Stone Barrington 06-11

enjoyed the moment.
    “Just you remember,” she said, “you owe me one.”
    Stone released himself and made his way out of the RV. On the short drive back to the bungalow, Stone made a concerted effort to forget how Charlene Joiner had looked naked, and failed.

Forty-four

    S TONE SPENT THE EVENING ALONE IN VANCE’S BUNGALOW, heating a frozen dinner and watching one of Vance’s movies from a selection of videotapes in the study. It turned out to be one in which Charlene Joiner had costarred, and that didn’t help him think pure thoughts. Her ability as an actress actually lived up to her beauty, which surprised him, though it was not the first of her movies he had seen.
    He slept fitfully, then devoted the following day to a combination of Calder Estate business and correspondence FedExed by Joan from New York, which kept his mind off naked women, living and dead. The noon news said that Daniel Pike was not a suspect in his ex-wife’s death, but he didn’t believe it. The police had probably leaked that information to make Pike think he was safe. He’d done the same thing, himself, in his time.
    Arrington called early in the afternoon. “Dino and Mary Ann are arriving at three,” she said, “and Manolo is meeting them. I can’t wait to see them!”
    “Same here,” Stone said, and he meant it. Cut off from Arrington most of the time, he craved affectionate company.
    “You be here at seven,” she said.
    “Can I bring anything?”
    “Yes, but I don’t think you’ll share, in your present mood.”
    “When this is over, I’ll share until you cry for mercy.”
    “Promises, promises! Bye.” She hung up.

    Stone left the studio at six-thirty, which would make him fashionably late to Arrington’s. Then, after no more than a mile, the car’s steering felt funny, and he pulled over. The rear tire was flat. He thought of changing it himself, but there was a gas station a block away, and he didn’t want to get his fresh clothes dirty, so he hiked down there and brought back a mechanic to do the work. As a result, he was half an hour late to dinner.
    He entered through the front gate, for a change, and noted that there were no TV vans or reporters about. Manolo let him in and escorted him into the living room where Arrington, Dino, and Mary Ann sat on sofas before the fireplace. Another woman was there, too, but her back was to him.
    He hugged Dino and Mary Ann, but when he went to embrace Arrington, she kept an elbow between them. “And look who else is here!” she cried, waving a hand toward the sofa. The other woman turned around.
    “Dolce,” Stone said weakly. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”
    “Well, you can reach me now,” Dolce replied, patting the sofa next to her.
    Stone started to take another seat, but Arrington took his arm tightly and guided him next to Dolce. “Dolce has told me your wonderful news!” Arrington said brightly, showing lots of teeth. “Let me congratulate you!”
    Stone looked at Dino and Mary Ann, both of whom looked extremely uncomfortable. He sat down next to Dolce and submitted to a kiss on the cheek.
    “My darling,” she said, “how handsome you look tonight.”
    “I’m sorry I’m late,” Stone said to Arrington, ignoring Dolce. “I had a flat tire on the way.”
    “Of course you did, Stone,” she replied, as if he were lying.
    Manolo brought him a Wild Turkey on the rocks, and Stone sipped it. This whole thing was insane; what was Dolce doing here? He discovered that he was sweating. “How was your flight?” he asked Dino and Mary Ann.
    “Pretty much the same as being moved around the Chicago Stockyards with an electric cattle prod,” Dino replied gamely, trying to hold up his end.
    “Heh, heh,” Stone said, taking a big swig of the bourbon. He stole a glance at Dolce, who was smiling broadly. He hoped she wasn’t armed.
    Across the coffee table, on the sofa opposite, Arrington was smiling just as broadly. She emptied a martini glass and motioned to Manolo for another. “Well, isn’t this fun!” she said. “Old friends together again. How long has it been?”
    “A long time,” Mary Ann replied, as if it had not been long enough.
    “Oh, Stone,” Dino said, standing up. “I brought you something; come out to the guesthouse for a minute.”
    “Excuse me,” Stone said to Arrington.
    “Hurry back, now!” she replied.
    Stone followed Dino out the back door and toward the guesthouse. “What the fuck is going on?” he