“Beats me,” Stone said, “but the airplane went down in water deeper than a hundred fathoms, so I doubt if they could find much of it, even with a load of experts, which they don’t seem to have around here.”
“That’s over six hundred feet,” Forrester said. “No diver could go that deep; they’d need some sort of submersible, I think.”
“Something the St. Marks Navy, if there is one, probably doesn’t have,” Kramer chipped in. “Do you know if she had any family?”
“She didn’t say, but I got the impression she was unmarried. Her passport was still in the name of Manning, and they had probably been divorced for a good ten years.”
“How long had Manning been married to Allison when he died?”
“Four years.”
“Did the two women know each other?”
“They never met.”
“You think the other Mrs. Manning just came down here in the hope of money, then?”
“Seems that way, but please don’t quote me as having said so.”
“Is somebody notifying next of kin?”
“I suppose the local police will handle that.”
“Stone,” Forrester said, “do you think she might have been some sort of help to you at Allison’s trial?”
Stone shook his head. “I can’t imagine how. I don’t think she had seen Paul since the divorce.”
“Did Sir Winston Sutherland know she was here?” Kramer asked.
Stone shrugged. “I don’t think so. He was here for dinner last night; she was sitting with me, and they didn’t speak.”
“I take it you didn’t introduce them,” Kramer said dryly.
“I’m not the social director around here,” Stone said with a straight face.
Kramer laughed. “Can’t say I blame you.”
“I suppose it will make an interesting footnote to my piece,” Forrester said.
“I haven’t seen you taking any notes,” Kramer observed.
“I have a very good memory,” Forrester said. Then he frowned, placed a hand on his belly, and stood up quickly. “Uh-oh,” he said, then ran for the stairs.
“I guess he wasn’t feeling as well as he thought,” Kramer said.
“I guess not,” Stone agreed.
“Stone, you’ve answered all of my questions, but why do I have the feeling there’s something you haven’t told me?”
“About what?”
“About this Elizabeth Manning?”
“I never saw the woman before yesterday; never heard of her, either.”
“Did she demand money from Allison?” Not until after her lawyer had made her an offer, Stone reflected. “No,” he replied.
“Was she headed for Connecticut to pursue something with the estate?”