Hot Mahogany (Stone Barrington 15) - Page 17
“If you say so. I don’t need a demonstration.”
Lance finished his breakfast and turned to his coffee. “That was excellent, my dear,” he said to Helene.
Helene turned red and batted her eyelashes.
“Barton spoke Greek to Helene,” Stone said. “Did you know he could do that?”
“Latin, too,” Lance said, “since prep school. Did Barton say anything about why he left the Marine Corps?” Lance asked.
“I’ve told you everything he said,” Stone replied.
“After I got this job I ordered his service record from the Pentagon, but they said it was sealed.”
“Did they say why?”
“They don’t know why; the management has changed since then. They
just know it’s sealed.”
“The military mind at work.”
“Well, yes, I guess you could call it that. You were inside Barton’s house?”
“Yes. It’s very impressive.”
“Was there any sign of a woman?”
“There was no sign of anyone, but it was very neat, and I doubt that he does his own housework. There must be a woman, even if she’s hired.”
“Come on, Stone, you’re a better observer than that. Tell me something I can use.”
“Use for what?”
“For figuring out what’s going on with Barton.”
“The kitchen has all the latest stainless-steel stuff. He has a study that he imported from a country house in the north of England and reassembled.”
“You’re not being helpful.”
“Those were the only two rooms I was in. For all I know, he has a harem stashed upstairs, or a Boy Scout troop.”
“The harem would be more like him. Barton always liked women.”
“You make that sound like a bad thing.”
“He often made it a bad thing; it was his only weakness.”
“I don’t know what deductions you expect from me, Lance. He seems to have a lot of money. Did he inherit it?”
“I don’t know; I never saw my father’s will. The banker who was my trustee wouldn’t show it to me. I didn’t get control of my inheritance until I was thirty, and by then I hadn’t seen Barton for years. I don’t know what our father left him.”
“Was your father a wealthy man?”
“He seemed to be. God knows, he lived well. There was the house, I suppose, and there must have been some investments. I mean, he left me something. He was very clever about how he did it. His instructions to his executor, I was told, were to give me as much as I earned each year, so I was twice as well off as my peers. But you don’t earn all that much, working for the government.”
“Well, Barton must have had enough capital to get started in the antiques business. He couldn’t have made all that much in the military.”
“I suppose,” Lance sighed. He stood up. “Well, I’m off to Connecticut to confront my errant brother. I should be saving the world, but I’m going to Connecticut.”
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