Stone Barrington 06-11

investigate the possibility that Bartlett and Manning are the same man.”
    “Then why don’t you arrange for Paul and Mrs. Harding to meet? Surely that would answer the question.”
    “I had hoped to do that, but Mrs. Harding doesn’t wish to see him. Also, Mr. Bartlett checked out of his hotel this morning.”
    “That’s news to me,” Wilkes said.
    “I just wondered if you had any knowledge of Bartlett’s background before you first met him.”
    “I saw a résumé at the time,” Wilkes said. “He had a broad background in advertising and graphics design, worked for several places in New York, as I recall.”
    “Did you check with any of his former employers for a reference?”
    “No. We would ordinarily do that with a prospective employee, but we dealt with Paul as an outside contractor, and frankly, we were more interested in the presentation he prepared for us than in what he had done in the past. We were very enthusiastic about the work, and that was all that mattered.”
    “Do you know anyone who has known Paul Bartlett much longer than you have?”
    Wilkes thought about that for a moment. “No, I don’t believe I do.”
    “Did you know Mr. Bartlett’s wife?”
    Margaret Wilkes spoke up. “Oh, yes. In fact, we introduced them. Such a shame about Frances.”
    “I understand she’s deceased?”
    “Yes, in an accident last year. Terrible thing.”
    “How did it happen?”
    “She and Paul were out driving on a Sunday afternoon, and they swerved to miss hitting a deer. Frances was thrown through the windshield and killed instantly.”
    “Who was driving?”
    “Paul was, but he was wearing a seat belt.”
    “There was no passenger-side air bag,” Wilkes said, “and apparently the buckle on Frances’s seat belt failed or was defective. I urged Paul to sue the car company, but he didn’t have the heart. He just wanted to put it behind him. That’s why he sold his company.”
    “Do you know if he made a lot of money on the sale?”
    “I shouldn’t think so; they were a fairly new company. I think the people who bought them wanted the talent they employed and me for a client more than anything else. Of course, Paul would be quite well fixed, though.”
    “How is that?” Stone asked.
    “Well, Frances was very wealthy. She’d lost her husband a few months before she and Paul met, and he’d left a considerable fortune.”
    “I see,” Stone said.
    “Mr. Barrington,” Margaret Wilkes said, “you’re beginning to frighten me. Are you thinking that Paul might somehow have caused Frances’s death?”
    “At this moment, I have no real reason to think so, Mrs. Wilkes. I’m simply concerned with learning whether he is, or once was, Paul Manning.”
    “This Manning,” Wilkes said, “what was his relationship to Mrs. Harding?”
    “He was her first husband.”
    “And what sort of man is he?”
    “Not a very nice one, I’m afraid.”
    “Was this just some domestic dispute?”
    “More than that,” Stone said. “Manning murdered three people.”
    “Good God!” Wilkes said. “He’s dangerous, then?”
    “Manning certainly is, but please remember, I have no evidence yet that Manning and Bartlett are the same man.”
    “Well, I hope to God you’ll find out!” Wilkes said.
    “I know this is upsetting to you and Mrs. Wilkes,” Stone said, “and I apologize for that.”
    “No, no, if Paul is this Manning, then we certainly want to know. I assume you’ll have him arrested.”
    “We’ll take whatever measures are appropriate,” Stone said.
    “I’ll hardly know what to say to Paul when we see him,” Mrs. Wilkes said.
    “Do you expect to see him anytime soon?”
    “Why, yes. He’s coming to dinner tonight.”
    “Here, in this house?”
    “Yes,” she said.
    Wilkes spoke up. “Perhaps you’d better come, too,” he said.

22
    T HE THREE OF THEM STOOD ON THE AFTERDECK, STONE in black tie, Callie in a silk dress and Liz in a terry robe.
    “I wish you’d come with us,” Stone said to Liz.
    Liz shook her head. “I don’t want to see him,” she said.
    Callie patted her small purse. “I’ve got a camera in here,” she said. “I’ll get his picture.”
    “All right, let’s go,” Stone said. “I’ve no idea what time we’ll be back, but I’ve asked Juanito to keep an eye on you.”
    “Thank you, Stone,” Liz said.
    Stone and Callie walked to the car and drove north.
    “What do you think is going to happen?” Callie said.
    “I don’t think