can I make a phone call?"
Thomasreached under the bar, pulled out a phone, and set it on the bar. "I charge the tourists a buck a minute, but for an old cop, I'll just put what they charge me on your tab. Got a fax machine, too, if you should need one."
"Thanks." Stone called his home number. "Hello?"
"I guess you're not going to make it tonight, huh?"
"You heard? I tried to call you at the charter office, but I didn't get an answer."
"They get CNN down here."
"I'm sorry, baby. It started to come down around midday; and let me tell you, it's really somethings I'm a southern girl; I've never seen snow like this."
"CNN says the airlines will be flying again tomorrow afternoon. See what you can do."
"I'm already rebooked on tomorrow's flight, assuming it goes."
"Good. What are you up to now?"
"I'm having dinner with Vance and some friends of his. He actually found a Range Rover somewhere, and he's picking me up."
"Where are you dining?" "Wherever's open, I guess." "I miss you, babe."."
"And I miss you, my darling. I was looking forward to that first pifia co lada
"I'm drinking it for you right now. Say, let me give you this number."
Thomas shoved a card in front of him.
1'0
Stone read off both the phone and fax numbers. "Keep me posted on the flight situation, will you? The boat is moored no more than a hundred yards from this phone." "I will, baby." Stone said good-bye and hung up. "Well, Thomas, it looks like you and me." He sipped the pifia co lada It was perfect--cold, sweet, and pine apply "Let me know when you're ready for dinner," Thomas said. "I'll keep a table for you." Customers were drifting in now, and a waiter was seating them. Stone watched as a large black man dressed in a white linen suit, and in the company of a beautiful cafe-au-lait woman, entered and was shown to a prime table overlooking the harbor. "Impressive-looking fellow," he said. "That's Sir Winston Sutherland, the minister of justice," Thomas said. "A mover and shaker?" "He both moves and shakes. And if his own opinion holds, he just might be the next prime minister." Stone heard a car door slam and turned to look. The blond woman from the blue yacht, Expansive, had left a police car and, alone, was making her way across the lawn toward the marina. "Very nice, huh?" Thomas said. "Very nice indeed. She spent the afternoon with the local cops, though. I wonder why." "Word is, the lady left Europe with a husband but arrived in St. Marks without him." Stone turned and looked at the bartender. "I didn't see anybody else on board when she came into the harbor." "That's because she was all alone on that big boat."
"You mean she sailed it all the way across the Atlantic?"
"Well, not all the way," Thomas said. "Her husband was along for part of the time."
"Is foul play suspected?"
"On this island, foul play is always suspected," Thomas replied. "That lady is going to have to convince a number of people"--he pointed at Sir Winston Sutherland--"that man first among them, that she is as innocent as a newborn lamb."
"And how' difficult is that likely to be?" Stone asked. "It could be very difficult indeed," Thomas said. "There's going to be a coroner's jury over at the town meeting house tomorrow morning. Word is, Sir Winston is asking the questions."
"Is that unusual?"
"Usually the coroner does it."
Stone looked over at Sir Winston Sutherland, who was digging into a bowl of something. "What's he eating?" he asked.
"Conch chowder."
"Well, I suppose you have to be careful of any man with enough daring to eat conch chowder in a white linen suit."
"Oh," Thomas said, "there's more reason than that to be careful of Sir Winston."
When Stone got back to his boat, late, there were lights on in the big blue yacht. He was tempted to call on the lady to offer his condolences, but he was a little drunker than he liked to be when he introduced himself to a beautiful woman.
CHAPTER
$
tone, a little worse for the wear, entered the Markstown.Meeting
Thomasreached under the bar, pulled out a phone, and set it on the bar. "I charge the tourists a buck a minute, but for an old cop, I'll just put what they charge me on your tab. Got a fax machine, too, if you should need one."
"Thanks." Stone called his home number. "Hello?"
"I guess you're not going to make it tonight, huh?"
"You heard? I tried to call you at the charter office, but I didn't get an answer."
"They get CNN down here."
"I'm sorry, baby. It started to come down around midday; and let me tell you, it's really somethings I'm a southern girl; I've never seen snow like this."
"CNN says the airlines will be flying again tomorrow afternoon. See what you can do."
"I'm already rebooked on tomorrow's flight, assuming it goes."
"Good. What are you up to now?"
"I'm having dinner with Vance and some friends of his. He actually found a Range Rover somewhere, and he's picking me up."
"Where are you dining?" "Wherever's open, I guess." "I miss you, babe."."
"And I miss you, my darling. I was looking forward to that first pifia co lada
"I'm drinking it for you right now. Say, let me give you this number."
Thomas shoved a card in front of him.
1'0
Stone read off both the phone and fax numbers. "Keep me posted on the flight situation, will you? The boat is moored no more than a hundred yards from this phone." "I will, baby." Stone said good-bye and hung up. "Well, Thomas, it looks like you and me." He sipped the pifia co lada It was perfect--cold, sweet, and pine apply "Let me know when you're ready for dinner," Thomas said. "I'll keep a table for you." Customers were drifting in now, and a waiter was seating them. Stone watched as a large black man dressed in a white linen suit, and in the company of a beautiful cafe-au-lait woman, entered and was shown to a prime table overlooking the harbor. "Impressive-looking fellow," he said. "That's Sir Winston Sutherland, the minister of justice," Thomas said. "A mover and shaker?" "He both moves and shakes. And if his own opinion holds, he just might be the next prime minister." Stone heard a car door slam and turned to look. The blond woman from the blue yacht, Expansive, had left a police car and, alone, was making her way across the lawn toward the marina. "Very nice, huh?" Thomas said. "Very nice indeed. She spent the afternoon with the local cops, though. I wonder why." "Word is, the lady left Europe with a husband but arrived in St. Marks without him." Stone turned and looked at the bartender. "I didn't see anybody else on board when she came into the harbor." "That's because she was all alone on that big boat."
"You mean she sailed it all the way across the Atlantic?"
"Well, not all the way," Thomas said. "Her husband was along for part of the time."
"Is foul play suspected?"
"On this island, foul play is always suspected," Thomas replied. "That lady is going to have to convince a number of people"--he pointed at Sir Winston Sutherland--"that man first among them, that she is as innocent as a newborn lamb."
"And how' difficult is that likely to be?" Stone asked. "It could be very difficult indeed," Thomas said. "There's going to be a coroner's jury over at the town meeting house tomorrow morning. Word is, Sir Winston is asking the questions."
"Is that unusual?"
"Usually the coroner does it."
Stone looked over at Sir Winston Sutherland, who was digging into a bowl of something. "What's he eating?" he asked.
"Conch chowder."
"Well, I suppose you have to be careful of any man with enough daring to eat conch chowder in a white linen suit."
"Oh," Thomas said, "there's more reason than that to be careful of Sir Winston."
When Stone got back to his boat, late, there were lights on in the big blue yacht. He was tempted to call on the lady to offer his condolences, but he was a little drunker than he liked to be when he introduced himself to a beautiful woman.
CHAPTER
$
tone, a little worse for the wear, entered the Markstown.Meeting
Similar Books
Wildfire on the Skagit (Firehawks Book 9)
M. L. Buchman
The Queen's Tale
Grace D`Otare
The Starter Boyfriend
Tina Ferraro
Songbird
Maya Banks
Alone and Not Alone
Ron Padgett
The Pot Thief Who Studied Georgia O'Keeffe
J. Michael Orenduff
Infinite
Jodi Meadows
The Sheikh's Secret Princess
Holly Rayner
The Charioteer
Mary Renault