Bel-Air Dead (Stone Barrington 20)

Photographs of the corpse and the scene were taken. Then the police cleared the scene and took down the yellow tape. Manolo turned up with a mop and a pail and cleaned up the blood, as if he did the same every night.

“It’s time everybody went to bed,” Stone said, shooing everybody out of the house but the security people and Dino. Then he went to Arrington’s room and knocked softly on the door.

“Come in,” she said, and when he had stepped inside, “close the door and come to bed; I don’t want to sleep alone.”

Stone undressed and climbed in next to her. “I told Manolo breakfast at seven; Mike’s people will deliver you to Burbank airport whenever you want to leave.”

She snuggled close to him. “That’s the nice thing about a private jet,” she said. “Departure time is whenever you feel like it.”

She reached down and fondled him, and they had an active halfhour before falling asleep.

She woke Stone at six-thirty, already half-dressed. “I’ll finish packing and join you for breakfast,” she said.

Stone went back to the guesthouse, showered, and changed, then joined Dino at the poolside table.

“You two sleep okay?” Dino asked.

“Yes, considering.”

“Are you still rattled? You were last night.”

“I’m still angry,” Stone said.

“It was Prince, you think? He wants Arrington dead?”

“No, he wants me dead,” Stone replied. “I’ve purposely made myself the main impediment to his deal, so he wants me out of the way. Me dead wouldn’t cause much of a fuss; Arrington dead would make world-wide headlines.”

“I buy that,” Dino said. “Still, it seems reckless.”

“I think he’s beyond caring about that, just obsessed with the deal. What’s the news from your pal Rivera?”

“He pulled in this guy Carter, at Parker Center, and scared the shit out of him. No arrest, but the department fired him.”

“I’m sure that Prince will see that he receives a nice pension contribution,” Stone said.

“Or just kill him, like Alexei,” Dino pointed out.

Arrington joined them, looking fresh and rested, and Manolo served them breakfast.

“Didn’t take you long to pack,” Stone said.

“There isn’

t much to pack when you’re traveling from your house to your house,” she said.

“True.”

“How long will it take me to get to Virginia?” she asked. Stone thought about it. “Not more than four hours,” he said. “Something you should think about when you get home is buying a hangar.”

“Good idea,” she said. “Why rent?”

“I’ll research it for you, if you like, see what the market is like, what’s available.”

“Thank you, I’d like that.”

They finished breakfast, and Stone walked her to the Bentley. Manolo would drive her, accompanied by two unmarked security cars. “Have a good flight,” he said.

“I’m sure I will,” she replied. “I’m looking forward to it.” She kissed him, got into the Bentley, and was driven away.