Stone was wakened by the sound of someone entering the bungalow. Since Betty was now in Hawaii, he wasn't expecting anybody, so he got into a robe and padded into the front room in his bare feet.
A young woman was seated at Betty's desk; she looked up, startled. "Oh," she said. "I didn't know you were here."
"I'm here," Stone said. "But why are you?"
"I'm Louise Bremen, from the secretarial pool; Betty wanted a temp while she's on vacation."
"Oh, of course; I'd forgotten. I'm Stone Barrington." He walked over and shook her hand.
"Anything special you want done?" she asked.
"Just sort the Calder mail and separate the bills. Betty uses a computer program to pay them."
"Quicken? I know that."
"Good; you can write the checks, and I'll sign them. I'm a signatory on the Calder accounts."
"Sure; can I make you some coffee?"
"I'll do it, as soon as I've had a shower," Stone said. He went back to his bedroom, showered, shaved, and returned to the kitchenette. He was having breakfast when the phone rang, and Louise called out, "Marc Blumberg for you."
Stone picked up the phone. "Marc?"
"Yes, I…"
"I'm glad you called. I had dinner with Vanessa last night, and she pretty much confirmed our suspicion that the police have something on Arrington they haven't disclosed. Seems there was another witness to what happened when Vance was shot."
"And who was that?"
"She wouldn't say; she said she had been told in confidence."
"And why didn't she tell me that? She certainly had plenty of opportunity."
"She said she was afraid you'd browbeat the name out of her. She seemed very serious about keeping the confidence. I think you ought to take her to lunch and press the point."
There was a long silence on the other end.
"Marc?"
"You haven't been watching television this morning, have you?"
"No; I guess I slept a little late. I'm having breakfast now."
"Vanessa is dead."
"What?"
"Her house burned to the ground last night. TV says the cops haven't ruled out arson."
"But I was with her; we had dinner."
"Must have been later than that. It's the husband, I know it is."
"She told me about the divorce; was he that angry?"
"As angry as I've seen a husband in thirty years of practice. I got her a terrific settlement, and I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd taken a shot at me."
Stone found a kitchen stool and sat down. "I can't believe it," he said.