“That was quick,” Stone said.
“Too quick,” Dino said, shoving his chair away from the table.
“Go into the bedroom,” Stone said to Carpenter. He went to the door, while Dino took up a position beside it, gun drawn. He looked through the peephole and saw a young woman—light brown hair, medium height, slim. “It’s a woman,” he said. “Ready?”
Dino nodded.
Stone put the chain on the door and opened it. “Yes?” he said.
“Carpenter,” the woman replied.
“I don’t understand,” Stone said. “If you need a carpenter, see the manager.”
The woman produced an ID. “I’m here on official business.”
“It’s all right,” Carpenter said from behind Stone. “I know her. Come on in, Arlene.”
Stone unhooked the door and admitted the woman, who was carrying a small suitcase.
“Stone, Dino, this is Arlene,” Carpenter said.
Arlene nodded. “Let’s go into the bathroom,” she said to Carpenter.
Stone and Dino watched CNN while water ran and a hair dryer made noise behind the door. Forty-five minutes later, Arlene emerged from the bathroom. “May I introduce my friend, Susan Kinsolving?”
Carpenter emerged, nearly unrecognizable. Her brown hair was now a pronounced auburn, and though she usually wore little makeup, she was now pretty much a painted woman.
“Hi, there,” Carpenter said in a Midwestern American accent.
“Hate the accent,” Stone said.
“Get used to it, buddy,” Carpenter replied.
“Let’s get you outfitted with some ID,” Arlene said, opening her suitcase. “Have a seat.”
Carpenter pulled up a chair.
“Okay, here’s your American passport. It was issued three years ago and has a dozen stamps from Europe and the Caribbean. We’ve already changed the hair color. You’re a marketing executive with a computer company in San Francisco. Here are your business cards and some stationery. The company knows your name, and if anyone calls there, you have a secretary and voice mail. You were born in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, thirty-four years ago, educated in the public schools there and at Mount Holyoke College, in western Massachusetts. You have, in your wallet, in addition to your California driver’s license and credit cards—all valid—an alumni association membership card. You’re registered at the hotel under the Kinsolving name.” She pulled out half a dozen sheets of paper, stapled together. “Here’s your legend. Memorize it.”
Carpenter flipped through the sheets. “Very thorough.” She turned to Stone. “What do you think?” she asked, tossing her hair.
“Very nice, Susan. You want to have dinner sometime?”
/> Stone and Dino sat in the back of Dino’s car, rolling down Park Avenue.
“Dino, a favor?”
“What do you need?”
“Since Larry Fortescue’s death has been established as murder, would you feel comfortable calling the DA’s office and letting them know that? I’d like to get the charges dismissed, and then I can plead Herbie down to a misdemeanor and get him probation.”
“Sure, I’ll call down there first thing. You know who the ADA is?”
“Call the deputy DA and do it through him. It’ll be faster.”
“Okay.”
They pulled into Stone’s block.