Dino let himself into the house with his key, and when he arrived in the study, Stone was ready for him.
“What’s this?” Dino asked, taking a seat.
“This, my friend, is the almost unobtainable beluga caviar.”
“And given that, how did you obtain it?”
“It came from the refrigerator of the late Randall Hedger.”
“He could afford a refrigerator?”
“Let me tell you the story,” Stone said, which he did while removing the seal from the tin and handing Dino a spoon. “There’s onion and egg there, but try it plain.”
They both did.
Dino savored the flavors of the roe. “So Randy was in the smuggling game?”
“Yes, and he bothered with nothing that wasn’t compact, easily concealable, and very rare. I made a couple of calls and someone who knows about these things told me that there are plenty of customers for beluga at twenty thousand dollars a kilo.”
“And how big is this can?”
“Half a kilo. And he also smuggled in Castro’s favorite cigars, which go for twelve thousand a box, or six hundred dollars if bought individually.”
“I’m glad you got the beluga instead of the cigars,” Dino said.
Stone poured them each a glass of the icy vodka. “It goes well with this.” He raised his glass. “The tsar.”
Dino raised his glass and drank. “Wow,” he said, digging his spoon into the shiny black eggs. “We could just make dinner of this,” he said.
“That would be too greedy,” Stone replied. “One more spoonful, and I’ll return this to the fridge for later binges.”
During dinner, a thought came suddenly to Stone. “I’m very slow on the uptake,” he said to Dino.
“How’s that?”
“You remember the airplane that sank next to us at Fort Jefferson?”
“How could I forget?”
“Remember the suitcases in the rear compartment that disappeared overnight?”
“I remember you telling me about them. I never saw them.”
“I think those suitcases were packed with Castro’s favorite cigars and beluga caviar.”
Dino’s eyes widened. “That would explain why they went to all that trouble to take them from the wreck. That cargo, at the prices you’ve mentioned, would be worth more than cocaine.”
Stone got out his phone and called Max.
“This is Max.”
“And this is Stone.”
“Hey, there. Have you reconsidered coming to Key West?”
“I believe I have,” Stone said, “and I may be able to solve part of your case.”
“Which case, the stolen bicycles?”
“Something much more valuable. I’ll tell you when I see you.”
“When will that be?”
“Give me a day or two to do some investigating at this end. Then I’ll wing my way south.”
“I guess I can stand your absence for another day or two. Let me know when, and I’ll meet you at the airport.”
They hung up. “Feel like a few days in Key West?” Stone asked Dino.
“I certainly feel like it. I’ll see if I can shake loose and what Viv’s schedule is like.”
“Dino,” Stone said, “you remember that I got a visit from those Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms guys a short while ago?”
“I remember.”
“I think they were interested in tobacco, not so much the other two.”
“I see your point,” Dino said. “You know, now that we know what Randy Hedger was involved in, that might give us another avenue for investigating his murder.”
“Maybe he’s the first guy to ever get offed over cigars and caviar.”
“You have a point,” Dino said.
“Now, all we have to do is find out who Randy’s accomplices are.”
“Maybe I’ll pay the lovely Roberta a visit tomorrow.”
“And maybe I’ll join you,” Stone said.
45
Stone traveled uptown the next morning to meet with Herbie and Roberta, at Herbie’s request. “I think it may take more than one legal mind to keep Robbie on the straight and narrow, as we progress,” Herb had said.
Stone agreed. He presented himself at Robbie’s door at the appointed hour of nine-thirty and rang the bell. Robbie swung open the door and it was apparent to Stone that she was dressed in nothing more than a thin silk dressing gown, probably of her own design. Somewhat, but not entirely to his chagrin, the sight of her draped curves caused a quickening of his breath and a rise in the blood pressure of other parts of his anatomy.
Robbie closed the door and presented a cheek to be kissed, then, when Stone aimed for it, she turned her head and he came in contact with her lips and her tongue. “I want you, and right now,” she said, slipping out of her dressing gown with a shrug of her shoulders and allowing it to drop in a puddle on the floor.
“May I remind you,” Stone said, working his speech around her tongue, “that Herb Fisher will be joining us momentarily?”
“Herb just called,” Robbie said, unzipping his fly. “He’s going to be an hour late.”
By the time enough of Stone’s blood supply had reached his brain to allow for decision making, he was beyond decision and flying on auto-penis. She backed him into a chair and, on his way down, deftly stripped him of his trousers and boxers, while dropping to her knees and taking him into her mouth.
Stone resisted the thought of defense and gave himself to the moment. Robbie, with exquisite timing, stopped him short of orgasm and climbed onto him, impaling herself. Stone managed to lift her without exiting and lowered her to the rich carpet below them, so that he could continue the exercise with complete freedom.
For the next half hour they changed positions and orifices in exquisite experimentation, then they simultaneously experienced that erotic explosion that satisfied all needs. Robbie pushed him onto his back and started working on his shirt buttons, while Stone recovered himself. By the time she had stripped him naked she was on top again, swallowing him up.
After a time, Stone snuck a peek at his watch. “I believe we are expecting company at any moment,” he said.
Robbie gasped, freed him, and ran for her bedroom. By the time Herb rang the doorbell, Stone was seated on the sofa with a magazine in his lap, and Robbie was just emerging clothed in something more businesslike for their meeting.
“Good morning,” Herb said.
“Come in, Herb,” Robbie said. “Would you like some coffee?”
“No, thank you, I just had some.” He looked first at her, then at Stone. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” he said.
“Herb,” Stone said, “you’re an hour late. How could you be interrupting?”
“Right,” Herb said, taking a seat and setting down his briefcase. “Robbie, Stone and I have to have a very frank discussion with you about how to proceed from here.”
“Why two of you?” Robbie asked, arranging herself in a chair.
“Because, in the recent past, you have shown a reluctance to follow our advice when offered individually. So perhaps now, with the full legal weight of both of us, we may persuade you to keep your conduct within the bounds of the law and, thus, remain a free woman.”
“I am putty in your hands,” Robbie replied with a warm smile at Stone.
“We’ll see about that,” Herb said. “Now, to begin, I have filed the death certificate issued by the medical examiner, along with Randall’s will and other documents that should, perhaps before the day is out, result in you being appointed the legal executor of his estate.”
“How nice,” she replied. “I guess it was a good thing he had made a will.”
“Actually, if he had died intestate, you, as his lawful spouse, would have inherited everything anyway.”