Bel-Air Dead (Stone Barrington 20)

“He can afford to do both.”

“But he can’t do both,” Stone said. “If he wants this property, he’d have to end his attempted takeover of Centurion and agree never to try again.”

Carolyn took a sip of her wine and looked thoughtful. “I think you’ve got it,” she said. “The one thing in Los Angeles, maybe in the world, that he would most like to have. He was very, very upset when his offer for the Bel-Air Hotel was rejected.”

“I suppose I could call and offer him the property,” Stone said, “but it might work better if you somehow learned of its availability-not through me-and let him know. I’m sure you could collect a very nice commission on that sale, especially since it wouldn’t involve a broker.”

Carolyn had stopped eating and drinking; she was just staring into the middle distance. “My God!” she said finally. “How would I have learned about it, except through you?”

“Arrington took up the option on the adjoining acreage just a few days ago,” Stone said. “Transactions of that sort are part of the public record, aren’t they?”

“Yes, they are,” Carolyn said. “And I have a contact in that city office who could very well have let me know about this one.”

“Well,” Stone said. “There you are.”

Carolyn stood up, dropping her napkin on the patio. “I have to go,” she said, then practically ran from the house.

“I think that worked,” Stone said aloud to himself.

33

Dino returned to the house late in the afternoon. “I’ve got news,” he said.

“Tell me,” Stone replied.

“Terry Prince’s guy at Parker Center? The one who probably set up Jim Long’s shanking?”

“I remember.”

“He’s disappeared.”

“What a shock!” Stone replied, laughing. “What’s your best guess: was he paid off and sent away or does he now reside in the La Brea Tar Pits?”

“My friend Rivera would like to know,” Dino said.

“My money’s on La Brea, or some other equally suitable resting place.”

Manolo paged Stone on the house phone, and he picked it up. “Yes?”

“Mrs. Calder is on line one for you,” Manolo said.

Stone punched the button. “Hello, there; safe and sound in Charlottesville, I hope.”

“Safe and sound at home,” she replied.

/> “How was your flight?”

“Absolutely wonderful! And Mike Freeman was very good company. His company airplane met him in Charlottesville and flew him to New York, but not before he showed me my new hangar. It’s wonderful! I could almost live there myself.”

“I’ll get New York to wire the funds, then,” Stone said.

“The crew are living there, until we can find something more permanent for them in town.”

“When’s your auction?”

“Tomorrow morning. The auctioneers have been working here the whole time I’ve been away. It’s very odd to have a tag on every object in your house.”

“When do you move out?”