“Two large cases and a sort of canvas bag.”
“Describe the canvas bag, please.”
“A kind of satchel, roomy, like a Gladstone. The porter told me after he’d gone that he’d insisted on carrying it himself.”
“Where would I find the porter?”
The young woman raised a finger and beckoned a man in a uniform. “These gentlemen have some questions about Sir William Mallory,” she said.
“Yes, sir?” the porter said.
“How did he arrive?”
“By car, sir.”
“What kind of car?”
“A Jaguar from the sixties—dark blue—quite beautifully restored, inside and out. His luggage was fitted to the boot, except for the valise.”
“Did you, by any chance, take note of the number plate?”
“It was a vanity plate, sir; B-R-A-I-N.”
“Did he say where he was going?”
“Back to London; he said he’d forgotten something important.”
“Thank you very much,” Stone said. He and Dino went back to their car.
“Good call, Stone,” Dino said, “but now we’re going to have to get Carpenter’s people on the case; he could be anywhere.”
Stone dialed Carpenter’s cellphone.
“Yes?” She sounded harried.
“It’s Stone. Morgan drove to Cliveden, a country house hotel; do you know it?”
“Yes, it’s famous, but how did you know he went there?”
“He left a travel magazine at his house with a page marked with an ad for the hotel.”
“Is he still there?”
“No, he came over all nervous while checking in, and left, telling the desk clerk that he’d forgotten something in London and had to go back for it.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes; he’s traveling under the name of Sir William Mallory, and he has a British passport in that name. Cabot got it for him, I expect. He’s driving a sixties-vintage Jaguar, dark blue, restored, with the number plate B-R
-A-I-N. Should be easy to spot.”
“Stone, that’s very good. Would you like a job?”
“I’d like my money back,” Stone replied. “And if I were you, I’d double your effort at Heathrow; it’s very near here, and that’s where I’m going. Can you have somebody from airport security meet me at the departures entrance?”
“Which terminal? There are four.”
“International departures?”