“No, he’s descended from Krauts. Bye-bye, Stone.” She hung up.
Stone dialed the number.
“Blau Security,” a woman said.
“May I speak to Mr. Blau, please?”
“Which Mr. Blau?”
“Werner Blau.”
“Senior or junior?”
“Senior.”
“Mr. Blau Senior is retired.”
“Then junior, please.”
“Your name?”
“Stone Barrington.”
“I’ll see if I can find him.”
“Good.”
Almost instantly, the phone was picked up. “This is Werner Blau,” he said.
“Senior or junior?” Stone replied.
“Senior died three years ago.”
“My condolences,” Stone said. “Then, Junior?”
“Speaking.”
“Mr. Blau, my name is Stone Barrington. I was referred to you by Vivian Bacchetti.”
“I don’t know a Vivian Bacchetti. Try again.”
“Of Strategic Services.”
“Oh, that Vivian Bacchetti.”
“The very one.”
“What can I do for you, Mr. Barrington?”
“Mrs. Bacchetti told me that you received a request to look into my background from a man named Randall Hedger. First, I want to thank you for stiffing him.”
“You’re welcome. Now, what can I do for you?”
“I’d like you to investigate the background of someone.”
“Who?”
“Randall Hedger.”
“How deep do you want to go?”
“The usual superficial stuff — criminal record, etcetera — then deeper.”
“How deep?”
“Whatever you can find.”
“Mr. Hedger’s address and phone number?”
“You can start there. If he tells you it’s on East Sixty-Third Street, he’s lying.”
“What is your connection to Mr. Hedger?”
“I have none. He’s the soon-to-be ex-husband of an acquaintance of mine.”
“Her name?”
“Roberta Calder, East Sixty-Third Street.”
“May I speak to her?”
“You may not, and I don’t want her to know you’re investigating Hedger.”
“O... kay. We get fifteen hundred a day and expenses.”
“That’s fine. Call me before you buy any airline tickets.”
“You’d like the investigation confined to New York City?”
“Greater New York, let’s say. You can telephone as far as you like.”
“Is your requirement of this information urgent?”
“It’s not life or death — I hope — but...” Stone stopped and thought. “Skip that. It’s urgent,” he said.
“Then I will attend to this matter personally,” Blau said. “Your address and phone numbers?”
Stone gave him his information. “Thank you for your attention to this.”
“I’ll be in touch,” Blau said, then hung up.
32
Joan buzzed again. “Dino, on one.”
“I just spoke to your wife.”
“What are you doing speaking to my wife?”
“She called me.”
“Why?”
“It was a personal matter.”
“Personal you or personal her?”
“Personal me.”
“What is my wife doing calling you about personal stuff?”
“Let’s cut this short,” Stone said. “I am not now nor have I ever been fucking your wife. Does that clear things up for you?”
“No, but I can’t talk to her about it because she just left for the airport. You want to confess over dinner?”
“Confess what?”
“Your intention to fuck my wife.”
“No, but I’ll deny it over dinner. Seven, at Patroon?”
“Right.” They both hung up.
Stone got there first and was half a drink ahead before Dino arrived and was presented with his usual scotch.
“Now,” Dino said.
“Now, what?”
“Do I have to start again at the beginning?”
“Viv called me to say that one of her guys had a guy who had been asked to dig up dirt on me.”
“By whom?”
“Randall Hedger.”
“Who the fuck is Randall Hedger? Is he fucking my wife?”
“Are you enjoying your paranoia, or shall I dispel it for you?”
“Dispel it if you can.”
“Hedger is the soon-to-be ex-husband of Roberta Calder.”
“Ah, so you’re fucking his wife, instead of mine.”
“There’s no ‘instead of.’”
“Let me put it this way: Is this Hedger paranoid?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“That’s a full and complete answer to my question.”
“I’m so happy to hear it.”
“Is he seeking to destroy your reputation or to kill you?”
“Well, if he wanted to kill me, he wouldn’t need a background investigation, would he?”
Dino ignored the question. “What are you doing about this?”
“I’ve ordered an investigation of Randall Hedger.”
“What for?”
“I want to see if he’s worthy of being despised as much as I now despise him.”
“You’re worried that you’re being irrational?”
“I’m confirming my instincts.”
“How many ex-husbands have you had to deal with over the years?”
“A few,” Stone admitted.
“Why so many?”
“Well, if you’re a bachelor, and you’re not interested in twenty-year-old girls, a third of the women you are interested in will be married, and another forty percent will be married and pursuing divorce — or just divorced. Those women come with ex-husbands.”
“How many ex-husbands have you ordered background checks on?”
Stone thought about it. “Mr. Hedger is the first.”
“So, why Hedger, but none of the others?”
“Because he tried to order a background check on me. That’s a first, too, as far as I know.”
“So this is a revenge background check you’ve ordered?”
“It’s more of a self-defense background check.”
“Did Viv’s guy’s guy take the job?”
“No, because he knew that you and Vi are my friends. But you may be sure Mr. Hedger is interviewing other investigators.”
“How may I be sure of that?”
“You can take my word for it. I’ve had more experience with ex-husbands than you have.”
Ken Aretsky, the owner of Patroon, appeared at their table, took their order, and sent them a complimentary bottle of wine.
Stone hoped that the interruption would cause a change of subject, but it did not.
“So, is this Hedger going to start taking shots at you?”
“Why would he do that?”
“As I recall, other ex-husbands have turned to violence to deal with you.”
“That doesn’t mean this one will,” Stone said. “My instincts also tell me that Hedger is a coward.”
“Cowards hire others to do their work.”
“My instincts also tell me that this one is too cheap to hire somebody.”
“But he’s already tried to hire somebody.”
“Yes, but he didn’t get as far as to inquire of the costs involved.”
“What are the costs?”
“Fifteen hundred a day, plus expenses.”
“Does that include capping you?”
“No, that would be extra — a lot extra, I should think.”
“Then let’s hope he’s cheap.”
Dinner arrived and was dealt with. They were on coffee when Dino’s phone made an odd noise.
“What was that?” Stone asked.
“Something new. It’s the ringtone that I have to answer.” Dino answered. “Bacchetti.” He listened. “In a restaurant on East Forty-Sixth Street. All right.” He hung up. “There’s a homicide a block from here,” he said.
“Do you have to go?”