Cold Paradise (Stone Barrington 7)

“It’s Stone. I’ve bought them an after-dinner drink, so they’ll be a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

“But listen. I think Bartlett is armed, and he’s already seen Lundquist flash his badge. Why did you let him come in here?”

“I didn’t. He just ignored me and walked in before I could stop him. I feel like arresting him.”

“I’m going back to my table. When they leave you’d better take Bartlett quickly, before he gets to his car, and you’d better be ready to disarm him. He’s packing on the left side, at his belt.”

“Got it. Are you armed?”

“No, but Dino is. Don’t worry, he won’t do anything stupid.”

“Okay, just go back to your table, and we’ll handle it.”

“I’m on my way.” Stone punched off the phone and put it away. He stepped back into the dining room, and as he did, he was horrified to see Lundquist moving toward Bartlett’s table. He looked back at his own group, and Dino was suddenly on his feet, making his way across the room and unbuttoning his jacket. Then everything seemed to slow down.

Bartlett turned to see Lundquist coming toward him and began to rise. Lundquist, who didn’t know Bartlett was armed, had his hands at his sides, empty. Bartlett unbuttoned his jacket as he rose, and his right hand went inside it to his belt.

Stone saw his hand close around the butt of the pistol. He turned toward Dino and yelled, “Gun!” Dino stopped in his tracks, perhaps a dozen feet from the Wilkeses’ table.

Bartlett never saw Dino; his attention was riveted on Lundquist, who now began to understand what was happening and went for his own gun. Four shots came in rapid succession.

Lundquist left his feet, the gun flying from his hand and knocking over a wine bottle on a nearby table. A woman at that table screamed as Dino fired. Bartlett was hit in his left upper arm, then a second time in the side of his neck, falling backward and out of sight, knocking over his chair.

Dino began running toward the table, his gun out in front of him, yelling, “Police, Police!”

Stone began running, too.

34

PANDEMONIUM. A MASS OF DINERS ABANDONED THEIR tables and rushed for the main entrance, knocking over chairs and elaborate flower arrangements. Women were screaming, and men were shouting at them.

Stone was swept sideways toward the door. In front of him a woman fell, and Stone grabbed her and yanked her to her feet before she could be trampled in the rush. He could see Dino at the Wilkeses’ table, standing over Bartlett, who was out of sight on the floor behind the table. Dino was still pointing the gun.

He looked toward the front door and saw three uniformed Palm Beach police officers, one of them Dan Griggs, vainly trying to fight their way through the onrushing crowd. Stone grabbed a post next to the bar and hung on for dear life. Finally, when most of the crowd had fled the restaurant, he was able to make his way through the stragglers to Dino, who was now bending over Bartlett, feeling at his throat for a pulse.

Frank and Margaret Wilkes stood huddled against the wall, Frank cradling his sobbing wife’s head on his shoulder. Margaret was spattered with blood. Bartlett’s date was nowhere in sight.

“He’s dead,” Dino said, holstering his weapon.

Stone looked around the restaurant for Lundquist but did not see him. Thad and his party were standing against the opposite wall of the restaurant, having wisely not joined the panicked crowd. Thad waved and called out, “We’re okay. Do what you have to do.”

Stone resumed his search for Lundquist and found him under an overturned table. Lundquist had taken a round in the chest, and he had been trampled by the crowd. His nose was badly broken where someone had stepped on it, and there was blood everywhere, but Stone found a pulse.

Griggs and his men finally got into the restaurant and rushed towa

rd Stone.

“We need an ambulance,” Stone said as Griggs arrived. “Lundquist is still alive, but he’s bad. Bartlett is dead. Dino shot him almost at the same time Bartlett shot Lundquist.”

“There’s an ambulance outside,” Griggs said. He spoke into a handheld radio.

“There are probably some injured people in the crowd, too,” Stone said. “It got pretty ugly.”

A pair of EMTs made their way into the ruined room, toting a stretcher and equipment, and immediately began working on Lundquist. Stone stepped away to let them do their work. He followed Griggs over to where Dino stood.

Dino handed Griggs his gun. “You’re going to want this.”