Cold Paradise (Stone Barrington 7)

Stone took back the box and removed the wristwatch from it. “Certainly is,” he said. He took off his steel Rolex, put it into his pocket and slipped on the new watch.

Dino picked up the red booklet that came with the watch. “Cartier Tank Francaise,” he read. “You pick the best clients.”

“I guess I do.”

Juanito approached with the telephone. “For you, Mr. Barrington.”

“Hello?”

“Stone, it’s Dan Griggs. Did some FBI agents come see you?”

“Yes, they just left.”

“Now I’ve got a guy from the Houston PD wants to talk to you.”

“Houston, Texas?”

“One and the same. What the hell is going on down there?”

“I don’t have the foggiest, Dan.”

“I’m sending the guy to you right now. His name is Fritz Parker.”

“Okay. I’ll be here.” Stone hung up.

“What?” Dino asked.

“A Houston cop wants to talk to me.”

“You committed any crimes in Houston?”

“I’ve never even been to Houston.”

Twenty minutes later a middle-aged man in a seersucker suit walked up the gangplank. “Lieutenant Bacchetti?” he asked.

“That’s me,” Dino said.

“I’m Fritz Parker, Houston PD. Can I have a word with you?”

“Sure, pull up a chair. This is Stone Barrington.”

“How do you do?” Parker said, shaking hands. “Lieutenant, do you mind if we talk alone?”

“You can talk in front of Stone,” Dino said. “He used to be my partner, before he became a rich lawyer.”

“All right.” Parker sat down.

“In fact, Dan Griggs said you wanted to see Stone.”

“No, I wanted to see you. Chief Griggs told me you were Mr. Barrington’s guest.”

“Okay, what can I do for you?”

“A couple of days ago, your precinct ran some fingerprints that matched an unknown perpetrator from a bank robbery in Virginia, four years ago.”

“Jesus,” Dino said. “The FBI was just here about that.”

“They were? I asked for their help, but I didn’t know they were coming.”