“Should you discover that they are still… acquainted, you must be careful not to let Wight know that you know.”
“Why not?”
“Because Wight is also… acquainted with some dangerous people who would not like you or anyone else to know.”
“What do you mean by ‘dangerous’?” Stone asked.
“Wight is not entirely his own man,” Smith said, “and some of his associates have a way of making people who annoy them disappear.”
“I’ll certainly keep that in mind,” Stone said. “Now, shall we join the ladies?” And they did so.
THE EVENING WAS over promptly at ten-thirty, and Stone was careful to say nothing of his impending meeting while they were in the car. They were let into the house by Jake Musket.
“Nothing to report,” Musket said, then saw them onto the elevator.
“Who was the man you introduced to Wight?” Felicity asked as they moved upward.
Smith had apparently had a word with her. “The managing partner at Woodman and Weld,” Stone replied. “Bill Eggers.”
“Why did you make the introduction?”
“Bill asked me to; he’s interested in Wight as a possible client.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” she asked.
“Bill does. He and I are having lunch with Wight tomorrow at the firm’s offices.”
“I don’t suppose you can get out of it.”
“Why should I want to do that?” Stone asked. “It might give me an opportunity to raise the subject of Stanley Whitestone again.”
“I believe Smith had a word with you.”
“He did. Told me that Wight has dangerous associates.”
They reached the bedroom, and Felicity turned so that Stone could unzip her dress. “Smith is right,” she said. “I shouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Neither would I,” Stone said, moving her hair aside and kissing the nape of her neck.
She stepped out of her dress and tossed it onto a chair.
Stone waited until after they had attended to each other’s desires before he spoke again. “Felicity, are you telling me all I need to know about Whitestone and Wight?”
“I’ve told you all I can,” she replied.
“That may not be all I need to know,” he said.
“Go to sleep,” she commanded.
STONE GOT TO the offices of Woodman & Weld a few minutes early and found Eggers alone in his office. He sat down. “What do you know about Lord Wight?” he asked.
“We have a London office, as you know,” Eggers said. “It’s in a building that Wight’s company built and manages.”
“So he’s your landlord, and that’s it?”
“A solicitor I know in London tells me that Wight is a large consumer of legal services,” Eggers said.
“Given his past, do you want to be seen to represent him?”