Unintended Consequences

considerably. I think you’ll find him more cooperative.”
    “I’m extremely glad to hear that,” Lance said.
    “Lance, I’ve invited Helga Becker to visit me in New York. I hope you don’t have a problem with that.”
    “Do you think you can avoid having her photographed in your company while she’s there? I don’t want her to turn up on Page Six—at least, not until everything has quieted down in Paris. Our two presidents have had discussions about the Aldo incident, and word has reached me that Aldo’s friends are extremely angry.”
    “I think I can shield her from the press.”
    “I’m glad Marcel is staying with you. A lot of our friends seem to do that from time to time.”
    Stone knew he was referring to Holly, but he said nothing.
    “I think it’s time we augmented the security arrangements for your house,” Lance said. “After all, after the events of a few weeks ago, al Qaeda is aware of you.”
    This had crossed Stone’s mind, but he hadn’t done anything about it. “What sort of augmentation?”
    “If you’re going to go on hosting people important to us, like the president and first lady, even after they’re out of office, then we’ll need to install a new security system, and we’ll need to replace the exterior doors with steel ones and the windows with steel-framed armored glass.”
    “The New-York Historical Society will be alarmed to hear that, and you’ll have to have their approval.”
    “Leave that to me. The doors and windows will appear identical to the ones they’re replacing. We did the same thing with your cousin Dick’s house at Dark Harbor, which you now own.”
    “You’re not going to send me a bill for all this, are you?”
    “Fear not, Stone, it will be done with dispatch, and you will be none the poorer for it.”
    “All right.”
    “A man named Joe will call and survey the place. He’ll phone Joan first.”
    “And you’ll take whatever steps are necessary so that Helga won’t have any problems entering the country?”
    “I will, but I don’t want her flying commercial until I say so, and that could be a few weeks.”
    “Then I’ll arrange something. How’s the new job?”
    “More hectic than I had imagined. Kate has been a great help with the transition. I’m moving into her offices tomorrow. Now I must go.” Lance hung up without further ado.
    Stone buzzed Joan. “A man named Joe, a friend of Lance’s, is going to come to the house and make a nuisance of himself, and then he’s going to put in a new security system and replace all the windows in the house.”
    “Is that all? Oh, it’ll be fun!” She hung up.
    Marcel rapped on the rear door to Stone’s office and walked in. “May I?”
    “Of course,” Stone said. “How’s the jet lag?”
    “I’m feeling quite well,” he said, “after a good night’s sleep.”
    “When would you like to meet with Mike Freeman about your security arrangements?”
    “Anytime at all. And we should invite Bill Eggers and discuss the Arrington proposition, as well.”
    “I’ll do that. By the way, Helga called last night after you went to bed and sends you her warm regards. She’s safe in Sweden, but she’s going to come and visit me in New York.”
    “When will she come?”
    “As soon as I can arrange a private air charter. Lance doesn’t want her flying commercial until things have quieted down.”
    “My French attorney will come to New York if we can reach an agreement on the Arrington business. I can have him pick her up in Stockholm on his way.”
    “That’s very kind of you, Marcel.” And a reason to conclude our business quickly, Stone thought.

34
    S tone and Marcel were driven to the offices of Strategic Services by Philip in Stone’s car and were immediately shown into Mike Freeman’s large office.
    “Good morning, Marcel,” Mike said. “Bill Eggers will be joining us in half an hour or so, but I wanted to talk with you about your security concerns in Paris.”
    “Thank you, Mike,” Marcel said, sitting down on the sofa and accepting a cup of coffee.
    “There are two immediate concerns, as we see it,” Mike said. “First, there’s the Blaise factory, which we have not had an opportunity to survey.”
    “Fortunately,” Marcel replied, “we have had a considerable security presence at the factory, because of our concerns about keeping the operation secret. With the introduction of the car at auto shows around the world, I had planned to reduce that to the