“I guess the FBI didn’t let him in on the timing. You ready to go back to New York?”
Stone shrugged. “Sure. I don’t know how much more of this sunshine and sea and clean air I can take, anyway. Can I have breakfast first?”
“Sure.” She went to work in the kitchen.
An hour later, Holly left the house in uniform. “I’ve got a couple of hours’ work at the station. You go ahead and file your flight plan. I’ll bring sandwiches for lunch on the airplane.”
“Are you going to call Ham?”
“I’m going to leave Daisy with him. I’ll tell him then.”
“Whatever you say.”
She left, and Stone phoned for a weather forecast, which was favorable, and filed a flight plan, then he called the airport and asked for the airplane to be refueled. Holly dropped Daisy off with Ham, who didn’t like her going back to New York without him.
“You call me if you need me,” he said.
“I will,” she replied, kissing him on the cheek.
With Holly in the copilot’s seat they climbed out of Vero Beach airport and headed north, by way of Ormond Beach and Charleston, South Carolina. Stone noted a nice, thirty-knot tailwind, so they made good time along the route.
They had just passed Charleston when the AirCell phone rang, and Stone answered it. “Hello?”
“Stone?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Eduardo. I hope you don’t mind my phoning you on the airplane. Your secretary gave me the number.”
“Not at all. It’s good to hear from you, Eduardo.”
“Where are you?”
“I’ve been in Florida for a couple of days, and I’m headed home now. I should land at Teterboro in about two and a half hours.”
“I have some information for you.”
/> “Go ahead.”
“The business you and I discussed apparently took place last night.”
“Yes, I saw something about it on television this morning.”
“Your Mr. Rodriguez took part in the process, and when the arrests had been made, he left the scene in an FBI car. My, ah, acquaintances do not now know where he is. They haven’t heard from him at all.”
“Do they expect to hear from him?”
“Apparently so, but they didn’t expect him to leave with the FBI. They’re assuming he has either been arrested or is being questioned about some other matter.”
“I see. Thank you very much, Eduardo. I’m grateful for your assistance.”
“I’m glad I could be of service, and I hope the information I gave you is of some use.”
“I hope so, too.”
“Please come and have lunch again soon.”
“I will, and thank you again. Goodbye.” Stone punched off. “You heard that on your headset?” he asked Holly.