Dirty Work (Stone Barrington 9)

“You sound a little winded,” she said.

“What is it, Carpenter? I’m busy.”

“The director wants a meeting tomorrow morning at eight. Think you can manage that?”

“I expect so. Can I go now?”

“I should have talked with the home secretary by then.”

“How nice for you. Good night.” He hung up and returned to his FBI agent.

The following morning at eight o’clock, Carpenter took her seat at the suite’s dining room table. Mason had been on time, though he looked a little worse for the wear, and he was wearing the same suit and shirt as the day before.

“All right, let’s get started,” the director said.

Carpenter’s phone rang. “Excuse me, sir.” She stepped away from the table and opened the phone. “Yes?”

“It’s Stone.”

“What happened?”

“She didn’t come home last night.”

“Oh. I’ll report that and call you later.” She closed the phone and sat down.

“Anything?” the director asked her.

“I’m afraid there’s bad news, sir. As I mentioned earlier, the NYPD had her located in a suite in the Carlyle hotel. They staked it out, but she didn’t come home last night.”

“Shit,” the director said. “I thought we had her.”

“So did I, sir.”

“I wonder where she is at this moment,” he mused.

56

At that moment, Marie-Thérèse was looking at the top of the head of a member of the U.S. delegation to the UN. He performed with enthusiasm and considerable skill, she thought, and she told him so.

They were interrupted by the doorbell. Purdue grabbed a robe and signed for breakfast, then wheeled the cart into the bedroom.

“Sorry for the interruption,” Purdue said.

“You should have told him you’d already eaten.”

He laughed and handed her a plate of sausage and eggs. “How much longer are you in New York?” he asked.

“Why?”

“Since my wife isn’t along on this trip, I thought we might see more of each other.”

“It’s hard to know how we could see more of each other than we already have,” she said, laughing.

“You have a point,” he agreed. “Stick around for a while? I’m here through next week.”

“And then, back to the wife.”

“It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.”