Swimming to Catalina (Stone Barrington 4)

The man shook his head. “They each took two rounds behind the right ear. Small caliber, very neat job. It was the wildest kind of luck that they ever turned up; the trawler brought them up with the catch between here and Catalina.”

“Thanks,” Rick said. He turned to Stone. “I think we’ve seen enough.”

Stone followed him up the ladder and back to the car.

“Who says there’s no justice?” Rick said.

“Poetic, isn’st it?” Stone agreed.

“Now there’s nothing to tie your little swim to Ippolito.”

“Except me.”

“Yeah. You carrying that piece I got you?”

“I started this morning.”

“Good idea. If things keep happening to Ippolito, like his boat sinking and his house catching fire…”

“Yeah, I might need it.”

“You think he has any idea you’re alive?”

“Not unless Vance Calder told him, and I honestly don’t think he would.”

“You spoke to Calder, then?”

“Yeah; I called him yesterday and then saw him at his house. I think he was ready to talk to me, but when I got there, David Sturmack was just leaving.”

“Did Sturmack see you?”

Stone shook his head. “He was driving away, looking preoccupied.”

“What did Calder have to say?”

“Zip. I had to practically force my way into the house. They’ve got his wife, and he’s terrified they’ll hurt her.”

“And terrified of the tabloids?”

“Still. He thinks that if he does what they want him to he’ll get Arrington back and everything will be all right again.”

“He’s a fool.”

“You and I know that, but he doesn’t.”

“What do they want from him? It can’t be money.”

“I don’t know; what could America’s biggest movie star do for Ippolito and Sturmack that they couldn’t do for themselves?”

“You think Regenstein’s involved?”

“He was at Vance’s house the night before last, arguing with him.”

“The night before last? How would you know that?”

“I returned Arrington’s car to the house; I was there when they arrived. I got a look through a window.”

“You said ‘they’ arrived?”