Worst Fears Realized (Stone Barrington 5)
Page 102
Transferring your call, a recorded voice said. There were some beeps, then the phone rang. A woman, not Arrington, answered.
“Hello?”
“May I speak to Vance Calder, please?”
“Who’s calling?”
“My name is Stone Barrington; I’m returning his call.”
“Just a moment.”
A few seconds later, Vance came on the phone. “Stone, how are you?” he asked, sounding enthusiastic.
Stone tried to match his tone. “I’m very well, Vance; how are you and Arrington and the baby?”
“We’re just wonderful, all of us. Do you think we might get together for dinner this weekend?”
“I’d love to, Vance, I really would, but as we speak, I’m on my way to the country.”
“Where in the country?”
“I’ve bought a little house in Washington, Connecticut.”
“Well, there’s a coincidence; we’re at my place in Roxbury right now, and that’s the village next door to Washington.”
Stone hadn’t been aware that Vance had a place in Connecticut. “Gosh, Vance, I’m just moving in today, and…”
“Well, then, by tomorrow night, you’re going to need a break and a hot dinner. Give me your new address, and I’ll send my car for you.”
“I can drive over, I guess. Give me some directions.” He juggled his notebook while driving and wrote down the address.
“About seven, then?”
“All right, about seven.”
“It’ll be very casual, and by all means, bring somebody, if you’d like.”
“Thanks, Vance; see you then.” He hung up. Well, all tight, he thought; we’re all civilized people; we can get through this. Then it occurred to him that he’d rather not get through it alone. He dialed Dolce’s office number and was put through to her immediately.
“Hello, there,” she purred.
“Hi, I got your message.”
“Any plans for the weekend?”
“Actually, yes, but why don’t you join me? I would have asked you this morning, but you had gone when I woke up.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“I’ve just bought a place in Connecticut, and I’m moving in this afternoon. By tomorrow night I should have been able to make some sense of it, so why don’t you drive up tomorrow? Oh, there’s dinner with a movie star, tomorrow night, too.”
“Which movie star?”
“That’ll be a surprise. Get a pencil, and I’ll give you some very precise directions.”
She wrote them down. “How long will it take me?”
“Under two hours, from midtown.”