Unintended Consequences - By Stuart Woods

52





On Monday morning, Seth drove Stanley and Lewis to Rockland to meet their helicopter. Stone and the others stayed through lunch, then headed back to the Islesboro landing strip.

Dino was ever the harbinger of doom. “I’m not sure you can make it out of this strip with four of us and our luggage aboard.”

“What? You want to stay on, rent a car and drive back?”

“Will we make it?”

“Since we’ve burned off half our fuel getting here, probably,” Stone said.

“Probably?”

Stone shoved him onto the airplane. Helga was already in the copilot’s seat, so Dino joined Marcel in the rear.

Stone ran through his checklist, explaining the items to Helga. He noted that the wind was brisk, favoring a northerly departure, so he taxied to the southerly end of the runway, checked for traffic, announced his intentions on the common radio frequency, and lined up as close to the end of the runway as possible. He went through his final takeoff checklist, then, while firmly holding the brakes, pushed the throttles all the way forward and waited a few seconds for the engines to spool all the way up. With the engines whining in protest, he released the brakes and began his takeoff roll.

Helga watched as the end of the runway loomed. “I want to fly now,” she said.

Stone obliged her by easing back the yoke and allowing the bird to take wing. Just above the treetops he leveled and let the airspeed build, then he began his climb and called Boston Center for his clearance.

“I didn’t think we would make it,” Helga said.

“I’ve made it at least a dozen times,” Stone said. “The airplane is built to do it. I wouldn’t want to try it with full fuel, though. I’ve tried to talk the locals into adding another few hundred feet to the runway, but nobody wants to encourage larger aircraft to land. I don’t think they want to pay for it, either.”

When they landed at Teterboro and taxied to Jet Aviation, the big Mercedes van pulled up, with Stanley aboard, and they were away in no time. Stone noticed that, as they drove through the security gate, two other vehicles joined them, one ahead and one behind.

They reached Stone’s house without incident. “Are you going back to the office?” he asked Dino.

“Nah, everybody will be gone by now anyway. I’ve got nothing on that won’t keep until tomorrow. I’ll just get a cab home—never mind the van. Somebody might take a shot at it.”

Stone got his guests and their luggage inside and upstairs.

“We need to change for a party,” he said to Helga.

“Oh, good. What party?”

“You’ll see. Marcel is flying home tomorrow and has offered to drop you in Stockholm. I’d like it if you’d stay on for a while.”

She put her arms around him and kissed him. “Oh, thank you, Stone, but it’s time for me to go home to Sweden. Being in Maine made me miss my island.”

“I understand,” Stone said. “I’ll let Lance know your plans, and someone will meet you. You’ll be home for dinner tomorrow night.”

• • •

Dino arrived at his apartment building and went up in the elevator. He wasn’t expecting Viv back until the following evening from her business trip, so he thought he’d order his dinner delivered: Chinese, maybe.

He let himself into his apartment, dropped his bag, and switched on the lights, then looked around. He was in the wrong apartment; how had he managed that? This one was unfurnished; he must be on the wrong floor. Then he saw an envelope with his name on it taped to the phone, which rested on the bare floor. He opened the envelope; inside was a handsome, engraved invitation:


Chief & Mrs. Dino Bacchetti

request the pleasure of your company

at a housewarming in their new home,

600 Park Avenue, Apt. 12A

7:00 PM, Drinks and dinner


He walked slowly around the apartment; everything was gone: his clothes, his books, everything. The place looked absolutely forlorn.

• • •

Stone, Helga, and Marcel rang the bell at number 12A, and the door was opened by a uniformed butler, supplied by the caterers. They were led into the living room, where they were met by the sound of jazz music from a piano and bass fiddle. The place was packed, and everybody had a drink in his hand. Stone spotted the police commissioner and his wife and the mayor and his girlfriend. Half of police headquarters seemed to be there, too, and some of the old regulars from Elaine’s.

A waiter took their drinks order, then Viv broke away from a group and joined them. “Thank you so much for getting Dino out of the way for the weekend,” she said, kissing Stone. “He would have been impossible if he had been here!”

“How did he take it?” Stone asked.

“He walked in, took one look around, and said, ‘I live here?’ He couldn’t believe it! He had never seen the rugs, the curtains, the piano, and half the furniture. His clothes were unpacked and in his dressing room; his books were in the library, and the booze was in the bar. He was just flabbergasted!”

“It was exactly the right way to handle it,” Stone said, “and I’m delighted you pulled it off.”

“I wish I could have seen his face when he walked into his old apartment and found everything gone and an invitation to the housewarming waiting for him,” Viv said.

Dino wandered over, beaming, a large scotch in his hand. “Welcome to our home,” he said, waving a hand. “We’ve got a Steinway grand piano—can you believe it?”

“I can believe it,” Stone said.

“Come on, let me show you the place.” Dino led them through the whole apartment, all the bedrooms, one of them now Viv’s study, the huge kitchen, and the library. He was so proud Stone thought he might pop a button. “And Viv promises me we can afford it!”

“Congratulations, Dino,” Stone said. “You deserve this place and the woman who made you move into it.”

“I think the co-op board liked the idea of having a cop in the building,” he confided.

“I’m sure they all feel safer,” Stone said.

“Come on back to the bar for a refresher, then dinner will be served. It’s a buffet.”

They all followed Dino back to the living room.

“Stone,” Helga said, “I left my handbag in the van. I’ll be right back.”

“I can call Stanley to bring it to you,” Stone said.

“No, it’ll only take me a moment.”

She left and headed for the elevator. Stone was in the middle of dinner before he realized she had not returned.