Pinot Grigio, and poured them each a glass. “I hear from Dino that Benito has been accepted to Choate, which is wonderful news.”
    “Yes, though it means I will see him less often. I think it will be good, though, for him to be out of the city and in the companionship of boys who will grow into leaders in this country.”
    “I’m sure he will fare well in their midst,” Stone replied.
    “I have great plans for the boy,” Eduardo said.
    “Oh? Have you already chosen a profession for him?”
    “Not those sorts of plans,” Eduardo said, shaking his head. “He will excel at whatever work he chooses. Eventually, he will, with my advice and that of his mother, look after my interests until they become his own.”
    “What are your interests these days, Eduardo?”
    Eduardo permitted himself a small laugh. “You are curious, aren’t you, Stone?”
    “I confess, I am.”
    “My interests are broad and deep, ranging from Wall Street, which has been a disappointment lately, to Silicon Valley, with many stops in between.”
    “Are you still involved in banking?”
    Eduardo shook his head slowly. “No. At a board meeting many months ago I heard of this awful bundling of mortgages. I looked into it and immediately resigned from three boards and sold all my bank shares over a period of weeks, well before the crash. A bit later, I moved to cash in the market. Now I have begun to buy again, companies with futures and at very good prices.”
    Lunch was served: medallions of pork in a garlicky sauce, with tiny, crisp potatoes and perfectly cooked broccoli.
    When the plates were taken away, Eduardo leaned back in his chair. “I am given to understand,” he said, “that you are involved with two men called Sharpe and Larsen.”
    Stone was once again astonished at Eduardo’s apparent knowledge of everything about everybody. “I met them both recently,” Stone said. “Beyond a couple of dinners I am not directly involved with either.”
    “I must tell you, Stone, that it is dangerous to invest with Mr. Larsen, as I have reason to believe that he has created a Ponzi scheme along the lines of that perpetrated by Bernard Madoff but on a much smaller scale.”
    “He will not see any of my money,” Stone replied, “such as it is.”
    “Good. And I must tell you that it is dangerous merely to be in the company of Mr. Sharpe.”
    “How so?”
    “The gentleman has ventured into waters that are rather thickly populated by others of more experience and cunning. In addition, he has attracted the attention of the police, and when his business associates learn of this, his existence will become uncertain.”
    “I will certainly heed your warning,” Stone said. “And I will tell you, in confidence, that I have had a hand in pointing the police in his direction.”
    Eduardo looked surprised, an expression Stone had never seen on his face. “Have you, really? That speaks well of you, Stone.”
    “I’m afraid that Mr. Sharpe has gained some sway over the soon-to-be-wealthy daughter of a client of Woodman & Weld, and I was asked to see what I could do about it.”
    “Ah, that would be Miss Parsons, would it not?”
    “It would.”
    “I had heard that she had been seen often in Mr. Sharpe’s company, and I was concerned. Her father is a friend of mine, and I have bought a number of artworks from him over the years. I hope that your endeavor will be successful soon, for I fear there is not much time.”
    Dessert was served, a light, Italian cheesecake. Then, over coffee, Eduardo radically changed the subject.
    “Dolce has been feeling much better the past few months,” he said.
    “I’m glad to hear that,” Stone said carefully. Not since the divorce Eduardo had effected for him had he mentioned his daughter’s name to Stone.
    “She has expressed a desire to see you,” Eduardo said.
    Stone nearly choked on his coffee. “If,