Unintended Consequences - By Stuart Woods

16





Stone was dressing for dinner when his cell phone went off. “Hello?”

“It’s Holly. Didn’t you get my message?”

“Yes, but I was interrupted and didn’t have a chance to call.”

“Did you hear from Dino?”

“Yes, and thank you for that. I was very relieved.”

“I would have called you myself, but I’ve been in a marathon meeting with no phone.”

“Are you back in New York?”

“Tomorrow. Oh, by the way, Lance is going to be confirmed as director.”

“Yeah, he told me.”

“You’ve talked to Lance?”

“Yes, he was in my suite when I got back from lunch—bribed a bellman.”

“Stone, it’s the drug, you’re hallucinating.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Lance is down the hall in his office.”

“Not anymore he isn’t.”

“Stone, you’ve got to see a doctor.”

“Look, Holly, I’ve just had an extremely unpleasant half hour with Lance, and I’m not hallucinating.”

“Stone, listen: Lance cannot be in Paris.”

“I don’t know why the hell not.”

“I’ve told you, he’s here.”

“Tell you what, put me on hold, walk down to Lance’s office, and open the door. Then ask his secretary where he is.”

“Hold on.”

Stone stood, tapping his foot for two minutes before Holly came back on the line.

“All right, so he’s in Paris.”

“And I’m not hallucinating?”

“And you’re not hallucinating. What did he want?”

“He wants me to . . . Wait a minute, this isn’t a secure line, is it?”

“It is on my end. What are you talking on?”

“My iPhone.”

“Then don’t say anything that you don’t want heard.”

Stone was silent.

“Hello?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you going to tell me what he said?”

“You just told me not to. Make up your mind.”

“Shit.”

“Will you excuse me, please? I’ll be late for dinner.”

“Where and with whom are you having dinner?”

“I can’t say, I might be overheard.”

“So what?”

“So the last person I was talking to, before Lance, had a shot taken at her. I don’t want that to happen to my dinner companion.”

“You are infuriating.”

“I’m pretty infuriated, myself. Turns out Lance is responsible for what happened to me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Well, I can’t explain it to you on this phone.”

“Never mind, goodbye!” She hung up.

The phone on the bedside table rang, and Stone picked it up. “Hello?”

“Stone, it’s Marcel duBois. I hope you’re well.”

Stone relaxed a little. “Yes, Marcel, I’m very well, thank you.”

“I wonder if you’re free to have lunch with me tomorrow?”

“Of course. I’d be delighted.”

Marcel gave him an address. “Ask for me at the front desk,” he said. “One o’clock?”

“That’s fine.” They both hung up.

Stone was five minutes late for dinner and was embarrassed to find Helga waiting for him, already seated at a table by the big windows. He kissed her and sat down, but before he could speak, someone else pulled up a chair. Lance smiled at him sweetly. “Good evening, Stone, Helga.”

“Oh, Lance!” Helga said, sounding delighted. “What brings you to Paris?”

“I wish it were you, my dear, but it’s Stone.”

Helga looked at Stone oddly. “You two know each other?”

“Unfortunately,” Stone said.

“Stone,” Lance said, “give me your cell phone and your passport.”

“Why?” Stone demanded.

“Don’t be difficult.”

Stone sighed and handed over the two items.

Lance produced another cell phone, then turned on both of them. He made some data entries in each. “Give it a minute,” he said. “The two phones are syncing.”

“I didn’t know you could do that,” Stone said.

“You weren’t supposed to know. Ah!” He handed Stone the new iPhone, a white one, and slipped Stone’s into his pocket, then he removed Stone’s passport from its chocolate alligator holder and inserted another passport. “Sign this,” he said, pointing to a line on the passport.

Stone signed it.

“Now,” Lance said, “what you have is an iPhone that operates exactly as yours did, except that when you are connected to one of our phones, it automatically scrambles the conversation. It is a secure phone. And your new passport is a diplomatic one.”

“Why do I need that?”

“Because the way things have been going, it wouldn’t surprise me to hear that you’ve been arrested. That passport is a get-out-of-jail-free card.”

“Why would I be arrested?” Stone asked.

“For carrying this.” Lance, keeping his hand low, handed Stone something solid in a leather pouch.

“What did you just give me?” Stone asked.

“A small pistol, in a soft holster. Hook it to your belt.”

Stone did as he was told. “And why do I need this?”

“I told you, another of our people was shot at today.”

“And you think I could be next?”

“Who knows what tomorrow will bring?”

“You can say that again.”

“My people have located Bill Eggers, and you will receive a phone call from him on your new phone around noon tomorrow. You should make the most of the call, because it wasn’t easy to arrange. It required an airplane on floats.”

“All right.”

“Now, I want you to arrange to see duBois again, the sooner the better.”

“How about one o’clock tomorrow?”

“That would be convenient. Why then?”

“He invited me to lunch.”

“Well,” Lance said, rising, “my work here is done. Call me at this number after you have spoken to duBois. I would like very much to meet with him.” He handed Stone a card.

Stone shrugged. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“I’m so sorry I can’t dine with you both,” Lance said.

“Don’t be sorry,” Stone replied.

Lance gave a little wave and disappeared.