Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 12

him again until he turned up in New York and called me at the precinct and invited me to dinner. We went to the Harvard Club, I remember, and I was impressed.”
    â€œWhat did you talk about that evening?”
    â€œAbout our work: He was stationed in Rome, as I recall—he was the agricultural attaché, or something—and I was working homicides with Dino. I remember he asked me if I was interested in government service, and I said I was already in government service. I asked him what he had in mind, but he was vague. I didn’t hear from him again until this morning.”
    Lance nearly choked on his drink. “This morning ?”
    â€œYes, I had a letter from Dick—a package, really—by FedEx. There was a letter saying that he wanted me to put the package, which was sealed, in my safe and not to open it, except in event of his death. There was a check for a thousand dollars, too, as a retainer. He wanted to formally hire me as his attorney. Why do you find it so odd that I heard from him this morning?”
    Lance put a hand on Stone’s arm. “Because, my friend, yesterday your cousin, Dick Stone, shot his wife and only daughter, then put a bullet in his own brain. At his house in Dark Harbor.”

2
    S TONE UNLOCKED THE front door of his house and let everybody in. “Dino, put your stuff on the elevator, take it up to the third floor and put it in the big guest room. We’ll be in my office.” Dino complied.
    Stone led the way downstairs to the basement and switched on the lights in his office. “Have a seat,” he said to Lance and Holly. They did so. Stone went to his safe, punched the combination into the electronic keypad, removed a package and set it on his desk.
    Lance bent over and looked at the package, then smiled. “Smart boy, Dick.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œLook at how he’s done this: The package is one large sheet of heavy paper, cut so that four corners come together and are sealed with wax and Dick’s signet ring.”
    â€œWhy?” Stone asked.
    â€œBecause it’s impossible to open and reseal the package without his ring and without being detected. I think you should draw up a document saying that Holly, Dino and I witnessed your opening the package.”
    â€œOkay by me,” Dino said, joining them.
    Stone switched on his computer, typed out a brief statement, and the three of them witnessed his breaking the seals and opening the package. Then Stone put the package back into his safe and locked it.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Lance asked.
    â€œIt’s your turn to answer some questions,” Stone said. “What is your interest in my cousin Dick?”
    â€œI don’t have to answer your questions, Stone,” Lance said.
    â€œAnd I don’t have to show you what’s in Dick’s package,” Stone replied.
    â€œAll right, I guess we’re all family here,” Lance said. “Dick Stone wasn’t with the State Department. Until recently, he was Assistant Deputy Director for European Operations for the CIA. Two weeks ago, he arrived with his family in Washington to replace Hugh English as Deputy Director for Operations—that’s the top job on the operations side, reporting to the Director of Central Intelligence. After thirty years on the job, Hugh is retiring at the end of the summer. You remember when you and I met in London a couple of years ago?”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œI was working for Dick at the time. I’ve been assigned to investigate the deaths of him and his family.”
    â€œAll right,” Stone said, “now everybody go sit in my waiting room while I read what’s in the package.”
    â€œWhy?” Lance asked.
    â€œBecause I’m representing Dick as his attorney and what passes between us is confidential, unless I determine that it doesn’t need to be.”
    Lance stared at him for a moment, then got up and left the room, followed by Holly.
    â€œYou, too, Dino,” Stone said. Dino got up and left the room.
    Stone opened the safe, took out the package and spread its four flaps. On top there was a letter from Dick Stone and beneath was a will. Stone read the letter:
    My Dear Stone,
    First of all, I wish to hire you as my attorney, and I enclose a check for $1,000.00 as a retainer. Of course, I know that your fees will surpass that amount, should I require services, but that will be taken care of in due