Turbulence (Stone Barrington #46)(61)

“They’re pilots, not assassins.”

“Oh.”

“What are you doing with a pair of matched, prewar Purdeys? You don’t seem like the shooting sort.”

“They came with the house. The seller knew he was dying, and he disliked his son, so he just threw them in.”

“Do you have any idea what they’re worth?”

“No, but I understand that new ones start at something over one hundred thousand pounds each.”

“Your pair, if they haven’t been abused, would probably bring twice that at auction.”

“How do you know that?” Stone asked.

“I know lotsa stuff,” she replied. “Never challenge me at Trivial Pursuit.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Stone turned onto Wilton Row, stopped outside his garage, and pressed the remote control. The green Range Rover pulled up behind them, and two men got out.

Stone was about to pull into the garage when Kelly put a hand on his arm. “Not yet,” she said. “Give them a minute.” The men searched the garage, then surveyed the mews. One of them nodded, and Kelly said, “Okay, go ahead.”

Stone pulled into the garage, and Henry appeared and took their luggage. “The Bentley people drove away half an hour ago,” he said. “But I see we have another.”

Stone followed Kelly upstairs, but at the top, she continued toward the front door. “I’m off to Harvey Nick’s,” she said.

“Wait a minute,” Stone called after her. He took her into the library, opened the safe behind a picture and filled her hand with fifty-pound notes. “Don’t use your new credit card,” he said. “Lance is suspicious. Let’s not make it too easy for him.”

Kelly tucked the money into her purse and went happily on her way.





48



KELLY WALKED OUT of the house and up Wilton Crescent toward Knightsbridge, the name covered both a London neighborhood and a very busy street. She had just made the right turn onto Wilton Place when she was aware she had picked up a tail: two men—one in a black raincoat, the other in a tan one—both wearing hats and carrying umbrellas. They would be Lance’s people or Special Branch, and she felt good about having them there.

She walked on, past the Berkeley Hotel and stopped at the corner of Knightsbridge to wait for the light to change so that she could cross Wilton Place. The light changed, and she crossed the two lanes of traffic. There, waiting at the light, was the green Range Rover with the Labrador Retriever on the passenger sun visor. A woman in the passenger seat crooked a finger and beckoned her, then jerked a thumb toward the rear seat. Kelly walked to the rear door and got in.

“Are you aware that you picked up a tail?” the woman in the passenger seat asked.

“I am,” Kelly replied. “I figure they’re ours or Special Branch’s.”

“Wrong,” the woman said. “They’re someone else’s, and they’re being dealt with now.”

Kelly looked across Wilton Place and the men were gone.

“Where to?” the woman asked.

“Harvey Nichols,” Kelly replied, feeling embarrassed.

The light changed, and the driver turned left. “Stay in the car until we’re in front of the store. Jan will go in with you.”

“I’m Jan,” the woman in the front passenger seat said.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Kelly said.

“You didn’t think it was necessary to let us know you were leaving the house,” the driver said. “Jan will accompany you until you’re back in this car.”

“Right,” Kelly said, chastened. The car pulled up in front of the store, and both women got out. Jan was a little younger than she, wearing a Burberry trench coat and carrying a good knockoff of an Hermès Kelly bag. The two looked as though they could be shopping companions.

Jan fell in beside her as they entered the fashionable department store. “Are you armed?” Jan asked.

Kelly started to lie, then said, “No.”

“Don’t let that happen again,” Jan said. She fell back half a step and watched everything and everyone closely. When they got onto the elevator, Jan followed and faced the rear of the car.

“Mimsey’s pregnant,” she whispered loudly into Kelly’s ear.

“No!” Kelly whispered back. “Do we know who?”

“Not yet,” Jan replied.

They got off the elevator, and Kelly led Jan to the dress department, where Jan played the girlfriend and oohed and ahhed over the dresses.

Another pair of women entered the department, and Kelly saw Jan’s hand go into her trench coat pocket. It stayed there until the pair had looked around and then left them alone.

Kelly looked at something the shop assistant was showing her. “Do you have it in a four?” she asked.

“I think, perhaps, you’re more of a two,” the woman said. “I’ll bring both.”

“Lost weight, have you?” Jan asked. “I should have thought you’d be gaining, running with Barrington’s crowd.”

“It’s been tense,” Kelly replied. “I always have to be ready to sprint for it, so I don’t mind a few pounds less.”