Dirty Work (Stone Barrington 9)

“Perhaps.”

“You’re not sure?”

“No.”

Carpenter pushed back from the table. “I have to leave,” she said.

“To report to your superiors?”

“Thank you for the champagne,” she said. Then she got up and left.

39

Stone’s phone rang early the next morning.

“It’s Carpenter,” she said.

“Good morning.”

“Are you free for lunch today?”

“Yes.”

“Twelve-thirty at the Four Seasons. There’s somebody I want you to meet.”

“Who?”

“I’ll see you at twelve-thirty.” She hung up.

Stone was on time, and Carpenter, with a companion, was already seated at a table in the Grill. The man rose to greet Stone.

“This is Sir Edward Fieldstone,” Carpenter said. “Sir Edward, may I introduce Stone Barrington.”

The man was six feet, slender, rather distinguished-looking, with thick, gray hair that needed cutting, hair visible in his ears and nose, and a well-cut if elderly suit that could have used a pressing. “How do you do, Mr. Barrington,” he said, his voice deep and smooth, his accent very upper-class. “Won’t you sit down? Would you like a drink?”

Stone glanced at the bottle on the table: Chateau Palmer, 1966. “That will do nicely,” he said.

Sir Edward nodded, and a waiter appeared and poured the wine.

“Thank you so much for coming on such short notice,” Sir Edward said. “Let’s order some lunch, shall we?”

They looked at the menu, and Stone ordered a small steak, while Carpenter and Sir Edward both ordered the Dover sole, not seeming to care that it might not be the best thing with the wine.

“Lovely weather,” Sir Edward said. “We’re not used to it. London is always so dreary.”

“It can be dreary in New York, too,” Stone said, wondering exactly who Sir Edward was. He seemed to be in his mid-sixties, and very un-spylike.

They chatted about nothing until their food came. Stone waited for somebody to tell him why he was there.

“Is there anything you’d like to know?” Sir Edward asked. It seemed a non sequitur.

Stone look

ed at Carpenter, who kept her mouth shut. “Perhaps you could begin by telling me who you are,” he said.

“Of course, of course,” Sir Edward said, sounding apologetic. “I’m a British civil servant. Perhaps I shouldn’t go any further than that.”

“Are you Carpenter’s immediate superior?” Stone asked.