The Stone Barrington Collection vol 2 Read Free Page A

the lead investigator on Stone’s death would meet me at his house in Islesboro around one o’clock today.”
    “Done.”
    “I suppose they have cell-phone service up there, but in any event, I’ll check in with you after we arrive.”
    “Okay. I’ll hold the fort.”
    Stone hung up and finished his eggs.
    “How’s the flying weather?” Dino asked.
    “Looks good on TV and the Internet. I’ll get an aviation forecast in a few minutes and file a flight plan.”
     
    THE FOUR OF THEM arrived at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey a little before 10:00 A . M . in Lance’s car. Stone did a preflight inspection of the airplane and got everybody aboard.
    Their route took them north to Carmel, then northeast through Connecticut and Massachusetts to Kennebunk, Maine, then direct. Ceiling and visibility were unlimited.
    “What kind of airport they got up there?” Dino asked.
    “I looked it up in the directory,” Stone replied. “It’s a paved strip of 2,450 feet, with a paved tie-down area. No fuel, no services.”
    “Isn’t that kind of short?”
    “The airplane can handle it.”
    “Can the pilot handle it?”
    “Pray that he can.”
    Stone pointed out Rockland, as they flew over it during their descent. “That’s a bigger airport that can take jets, for future reference. Islesboro is over there.” He pointed at the long, narrow island ahead of them. “You can just make out the airstrip at the north end.”
    Stone began thinking ahead about making a short-field landing. The strip was long enough, but not if he touched halfway down the runway. He continued his descent and lined up for a straight-in approach. His traffic screen showed nothing in the immediate area, and he could see no movement near the strip, but he announced his intentions on the published radio frequency. He put down the landing gear and ten degrees of flaps, then performed his prelanding check: three green lights showing the gear down and locked, fuel selector on the fullest tank.
    He wanted to touch down on the numbers, and as soon as he had cleared the trees at the end of the runway, he cut power and descended more steeply. He touched down a few yards past the numbers and applied the brakes. The airplane slowed in plenty of time, and he taxied off the runway onto the tiedown area. There was only one other airplane, a small Cessna, parked there.
    Stone shut down the engine, and they deplaned. There was no taxi in sight, but after a couple of minutes, a 1938 Ford station wagon appeared, pulled up next to the airplane, and a man of about sixty got out. He was tall, skinny and weathered. Stone felt a wave of déjà vu. It was the same car and the same man who had met him at the Bangor Airport when he was eighteen.
    “It’s Stone, isn’t it?” the man asked.
    “It is, and it’s Seth Hotchkiss, isn’t it?”
    “You’ve a good memory, Stone. Been a long time.” His accent was distinctly Mainer.
    “It certainly has,” Stone replied, shaking the man’s hand.
    “We don’t have taxi service around here until next week, when the summer folk start arriving,” Seth said, “so I just came out. I expect we can get you all in the wagon.”
    “It’s beautiful, Seth,” Stone said, admiring the old car.
    “Dick had it restored over at Rockland last year; they did a fine job. She’s like new.” He loaded their luggage, and Stone got into the front seat with Seth while the other three crowded into the rear seat.
    “We’re booked into the Dark Harbor Inn,” Stone said.
    “Nah, I told your secretary to forget about that. They don’t open until next week. You’ll be staying at Dick’s house. There’s plenty of room. We’ll put two of you in the guesthouse and two in the main house. You’ve never seen the place, have you?”
    “No, I stayed in the old family place.”
    “That barn,” Seth said. “I’m glad I don’t have nothing to do with it no more. It was a chore, just keeping it standing. Caleb’s got three men doing what I