Free Cold Paradise by Stuart Woods Page B

cooed.
    “Which brings up the matter of Peter,” Stone said.
    She stepped back from him. “Do we have to talk about that now?”
    “Now is as good a time as any, and better than most.”
    “Why do you have to be certain who Peter’s father is?” she asked. “I’m not sure I want to know.”
    “I don’t understand that, but I’m sure you can understand why I want to know,” Stone said. “If you put your mind to it.”
    She turned away from him. “Men!”
    “Do you find it so odd that a man would want to know if he had a son?”
    “I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” she said. “Let’s go back downstairs.” She headed for the door.
    Stone followed close behind her. Two couples were coming down the hall toward them, apparently touring the house. They smiled knowingly at Stone as they passed. What the hell was that about? he wondered, then he realized that his tie was untied and hurriedly retied it. He ran down the stairs after Arrington, caught up with her on the landing overlooking the living room and stopped her.
    “Listen to me,” he said. “You and I cannot have a normal relationship until we settle the question of Peter.”
    “Why can’t you just leave it alone?” she said. “I really don’t want to know.”
    “Then you don’t want to know me,” Stone replied.
    She ran down the stairs, and he followed more slowly. People were looking up at them, among the crowd, Callie. Stone let Arrington make her way across the room, and he turned toward the bar and ordered another drink.
    A moment later, Callie appeared at his side. “Oh, your tie is all mussed,” she said. “Let me fix it for you.” She tugged at the bow until she was satisfied. “Well, it didn’t take the two of you long, did it?”
    “What?” Stone asked, distracted, then he caught her meaning. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous.”
    “Am I being ridiculous?” she asked. “A woman scorned, I suppose.”
    “Scorned? You invited her here, didn’t you? Not Thad.”
    “I suggested it to Thad,” she said. “I wanted to know where I stood.”
    “If you wanted to know where you stood, you could have simply asked me,” Stone said, trying to keep the anger from his voice. “There was no need to send a jet to Virginia and haul her down here; no need to pull the scabs off old wounds.”
    “I’m sorry,” Callie said sheepishly.
    “You should be. You shouldn’t interfere in other people’s lives, especially when you don’t have a clue what’s going on.”
    “Listen, Stone,” Callie said, now sounding angry herself. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t sleep casually with people, especially when there’s something else going on in their lives. If you and Arrington are in love with each other, I’d rather know it now, not later.”
    “I didn’t bring her down here,” Stone said, “ you did. I’d be grateful if you’d stop meddling in my life.” He set down his drink, turned and walked out of the room. He made his way past couples in the gardens, then to the yacht, where he made himself a large drink at the bar in the saloon and sat on the afterdeck, drinking it, watching the moonlight on the water, trying to banish the thought of both Arrington and Callie from his mind.
    Later, the music stopped and the sound of slamming car doors and diminishing voices told him the party was ending. He knew he couldn’t sleep for a while, so he made himself another drink.
    Then Juanito was at his elbow with a cordless phone. “Mr. Barrington, Mr. Thad is calling for you,” he said.
    Stone took the phone. “Hello?”
    “Stone, please come over to Liz’s house right away,” Shames said. “I’ve already called the police.”
    Stone started to ask why, but Shames had already hung up.

14
    S TONE DROVE QUICKLY, BUT NOT TOO QUICKLY, THROUGH the streets of Palm Beach. It was well after midnight, now, and traffic was light, but he did not wish to attract the attention of a traffic cop at this moment. He swung into West