“It depends on how lucky we get,” Stone said.
“Oh, one of those.”
“Yeah, one of those,” Stone said. “See you in half an hour.”
5
Bob Cantor and the Leahy brothers arranged themselves in chairs around the coffee table in Stone’s office. Cantor had been a detective in the 19th Precinct squad when Stone had been on the force; the Leahys were of a later vintage, but Bob trusted them, so Stone did, too.
“What we’ve got here…” Stone began, then stopped. “No, that’s not it. I was going to say a missing person, but it’s more than that.”
“A missing person who doesn’t want to be found?” Bob asked.
“That’s a lot closer, but there’s more,” Stone said. “All I can do is tell you everything the client has told me.”
“Who’s the client?” Bob asked.
“I’m afraid I’ve signed a document that prevents me from answering your question,” Stone said. “Let’s just say it’s somebody from overseas.”
“Okay, let’s say that,” Bob replied, and the Leahys nodded as one man, as they did almost everything. The brothers were not twins but very close.
Stone handed each of the three men a copy of the photograph Felicity had given Stone. “This man used to be employed by an intelligence agency. His name used to be Stanley Whitestone.”
“How old is the photo?” Cantor asked.
“Twelve years. It was, apparently, the last picture anyone ever took of him.”
“Was he a spy?”
“I’m not sure what his duties were, but let’s assume he was. It will make it easier to understand how hard it is going to be to find him.”
Cantor shrugged. The Leahys looked sleepy.
Stone buzzed Joan. “Could you bring us a pot of coffee, please?” Stone continued. “Mr. Whitestone left his employers under very suspicious circumstances, only a day before their suspicions were confirmed. His crime was selling information to people who used it to make money.”
“Did his employers turn over his finances?”
“I haven’t been told, but it is what they would do.”
“Did they come up with anything that might give us a lead?”
“I can inquire about that, but if such information existed, I expect I would already have it.”
“So, exactly what do we have to go on?” Cantor asked.
“Three things,” Stone said. “One: the photograph. Two: the fact that someone who once knew him saw him twice in the lobby of the Seagram Building during the past few weeks. And three: the person who saw him, who was, incidentally, a member of the legislature of his country, has not been heard from ag
ain.”
“Somebody offed him?” Willie Leahy asked, coming to life.
“That is the assumption,” Stone said, “so watch your ass.”
Joan came in with a coffee tray. “Did you say something about Willie watching my ass?” she asked.
“No,” Stone said.
“I was, though,” Willie added. “Nice.”