Cold Paradise (Stone Barrington 7)

“Turned up.”

“Eyes?”

“Blue, I think.”

Jesus, Stone thought, I’m glad the girl didn’t commit a crime; she’d get away with it.

The elevator arrived, and they got on.

“Let’s talk about her name again, Thad. What made you think that Liz might not be her real name?”

“Just a feeling.”

“Try to remember if she said anything specific about her name.”

“I asked her, ‘What’s your name?’ And she said, ‘Liz will do.’ And I said, ‘What’s your last name?’ And she said, ‘Just Liz.’”

“Well, she’s pretty cagey. Do you think she knew who you were?”

“If she did, she didn’t give any sign of it. She asked me what I did, and I told her.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I said I was a software entrepreneur. She said, ‘Like Bill Gates?’ And I said, ‘Well, not quite on that scale.’ That was the only time we talked about work.”

“You didn’t ask her what she did?”

“Oh, yeah, I did. She said, ‘I’m retired.’ And I said, ‘From what?’ And she said, ‘From marriage.’”

“So she divorced well?”

“I guess.”

“How was she dressed?”

The elevator reached the ground floor, and they went to the checkroom.

“She was wearing this sort of dress.”

“Did it look expensive?”

“I guess. I mean, she looked beautiful in it, and it was a pretty expensive crowd at the party.”

“How about jewelry?”

“I thin

k she was wearing earrings. Yes, diamond earrings. Those little stud things, you know? Except they weren’t all that little.”

“Wedding or engagement ring?”

“A big diamond, but not on her left hand.”

“So she didn’t return her engagement ring after the divorce.”

“I guess not.”

“Necklace? Bracelet?”