Stone took Billy’s meaning.
“But you and I know who they are, don’t we, Billy?”
“Well, I know who they are. I’m not so sure about you.”
“Let me put it this way, Billy: How much would I have to offer to make the present owner forget he had another offer?”
“You should’ve asked me what the offer was. I’d have told you that.”
“How much was the offer, Billy?”
“Three million dollars, with the house, the boathouse, the new guesthouse, and six point two acres of prime waterfront. I’m sure the owner would like to get a little something out of it for his trouble.”
“Would three and a half million get it off the market?”
“Well, I’m just guessing here, but you’re fucking right it would.”
“Well, then, you fax me a legal definition of the property and all the usual stuff, and I’ll fax you a signed offer before noon—all cash, condition as is, closing Friday at noon. I’ll wire you three hundred and fifty grand of earnest money. And you and the wife can dine out grandly this evening on your commission.”
“I’ll call up Mr. Greco, and get his verbal approval, before I put us to all that trouble.”
“All right. You can tell him I’m the buyer, if you like, but not why I’m buying.”
“Well, you haven’t told me why you’re buying, have you?” Billy said.
“No. But we both know, don’t we?”
“You can assume that.”
“Let’s get it done before that corporate buyer hears about it, shall we?”
“All right by me.”
“Call me if there are any problems. But let’s not have any problems, okay?”
“Avoiding problems is my life’s work,” Billy said, and they both hung up.
Stone buzzed Joan.
“Yes, sir?”
“In about a minute, you’re going to get a fax about a house in Dark Harbor from Billy Hotchkiss. When it comes in, transfer the relevant information on it to a boilerplate offer, and print it out for my signature and your notarizing. Also, wire transfer three hundred and fifty grand to Billy’s real estate office account as earnest money. Got that?”
“Yes, but let me be sure I’ve got it right: you’re buying yet another property. This one in a place where you already own a house?”
“That is correct, and I don’t have time to explain why. We just need to get that offer into Billy’s hands fast. And call Charley Fox at Triangle Investments and tell him to find another three million somewhere in my checking account, because we’re closing before noon on Friday. Oh, and I’ll need a cashier’s check for the three million in Billy’s hands on Thursday, and make my attorney of record Herbie Fisher. And print me a power of attorney for Ed Rawls to act for me at the closing, and send that to Billy, too.”
“Mine is not to reason why,” Joan muttered on her way out.
“Keep thinking that!” Stone shouted after her.
Stone called his old NYPD partner, Dino Bacchetti, now New York City’s police commissioner.
“Bacchetti.”
“We need to have dinner tonight,” Stone said, “because my news won’t wait any longer than that.”
“Here’s an idea,” Dino said. “Let’s have dinner. Viv is out of town, of course.”
“Seven at Patroon.”
“Yep.” Dino hung up.
Joan buzzed. “Billy Hotchkiss on one.”
“Thanks, and book me at Patroon, two at seven.” Stone pressed the button. “Hey, Billy.”
“Hey, yourself. I talked to Greco about your offer.”
“What’d he say?”
“He said to throw a net over you before you can get away.”
“You do that. I’m giving Ed Rawls a power of attorney to represent me at the closing, and you’ll have a wire transfer for three million and change on Thursday.”
“I wish all my clients were as decisive as you,” Billy said, then hung up.
4
Stone got to Patroon first, ordered a drink, and phoned Ed Rawls.
“Speak to me.”
“Ed, it’s Stone. I’ve just signed a power of attorney for you.”
“Do I get all your money?”
“No, you just get to show up at the Dark Harbor Shop on Friday morning and sign all the documents for me to buy the Stone property.” Stone filled Ed in on what he’d learned from Jack Keegan about the Stone twins’ upcoming parole.
“You beat the boys to the punch?”
“By a whisker.”
“My recollection of the twins tells me they are not going to react kindly to the news.”
“It’s their fault for not getting their offer in soon enough.”
“Tell me, where do two convicts get the money to buy such a place?”
“From their grandmother’s estate. She died before they plead guilty, and they came into something like sixty mil.”
“Then they’re more dangerous than ever.”
“If they get paroled in a couple of days.”
“How are you going to prevent that?”
“I have two plans: one, I have no idea. Two, if that doesn’t work, I’ll try to see that they violate parole and are stuck back inside promptly.”
“I prefer plan two.”
“I prefer plan one, which involves preventing them from being paroled.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“I told you, I don’t know. Yet. I’m having dinner with Dino right now, and I’m going to let him worry about it. Good evening.” He hung up as Dino slid into the booth. They got him a drink.
“Now, let me tell you everything that’s happened.” Stone launched into a recap. When he finished, he said, “Your turn.”
Dino pointed a thumb at himself. “My turn? Are you speaking to me?”
“Directly to you.”
“What do you expect from me?”
“I expect you to tell me how to get the parole of the Stone twins denied. After that, you can tell me how to get them killed in prison.”