Shoot First(Stone Barrington #45)(5)

“What does he look like?”

“A lot like the description that the detective gave Dino,” she said. “Wife, too. And he’s a gun nut, had a big collection.”

“Why didn’t you mention him to the detectives this morning?”

“It crossed my mind, but I dismissed it, until I heard what Harry had to say to Dino.”

“What are the couple’s names?”

“Gino and Veronica Bellini.”

“You have an address for them?”

“They left town after I sold the company. I don’t know where they went.”

Stone picked up his phone, checked Harry Kaufelt’s number on his card, and dialed the number. “Harry,” he said, “Carew and his wife may be traveling under the names of Gino and Veronica Bellini. Bellini was a partner in Ms. Harmon’s business who was disgruntled with his share of the sale. Get this—he only got a hundred and fifty million dollars.” They talked for another minute, and Stone hung up.

“Sounds like a good suspect,” Dino said.

“He does, doesn’t he?” Stone replied. “Meg, I’m glad you told us about Bellini.”

“So am I,” she said.

Viv brought over a tray of sandwiches, and Dino opened a bottle of wine.

“You know,” Meg said, “this is a much nicer way to spend the day than playing golf with a lot of businesspeople.”

“Hear! Hear!” Stone said.





4




Gino and Veronica Bellini sat in first class, enjoyed a drink and lunch, then, an hour out of LaGuardia, each disappeared into a restroom with a backpack, and when they emerged, Gino was wearing a business suit, tie, and toupee, and the pillow under his belt was in the toilet tank with his old clothes and his backpack. Veronica wore a stylish dress with her long hair down, and they emerged from the airplane without luggage. Immediately outside the door two obvious police detectives were waiting in the rampway and hardly gave them a glance.

When the last passengers had left the airplane the bemused detectives went aboard and searched it thoroughly and left just as bemused, while the Bellinis drove away in a chauffeured black Mercedes, rented. They were driven to a five-star Fifth Avenue hotel and checked into a large suite.

“What now?” Veronica asked.

“We’ll get another shot at her,” Gino replied.

“Is it worth it, Gino?” Veronica asked.

“It’s worth it to me.”

“Why don’t we go to Europe for a while?”

“Maybe, we’ll see. Now, we both have some shopping to do, and I have a few chores to take care of.” He held up a computer thumb drive.



* * *



—

BACK IN KEY WEST, Stone and his guests had moved on to cocktails, and Viv and Meg were planning dinner.

Dino’s cell rang. “Bacchetti. Yeah? What do you mean?” He listened for a minute, then hung up.

Before Dino could speak, Stone’s cell rang. “Hello?”

“Stone, it’s Harry Kaufelt.”

“Yes, Harry?” He put the phone on speaker and set it on the table between him and Dino.

“I just got to New York, and a couple of New York cops met me. The Carews or Bellinis or whoever the fuck they are weren’t on the airplane. And I know goddamned well they got on it and took off.”

“Harry, Dino is right here. Tell us what you want to do.”

“What can I do?”

“I can put out an APB on them,” Dino said, “and we can check the hotels, but it’s a big city with thousands of hotels.”

“Thanks, Commissioner, but I don’t think we have enough evidence to ask your people to make that kind of effort. We still haven’t found the weapon. We’ll have to go another way.”

“Call me if I can help. I’ll be here the rest of the week, then in my New York office after that.”

“Yes, sir.” Everybody hung up.

“Well,” Dino said, “that’s cute—they changed their appearance on the airplane and walked right past my guys.”

“It wouldn’t have taken much,” Stone said. “Ditch their clothes down the toilet and put on something they brought in their backpacks. And I would imagine that anybody that clever and with that much money would have a new identity or two all set up, as well.”

“Meg will be safe here this week,” Dino said, “but somehow I get the feeling that she’ll be flying to New York with us this weekend.”

“I’ll admit that crossed my mind,” Stone said. “Let’s see how it goes.”

“That would put her in the same city as the Bellinis,” Dino pointed out.

“That crossed my mind, too. She’d best stay with me, I guess.”

“I guessed,” Dino replied.



* * *



—

VIV AND MEG were making dinner while Stone and Dino talked.

“You know,” Meg said, “I’m glad I met you all. This is a lot more fun than dining with the crusty board of the Steele Group.”

“Thanks, we’re enjoying you, too.”

“Stone seems to be almost too good to be true,” Meg said. “Is there anything I should know about him?”