Collateral Damage (Stone Barrington 25)

“I believe I can answer that,” the commissioner said. “Stone is a retired NYPD detective first grade who is now a prominent New York City attorney, with the firm of Woodman & Weld.”

“And,” Holly added, “Mr. Barrington has for some years been a consultant to the Agency, and we have found his advice to be very useful on several occasions. You should also know that, in London, a very important arrest was made a couple of days ago because a milkman recognized Jasmine from a photograph circulated to his company, so do not discount restaurant deliverymen.”

“She’s right,” the commissioner said, “and Stone knows a lot more about this city than you do, Agent. I think his suggestion is an excellent one, exhibiting just the kind of thinking that will help us find these people.”

“Let’s continue,” Holly said.

After the meeting had adjourned Holly took Stone back to her new office. “What do you think?” she asked, waving an arm.

“Beautiful,” he said.

“I didn’t even know it existed until this morning. Since we’ve never had a station chief here, nobody used it.” Her phone rang. “Holly Barker.”

“It’s Lance,” her former boss said. “Bring me up to date.”

Holly told him the details of what had occurred during the past twenty-four hours.

“What can I do to help?”

“You can contact every station chief who runs informants and find out what you can about the cells in the five American cities. Have them pump the local intelligence services for information. What we know now we got from MI-6. There may be some knowledge drifting in the wind.”

“I’ll start on that immediately. It’s the kind of thing I’d have ordered you to do a few weeks ago.”

“Isn’t your new deputy working out?”

“He’ll do, but he’s not you.”

“That’s the highest praise I’ve ever had from you, Lance.”

“And well deserved. By the way, congratulations on the station chief’s job.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll get back to you when I have something to get back to you with.”

“Bye.” They both hung up.

“Your FBI guest behaved just like every other agent I’ve had to work with,” Stone said.

“I think they have a couple of courses at Quantico on how to be a pain in the ass.”

“I think you’re right to involve him as little as possible, and I’ll be very surprised if he comes up with any useful information. The Bureau doesn’t like running snitches—they don’t like to associate with the lower types.”

“The commissioner doesn’t like him any better than I do,” Holly said. “It’s the NYPD who are going to find Jasmine.”

“I think you’re right,” Stone said.

—

Across town Habib let himself into the basement apartment and found Jasmine watching a soap opera. He handed her the early edition of the New York Post. “You’re all over the papers,” he said.

“Do you have a reliable hairdresser on your short list of people you trust most?”

“I do,” Habib replied.

“I think a late-night appointment with him or her would be of great use.”

“Tonight?”