This was not going well, Amanda thought. She called Richard Hickock and was put through immediately.
“Have you heard?”
“Heard what?” Hickock asked, as if he weren’t sure he wanted to know.
“Stone Barrington’s in the hospital. Somebody broke into his house and hit him over the head.”
“Jesus Christ. Does this have anything to do with our problem?”
“He disconnected the bugging in his house, and he thinks they came back to put it in again. Has he checked your office?”
“I had it done; both the office and the apartment are clean.”
“What about… that little friend of yours?”
“That was bugged. Stone’s guy figured it out.”
“I’m hiring a security guard,” Amanda said. “I don’t want my place bugged again.”
“I don’t blame you,” Hickock replied. “I’m having my premises checked daily, and I’m not using my cell phone when it counts.”
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“Good God, can they bug a cellular phone?”
“A cell phone is a radio; people can listen in if they have the right equipment. I know a guy who’s got a scanner thing in his car; he listens to other people’s phone conversations for entertainment while he’s being driven around town.”
“That’s disgusting!” Amanda jotted a quick note to herself to ask Stone how to get a scanner.
“Well, that’s life these days.”
“I suppose it is. Do you have anything to report?”
“Nothing. Is Stone okay?”
“Yes, he’ll be out of the hospital by tomorrow at the latest, or I’m having a word with his doctors.”
“Good, we need him on the job.”
“Good-bye, Dickie.”
“Bye.”
She hung up just as Martha buzzed her. “Yes?”
“Allan Peebles is on line two.”
“Peebles? That awful man who edits the Infiltrator?”
“That’s him; he’s called twice this morning already. His message is on top of your stack.”
“What could he possibly want to talk to me about?”
“I’ve no idea. Do you want me to get rid of him?”
No need to court trouble, she thought. “No, I’ll speak to him.” She pressed the button. “This is Amanda Dart.”
“Amanda, this is Allan Peebles.”