Swimming to Catalina (Stone Barrington 4)

Stone looked at the photograph. “He’s older and heavier now, but that’s the guy who was driving the Lincoln that followed me the other night.”

“And you think he followed you to the hotel?”

“Yeah, that’s what makes the most sense.”

“No, it’s not.”

“What do you mean?”

“You told me you changed cars at the rental agency and told the guy there to say he’d driven you to the airport if anybody asked.”

“Yeah,” Stone said. He didn’t like where this was leading.

“Assuming he did as you asked, that should have broken the tail, shouldn’t it?”

“Unless Mancuso followed me to the rental agency and saw me drive away in the sedan.”

“Were you followed?”

Stone shook his head. “If I was, then Mancuso dramatically improved his tailing technique overnight.”

“So that leaves the girl.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“You think the girl might be screwing Calder?”

“She used to, she told me.”

“Okay, so she’s Calder’s former squeeze, and she works for him; he’s her sole means of support?”

“As far as I know.”

“How long you known her?”

“A few days.”

“So where do you think her loyalties lie?”

“She’s made it clear that they lie with Calder, but she knows I’m not doing anything to threaten him; I’m trying to find his wife, for Christ’s sake.”

“Calder sees that as a threat, doesn’t he?”

“How do you mean?”

“I mean, he tried to hustle you out of town, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“So he must think your presence in L.A. is not in his best interests.”

“I guess not.”

“So, if he feels that way, why wouldn’t Betty feel that way, too?”

“You could have a point,” Stone said, but he didn’t really want to admit that to himself.

“Let me ask you something else: where were you when Mancuso was in your hotel room?”