15
Stone woke up the
following morning, sprawled across Charlene’s bed, naked. The scent
of bacon cooking wafted up from the kitchen. He showered and shaved
and went downstairs.
Dino and Hetty were
seated at the kitchen table, looking rested and fresh, while
Charlene was dishing up scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. They all
sat down, and Stone found a Los Angeles
Times on the table. A story just above the fold caught his
eye: DEATH OF MOVIE HEIRESS WAS MURDER.
Stone held up the
paper for the others. “Did you see this?”
“We were talking
about it when you were still asleep,” Dino said. “I wonder who let
the press know?”
“I don’t think it was
Prince,” Stone said. “Somebody who knows a reporter, I
guess.”
“Maybe Rick Barron?”
Dino offered.
“Could be,” Stone
replied. “Charlene, I think this takes the heat off you, at least a
little. The opposition can’t afford two murders in the
papers.”
“I’ll stick with my
security people for a while,” Charlene replied. “Better safe than
dead.”
Stone’s cell phone
hummed on his belt. “Excuse me for a moment,” he said, getting up
and walking out of the kitchen.
“Hello?”
“It’s
Eggers.”
“Good morning,
Bill.”
“It’s afternoon
here.”
“Yeah, I
remember.”
“I spoke to Rex
Champion early this morning, offered him thirty-six million. He
ranted for a while, then accepted. I’m sending him a deal memo; the
price is contingent on our due diligence turning up nothing
untoward and on his putting an immediate stop to selling blood
stock.”
“That’s great news,
Bill.”
“Closing is a week
from today.”
“What?”
“I know, I know, but
Rex is hard up and needs the cash immediately.”
“How are we going to
raise the cash for Arrington that fast?”
“Look, Stone, I know
you’re not accustomed to dealing with billionaires, but Woodman
& Weld is. When one of our clients needs a loan, he doesn’t
fill out an application and wait for word from the loan committee.
Call Arrington, tell her to instruct Chase to deal with us, and
we’ll have it wrapped up in a day or two. And send me her financial
statement, so I’ll know what I’m dealing with.”
“You’re dealing with
a billion two in investments with Chase; that’s all you need to
know.”
“You’re right, it is.
I need a letter from Arrington appointing us as her attorneys and
authorizing us to act for her. Can you get that faxed to me right
away?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll look forward to
hearing from her.” Eggers hung up.
Stone called
Arrington. “Good morning,” he said.
“It’s
afternoon.”
“Yes, it is. I have
good things to report,” he said. “Rex Champion has accepted your
offer of thirty-six million dollars for Virginia Champion
Farms.”
“That’s wonderful!
It’s less than I offered.”
“It’s what you
offered,” Stone said. “We thought the extra million was too
much.”
She laughed. “Thank
you for ignoring my orders.”
“Improving on your
orders. Now, we’re closing in a week, and I need some paperwork
from you right away. Got a pen and paper?”
“Yes,” she
said.
“First write a letter
to Woodman & Weld saying as follows: ‘Dear Sirs: I herewith
appoint your firm as my sole legal representatives, under the
supervision of your partner, Stone Barrington.’ ”
“Partner?”
“We’ve been talking
about that for months; your business sealed the deal.”
“Well,
congratulations!”
“Thank you, ma’am.
Please get that typed up on your letterhead, sign it, and fax it.”
He gave her the number. “Then mail Bill Eggers the original. Then,
as soon as you’ve done that, send the following letter to the
person who supervises your accounts at Chase Private Bank.
Ready?”
“Ready.”
“ ‘I have appointed
the firm of Woodman & Weld as my sole legal representatives.
You may deal with either Mr. Stone Barrington, the supervising
partner on my account, or Mr. William Eggers, the firm’s managing
partner, on my behalf.’ ”
“Got
it.”
“Fax that to both
your Chase banker and Bill Eggers and mail Chase the
original.”
“Will
do.”
“Time is of the
essence,” Stone said. “We have to arrange a bridging loan from
Chase right away to close the sale of Champion Farms, so that you
won’t have to sell stocks at a loss.”
“I
understand.”
“As soon as Eggers
and Chase receive your faxes, we’re in business. I’ll have Eggers
fax you the deal memo on the sale, which will protect you from
undiscovered liabilities.”
“Thank you, Stone, I
appreciate your getting this done with such dispatch. What’s
happening with the sale of Centurion?”
“There’s been a bad
turn of events,” Stone said. He told her about the murder of
Jennifer Harris.
“Am I in any
danger?”
“No. Just don’t tell
Howard Sharp what we’re doing with Champion and don’t talk to him
about anything else, either. Write him a letter discharging him and
instructing him to overnight all your files to me in New
York.”
“I’ll get it done
today,” she said. “Bye-bye.”
Stone returned to
breakfast.
“Everything okay?”
Dino asked.
“Better than okay,”
Stone said.
“Did you save
Centurion?” Charlene asked.
“Not yet, but that’s
next on my to-do list.”
When Stone and Dino
left Charlene’s house, there were two men in the front garden and
an unmarked van parked out front.
“Good morning,
gentlemen,” one of the men said. “May I see some ID?”
They both
complied.
“Charlene doesn’t
waste any time, does she?” Dino said as they got into the
car.
“Never, on any
occasion, about anything,” Stone replied.