Lucid Intervals (2010)

“Thanks, Stone, you’ve been great.”
    “See that accountant, Herbie, or soon you won’t have any money left.”
    “I’ll call him tomorrow,” Herbie promised and then ran out of the office.
    Joan came in. “How’d it go?”
    “Very smoothly,” Stone replied. “Good job on the document package.”
    “It’s what I do,” she said.
    “Among many other things. Felicity was very impressed with how quickly you put together the dinner party for tomorrow night.”
    “It was easy, once each guest knew who the other guests would be.”
    “Oh, you’d better hire a waiter and somebody to help Helene in the kitchen.”
    “I have already done so.”
    “I suppose you’ve planned the menu, too.”
    “Hot hors d’oeuvres, then crab soup to start, followed by beef Wellington, pommes soufflées and haricots verts. Crème brûlée for dessert. You can pick the wines.”
    “Thank you very much, and give yourself a ten percent raise.”
    “Oh, good!” she squealed and gave him a big hug.
    Stone reflected that if she quit, he’d have to shoot himself.

33
    S tone went into the dining room to check the table setting and to distribute the place cards. The hired waiter came into the room, and Stone took him to the chair where Hackett would be sitting. “Is Bob Cantor here yet?” Cantor was coming to handle the fingerprinting.
    “Ten minutes ago,” the waiter replied.
    Stone picked up the three wineglasses at Hackett’s place and polished them with his linen handkerchief. “Now these three glasses are free of fingerprints,” he said. “When you clear away each course, take the empty wineglass into the kitchen, holding it by the stem, not touching the bowl, and give it to Bob, understand?”
    “Got it,” the waiter said.
     
     
     
    BILL EGGERS AND his wife arrived exactly on time for dinner, which meant ten minutes before anyone else. The waiter served them drinks.
    “I wanted to tell you, before the others arrive, that Jim Hackett met with our intellectual property people this afternoon, and they pleased him. He’s on board with Strategic Services, and he’s said that if we do a good job, he’ll give us more business.”
    “I’m delighted to hear it,” Stone said.
    “You’ll find your rainmaking reflected in your bonus.”
    “I’m delighted to hear that, too.”
    “Jim has also said that he’d like you to take on some projects for him.”
    “I’m glad to do that as long as you’re on board with it.”
    “I am.”
    “Did he say what sorts of things he’d like me to do?”
    “No. In fact he specified that, while nothing he assigns you will be a conflict of interest with Woodman and Weld, the details of your assignments would remain strictly between you and him. I’ll rely on you to avoid conflicts.”
    “I will do so.”
    Felicity came downstairs and was reintroduced to the Eggerses, then the doorbell rang, and the former commissioner and his wife, Mitzi, walked in. It was the first time Stone had seen them since the wedding. Stone shook the commissioner’s hand, and Mitzi offered him a cheek while Felicity observed, then was introduced.
    Jim Hackett was the last to arrive, with a beautiful woman called Vanessa, to whom, Stone surmised, Hackett was not married. They settled in for cocktails, while the waiter brought hot hors d’oeuvres.
    “Stone,” Hackett said, “I expect Bill has told you I met with his people this afternoon.”
    “Yes, he has.”
    “I was pleased with what I heard, and I thank you for arranging it,” Hackett said. “Dame Felicity, it’s good to see you again after so much time has passed.”
    “I’m pleased to see you, Mr. Hackett,” Felicity replied.
    “It’s just plain Jim, please.”
    “And it’s just plain Felicity.” Her gaze seemed to be boring into Hackett. “We met at a dinner party in London some years ago, as I recall.”
    “That’s correct.”
    “I thought at the time you seemed familiar. Had we ever met before that?”
    “No, I don’t believe so, though I did meet your father once, at lunch at the Garrick Club. He was a very impressive gentleman.”
    “The Garrick was his favorite,” Felicity said. “I understand you are a native of the Shetland Islands.”
    “I am.”
    “You grew up there?”
    “Yes. My father was a crofter—he tended the sheep—and my mother was the weaver.”
    “You’ve made quite a leap from those days, haven’t you?”
    “From those days to these required a number of leaps,” Hackett said.