Shoot Him If He Runs (Stone Barrington 14)

“How would you all like to come for a sail tomorrow?” Harry asked.

“That sounds like fun,” Holly said. “There was talk of tennis with some other guests; can we call you in the morning and let you know?”

“Sure, that’s fine. I just want to keep the barnacles off the hull.”

“I’ll fix us a lunch,” Irene said. “It would be fun.”

“We’d love it, if we’re able to come,” Holly said.

They continued with dinner, laughing and talking. When Irene and Harry finally said their good-byes, Stone and Holly began walking back toward the cottage.

“That was Lance on the phone,” he said. “He tried you, then tried me.”

“What’s up?”

“We have a little job to do for Lance.” He handed Dino a slip of paper. “Dino, we have to disappear for a while. If we’re not back in two hours, call Lance at that number and let him know.”

“Let him know what?”

“Just that we’re not back. You might try my cell phone before you call him.”

“Okay.” Dino put the number in his pocket.

Holly followed Stone to the car. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you on the way.”

31

Stone and Holly got into the car and drove out of the inn’s grounds. He handed her his jotter. “You have any idea where that is?”

“No; what is it?”

“It’s Bill Pepper’s house. Lance hasn’t been able to reach either Pepper or his wife, and he wants us to look around the place.”

“Shit, what the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know, but take a look at the rent-a-car map in the glove compartment, and see if you can figure out the address.”

Holly opened the glove compartment and switched on the map light. “Okay, the address is 601 Victoria Road; that starts in Markstown and seems to run out into the country. Take your next right, then the first right after that.”

Stone followed her instructions. “Okay, now we’re on Victoria Road; see any house numbers?”

“We just passed 720,” Holly said. She dug a small flashlight out of her handbag. “Slow down, so I can see the mailboxes.”

Stone slowed.

“ 680,” she said. “It’ll be on the other side of the road.” She continued to read off the numbers. “Next house on the left,” she said.

Stone slowed, but didn’t stop. “I don’t want to just pull into the driveway,” he said. “Let’s see if anybody else is out here tonight.”

The road was very dark, and Stone continued to drive slowly. “Look for parked cars on both sides,” he said.

“I don’t see any cars, except ones that look like they belong to the houses,” Holly said.

Stone pulled into a driveway, turned around and started back toward 601. “Is that one of those lithium-battery flashlights?”

“Yes,” she said, “a SureFire.”