"Oh, no; Helene will be downstairs by now, she can fix it. I don't want anyone to see you."
"Then I shall be served in bed," she said, sitting cross-legged among the pillows.
The phone rang, and Stone picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi, it's Betty."
"Good morning; you're up early."
"Yep. When I got into the office, there was a message from someone named Brandy Garcia; ring a bell?"
"Yes; what was the message?"
"He said he'd found what you wanted, and he'd call again."
"If he does, tell him to call me at this number."
"Will do. How's New York?"
"It is as ever."
"Good; when are you coming back?"
"As soon as…" he stopped. The Centurion airplane, he thought. "Can you switch me to Lou Regenstein's office?"
"I could, but he wouldn't be in this early, and anyway, he's in New York."
"He is? Where?"
"I don't know, but I could ask his secretary when she gets in."
"Hang on." He covered the phone and turned to Arrington. "Do you have any idea where Lou Regenstein stays when he's in the city?"
"At the Carlyle," she said. "He has an apartment there, too."
"Never mind," he said to Betty. "I'll talk to you later." He hung up.
"You want to call Lou?"
"Yes; what's the number of the Carlyle?"
She found her handbag and her address book. "Here's the private line to his apartment." She read it to him as he dialed.
"Hello," Lou Regenstein's voice said.
"Lou, it's Stone."
"Hi, Stone, what's up?"
"How long are you in New York for?"
"About thirty seconds; I was on the way out the door to Teterboro Airport when you called."
"You going back to L.A.?"
"Yep. Where are you?"
"I'm in New York. Can you give, ah, a friend and me a lift?"