“Guido, please don’t take this
the wrong way, but on the streets of Palm Beach, you’re going to stand out.”
“Don’t worry. I tan fast.”
Stone sighed. “I’m not talking about your lack of a tan. People around here can spot an outsider in a split second, and any cop in town would make you as a foreigner from a block away.”
“I ain’t a foreigner,” Guido said hotly. “I was born in Brooklyn.”
“My point is, Guido, nobody else in Palm Beach was born in Brooklyn. And if they were, they’d have learned long ago to look like they were born on Park Avenue. I hope you’re getting my drift.”
“Yeah, I get your drift,” Guido said, “and if you were anybody but a friend of my friend I wouldn’t take it too good.”
“I’m trying to help you, Guido. Your friend would not like it if I had to bail you and your pals out of the local can, would he?”
“I guess not,” Guido admitted. “How can we fit in better here?”
Stone thought about an honest answer to that question, but thought better of giving it. “Go down to Worth Avenue, to the Polo store or Armani and buy some nice quiet sports clothes. Jackets, too, like blue blazers with brass buttons?”
Guido nodded, but he was watching Stone closely to see if he was being had. “You think that’ll do it, huh?”
Stone bit his tongue. “It can’t hurt.”
“Okay. How can I get in touch with you?”
Stone gave Guido his cell phone number. “And you? Where are you staying?”
“I don’t expect to be here that long,” Guido said, and gave Stone his own cell phone number. “Listen,” he said, looking around as if he might be overheard. “My people are not going to feel good about shedding their hardware, you know?”
“Guido, nobody in Palm Beach is going to give you a hard time, let alone shoot at you—with the possible exception of the young lady. And if that were to happen, I think you’d be better off taking a round or two than shooting her. Her father would not think well of that.”
Guido nodded. “You got a point,” he said.
“One other thing,” Stone said. “What kind of cars are you driving?”
“Cadillacs,” Guido replied.
“You might rent something more anonymous.”
“Why? Don’t nobody drive Cadillacs in Palm Beach? I thought we’d fit right in.”
“I’m not thinking about the general public, I’m thinking about the young lady. I think it will be to your advantage if you see her before she sees you.”
Guido nodded slowly. “I get you,” he said.
“Another thing,” Stone said. “There’s going to be a wedding here on Sunday evening, starting at six o’clock. There’ll probably be a couple hundred people. If you haven’t found her by then, you should probably have your people here.”
“Yeah, okay, we can do that.”
“It’s going to mean renting or buying some evening clothes.”
“You mean, like, suits?”
“I mean, like, tuxedos. It’s going to be that kind of wedding.”
“Yeah, okay, I’ll look into that.”
“And tell your guys no pastel tuxedos or ruffled shirts. Keep it discreet.”