Cold Paradise (Stone Barrington 7)

“Paul was, but he was wearing a seat belt.”

“There was no passenger-side air bag,” Wilkes said, “and apparently the buckle on Frances’s seat belt failed or was defective. I urged Paul to sue the car company, but he didn’t have the heart. He just wanted to put it behind him. That’s why he sold his company.”

“Do you know if he made a lot of money on the sale?”

“I shouldn’t think so; they were a fairly new company. I think the people who bought them wanted the talent they employed and me for a client more than anything else. Of course, Paul would be quite well fixed, though.”

“How is that?” Stone asked.

“Well, Frances was very wealthy. She’d lost her husband a few months before she and Paul met, and he’d left a considerable fortune.”

“I see,” Stone said.

“Mr. Barrington,” Margaret Wilkes said, “you’re beginning to frighten me. Are you thinking that Paul might somehow have caused Frances’s death?”

“At this moment, I have no real reason to think so, Mrs. Wilkes. I’m simply concerned with learning whether he is, or once was, Paul Manning.”

“This Manning,” Wilkes said, “what was his relationship to Mrs. Harding?”

“He was her first husband.”

“And what sort of man is he?”

“Not a very nice one, I’m afraid.”

“Was this just some domestic dispute?”

“More than that,” Stone said. “Manning murdered three people.”

“Good God!” Wilkes said. “He’s dangerous, then?”

“Manning certainly is, but please remember, I have no evidence yet that Manning and Bartlett are the same man.”

“Well, I hope to God you’ll find out!” Wilkes said.

“I know this is upsetting to you and Mrs. Wilkes,” Stone said, “and I apologize for that.”

“No, no, if Paul is this Manning, then we certainly want to know. I assume you’ll have him arrested.”

“We’ll take whatever measures are appropriate,” Stone said.

“I’ll hardly know what to say to Paul when we see him,” Mrs. Wilkes said.

“Do you expect to see him anytime soon?”

“Why, yes. He’s coming to dinner tonight.”

“Here, in this house?”

“Yes,” she said.

Wilkes spoke up. “Perhaps you’d better come, too,” he said.

22

THE THREE OF THEM STOOD ON THE AFTERDECK, STONE in black tie, Callie in a silk dress and Liz in a terry robe.

“I wish you’d come with us,” Stone said to Liz.