Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 14

chip company would admit.”
    â€œRight.”
    â€œWell, it’s a very clever way to murder somebody, but that kind of attempt would have a very low success rate. I mean, the killer would have to know that the car would be in conditions conducive to an accident.”
    â€œIt was public knowledge that the justice had a house in the mountains, and the weather report for the day is all the information Teddy would need.”
    â€œOkay, I buy it. Can I turn around and look at these people now, please?”
    â€œYou can look at the guy up close; he’s headed this way.”
    Stone turned and looked at the man, who had come up to the bar on the side opposite from Holly. She was right about his hair; colored, but real.
    â€œMorning,” the man said to everybody.
    â€œGood morning.”
    â€œBartender, do you have any Alka-Seltzer back there?” the man asked.
    â€œYes, sir.” A glass of water was placed on the bar and two tablets began to fizz.
    â€œI’ve got to stop eating my own cooking,” the man said. His accent was mildly southern.
    â€œYou’re eating your own cooking on vacation?” Stone asked, grateful for the opening.
    â€œI came in on a boat last night,” the man said. “Sailed it down from Lauderdale.”
    â€œSinglehanded?”
    â€œYep. A lot of fun.”
    â€œI’ve done a little of that. I sailed a fifty-footer from here to Lauderdale a few years back.”
    â€œMine’s smaller than that,” the man said. It’s a Hinckley Bermuda Forty.”
    â€œNice boat. Easy to singlehand?”
    â€œWell, I improved the deck layout a little for singlehanding, and GPS sure makes the navigation easier.”
    â€œHow’d you pick St. Marks?”
    â€œWell, I was going sailing, anyway, and…” He stuck out his hand. “By the way, my name is Harry Pitts.”
    Stone shook the hand. “Stone Barrington.”
    â€œLady I used to go out with has a place here, so I dropped in to see her, thought I’d rest up for a week or two. Where you from?”
    â€œNew York.”
    â€œI’m from a little town in Virginia you never heard of. What business you in?”
    â€œAttorney. You?”
    â€œI had a very nice home improvement business; sold it a couple of years ago and retired. Bored out of my skull, until I went sailing. A friend took me out on the Chesapeake, and I kind of went nuts about it. Excuse me.” He picked up the glass, drank the fizzy liquid, belched, and set the glass down. “Nice to meet you,” he said. “I’d better rejoin my lady. If you’re around later, I’ll buy you a drink.”
    â€œI’d like that,” Stone said.
    â€œYou staying here?”
    â€œYes, cottage number one, down on the beach. Why don’t you both join us for a drink around six?”
    â€œThat’s mighty nice of you; let me check with Irene, and I’ll get back to you.” He gave a little wave and went back to his table.
    â€œWhat do you think?” Stone asked.
    â€œHe’s not Teddy, but that was good about asking them for a drink; at least we’ll get to talk to Irene. He’s waving at you.”
    Stone looked over at the table. Harry Pitts was making a circle with his thumb and forefinger and nodding, then held up six fingers.
    Stone gave an acknowledging wave and turned back to his piña colada. “It would be a plus if they didn’t turn out to be awful bores,” he said.
    â€œI don’t see how anybody who rose as far in the Agency as Irene could turn out to be a bore,” Holly replied.
    â€œAny way you slice it,” Stone said, “she was a bureaucrat.”

10
    T heir guests arrived at ten minutes past six, laughing. It seemed that they had already had at least one drink, but Stone poured vodka gimlets that he had made the night before and stored in the freezer. Introductions were made.
    â€œSo,” Stone said, “are you both from Virginia?”
    â€œHow did you know that?” Irene Foster asked.
    â€œHarry said he was from a small town in Virginia that I never heard of.”
    â€œWell, I’m from Virginia, but not from a town you never heard of, or from any other town,” Irene replied, taking a big sip of her gimlet. “I’m a country girl.”
    Harry Pitts laughed. “She’s the slickest country girl you ever met,” he said. “She worked for the CIA for