Stone Barrington 06-11

you up close, we can’t send you around to these bars… however much you might wish to go… .”
    Carpenter’s ears got hot again.
    “. . . But I believe you are personally acquainted with this lawyer—Barrington? Is that his name?”
    Carpenter looked over at Mason, who had assumed a studious attitude with some papers before him.
    “Yes, Barrington. Since La Biche apparently has an interest in him, your assignment, Carpenter, will be to see that the twain do not meet. If she keeps killing civilians…” He left that thought unfinished.
    “Yes, sir,” she said.
    “And further, Carpenter, you are directed to take whatever measures are necessary to remain alive. You’re no good to me dead.”
    “Excuse me, sir,” Mason said.
    “Yes, Mason?”
    “May we have instructions on what to do about La Biche, once we’ve found her?”
    Good for you, Mason, Carpenter thought. Get him on the record.
    “You are not—repeat, not —to attempt to detain her,” Architect said. “She is far too dangerous, and I don’t want to lose any more people.” Architect closed his briefcase. “Dispose of her,” he said, “by whatever means are available.”
    “Sir,” Mason pressed on, “any such opportunities that arise are likely to be in public places.”
    “I am aware of that, Mason,” Architect said. “Try to avoid collateral damage.” He picked up his briefcase and walked out of the room.
    As the group filed out, Carpenter fell into step with Mason. “Are you prepared to follow that order?” she asked quietly.
    “I am unaccustomed,” Mason said, “to not following his orders.”

36
    Stone was getting hungrier and hungrier, and Carpenter had not called. The phone finally rang.
    “Hello?”
    “It’s me,” she said.
    “How did your meeting go?”
    “I’ll tell you about it later.”
    “How much later?”
    “I’m afraid I’m going to have to work through the evening. Why don’t you go to Elaine’s, and I’ll meet you there later?”
    “Do you feel safe at Elaine’s?” Stone asked.
    “The last time La Biche came to Elaine’s, she got arrested,” Carpenter said. “I don’t think she’ll be anxious to return, do you?”
    “I guess not,” Stone agreed. “Any idea what time you’ll be there?”
    “I’ll call you when I’m on my way. Bye.” She hung up.

    Stone took a cab to Elaine’s, settled in at his table, and ordered a drink and a menu. Elaine came over and sat down.

    “You missed all the excitement last night, huh?”
    “Yeah, Dino said you alerted him. That was a good call.”
    Elaine shrugged. “Just watching your ass for you.”
    “Thanks. I still have possession of it. How did all this happen?”
    “She came in and sat down at the bar. One of the bartenders, Bobby, chatted her up a little while she had dinner, and they got along real well. She even gave him her number. Then she pulled out the Page Six clipping, and he mentioned it to me. She wanted to know your name, and he told her. I remembered a conversation in here about that.”
    “She gave Bobby her number?”
    “Yeah, they were going like gangbusters. Bobby’s pretty swift with the ladies.”
    “Excuse me a second,” Stone said. He got up and went to the bar. “Hey, Bobby.”
    “Hey, Stone. How you doing?”
    “I’m good. Thanks for your help last night.”
    “I thought I was helping myself.”
    “Elaine said the lady gave you her number?”
    “Yeah, that’s right.”
    “You still got it?”
    Bobby went to the cash register, hit a key, and the drawer slid open. He reached under the currency tray for something and came back with a slip of paper. “Here you go. I don’t guess I’ll be calling her, from what I’ve heard about her.”
    Stone pocketed the paper. “Thanks, Bobby. Have one on me.”
    “Thanks.”

    Stone went back to his table and looked at the paper. The area code was 917, which was reserved for New York City cell phones.
    Elaine looked at him. “Jesus, you’re not that horny, are you?”
    “Of course not,” Stone said, putting the number in his pocket.
    “Where’s Felicity?”
    “Working. She’ll be in later.”
    “And Dino?”
    “We had lunch. We’ve seen enough of each other for one day.”
    “Stone, you think you’re in any sort of danger from this woman?”
    “I hope not, but she’s unlikely to come in here again, after what happened to her last night.” Stone looked up to see a woman alone come through the front door. She stopped and looked around. Medium