Free The Stone Barrington Collection vol 2 by Stuart Woods Page B

clothes did not include shoes, shirt or underwear, just the trousers. He imagined Dick being wakened by a noise, slipping on the trousers and coming downstairs, where his killer greeted him with his own gun. He could not think of any other reason why his cousin would be wandering around the house in the middle of the night wearing only trousers. It was still cool at night, and the furnace in the house was programmed not to come on after midnight.
    The wallet was small, since Dick had carried his cash in a money clip. He emptied it of its contents, one compartment at a time, and replaced the items in the same order after he had inspected them. There were a Maine driver’s license, American Express and Visa cards, a bank ATM card on Dick’s Camden bank, a membership card from a London club, a pilot’s license for single-engine land and multi-engine land with instrument ratings for both and a third-class FAA medical certificate with the date of Dick’s last examination, two days before his death, from a doctor in Camden. Stone had not known that Dick was a pilot. The wallet also contained business cards, identifying Dick as the agricultural attaché at London’s American embassy, obviously a cover job. The last item was a Maine license to carry concealed firearms.
    Stone returned the items to their bag and put them in a cupboard in the study, then he looked up Caleb Stone’s number in the local phone book and called him. Caleb answered.
    “It’s Stone,” he said.
    “Hi.”
    “I’ve received the ashes from the funeral directors, and you said you wanted to scatter them in the harbor.”
    “Yes, thank you.”
    “The three were intermingled, according to Dick’s instructions. Would you like me to bring them over?”
    “I’ll pick them up,” Caleb said. “Is now a good time?”
    “Yes, come ahead.” The two men hung up.
    Five minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Stone ushered Caleb inside and handed him the box.
    “I haven’t opened them,” he said. “I don’t know what sort of container they’re in.”
    “I don’t suppose it matters,” Caleb said, tucking the box under his arm.
    Stone struggled for something else to say. “I saw your boys over at the yacht club yesterday,” he said finally. “They’re the image of you at that age.”
    “Yes, they are,” Caleb said. “I’m very proud of them. They’re doing well at Yale, and they’re the stars of the wrestling team, as I was.”
    Stone nodded.
    Caleb looked uncomfortable. “Would you mind if we borrowed the picnic boat to scatter the ashes? All we’ve got is a Boston Whaler, and it doesn’t seem appropriate to the occasion.”
    “Please do,” Stone replied. “I suppose the keys are in it, since the yard delivered it yesterday.”
    “Thank you,” Caleb said. “I’ll have the boys bring it back when we’re done.” He stood still for another moment, then said, “Well, I suppose I’d better go. Thank you for taking care of the funeral directors. Will you send me a bill?”
    “The estate paid for it,” Stone said. “I’ve already sent them a check. I’ve dealt with the insurance company, and you should have a check from them within a week.”
    “Thank you for that, too,” Caleb said and headed for the door.
    Stone walked him to the door, shook his hand and closed it after him. Stone had still not become accustomed to Caleb’s newfound civility and quiet nature.
    The phone rang, and Stone answered it in the study, at Dick’s desk.
    “It’s Dino.”
    “How are you? How did the meeting with Mary Ann and the lawyers go?”
    “Lousy, but the one with Eduardo went better.”
    “Why with Eduardo?”
    “It was at his invitation.” Dino told him what had happened.
    “That’s very good news, Dino.”
    “Yeah, now I’m not stuck with just a salary and a pension.”
    “What are you going to do with it?”
    “I’m going to buy an apartment and invest the rest with a guy Eduardo recommended. So I’ll be out of your house as