“I think I told you this before, but your father is selling the company, and that’s your share of the proceeds.”
“That’s what my father says my share is?” Keating asked.
“It is.”
“Then it’s the wrong amount. My father is a liar and a thief, and if he’s offering me that much money, he owes me a lot more.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Why don’t you ask my Uncle Harry?”
“I didn’t know you had an Uncle Harry.”
“I don’t anymore; he’s dead.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Mr. Barrington, my Uncle Harry is the one who made the company into what it is. My father had nothing to do with its success, and now that Uncle Harry is dead, he’s cashing in.”
“What about your grandfather? Can he still run it?”
“My grandfather has Alzheimer’s; he’s in a home.”
“Do you have any interest in running the company?” Stone asked.
“Not in the least.”
“Then why don’t you just take the money?”
“I told you, my father is a liar and a thief. He made a drunk of my mother, and he probably murdered my Uncle Harry.”
“Do you have any evidence of that?”
“No, but I understand the police are looking into it.”
“When did your Uncle Harry die?”
“Three months ago. I saw his obituary in the New York Times. ”
“So you’re not going to sign the papers okaying the sale?”
“No, I’m not. That will royally screw my father, and I’ll enjoy that.”
Shit, Stone thought. “Then I’m wasting my time?”
“Yes, you are. By the way, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry you got socked in the neck the last time we met.”
“Why did that happen?”
“My girlfriend is sometimes a little overprotective. Apparently, she thought you meant me ill.”
“Where is she now?” Stone said, looking behind him.
“Relax, she’s in the ladies’ room.”
“Good. By the way, did you know that Charley Boggs is dead?”
Keating’s face fell. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw them fish his body out of Garrison Bight this morning. You’ll read about it in tomorrow’s paper.”
“Oh, shit,” Keating said.
“Well, yeah. The police want to talk to you about it.”
“Me? I would never hurt Charley. We’ve been friends since prep school.”
“Prep school? I thought Boggs was just some Key West drug dealer.”
“He may be that, but it wasn’t a part of our relationship. When I came to Key West, he was the only person I knew here.”
“The police found a bag of cocaine in his motorcycle storage locker and a hiding place on his houseboat where more drugs were probably stashed.”
“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Keating said. “How did Charley die?”
“Bullet to the back of the head. Do you own a nine-millimeter pistol?”
“No.”
“Why was your boat out at the reef in the middle of the night a couple of days ago?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Keating said.
“It was spotted there.” Stone didn’t tell him how. “The police are going to want to talk to you about that, too.”
“I’ve only driven the boat once, the day I bought it. It’s been at anchor ever since.”
“Could Charley Boggs have used it without your knowledge?”
“Well, yes. He knew where the keys were stashed.”
“Could Charley have used your cell phone?”
“I lost my cell phone the day I bought the boat; it must have gone overboard.”
“You may need a lawyer soon,” Stone said. “You’ve got my number.” He got up and left by the exit directly from the bar deck to the street and saw Tommy Sculley and Daryl getting out of their car.
“He’s out back,” Stone said, jerking a thumb in that direction. Stone drove back to Annika’s house and found her setting the table.
“Smells good,” he said. “What are we having?”
“Swedish meatballs,” she replied. “What else?”
“Sounds great.”
“Did you conclude your business?”
“Not really,” Stone replied. He had the feeling there was more business to do, but he wasn’t sure what it was.
17
STONE WOKE UP the following morning in Annika’s bed, exhausted. They had made love until they fell asleep after midnight, and she had wakened him in the middle of the night for more. He didn’t have another round in him, so he got out of bed, slipped into his clothes and tiptoed out of the house. He was halfway back to the Marquesa when his cell phone vibrated. “Hello?”
“Where did you go?” Annika said.
“I have a breakfast meeting,” he lied.
“I want you. Let’s have dinner tonight?”
“I’m not sure what’s going on yet. Let me call you this afternoon.”
“All right, but you better.”
“I will.” He snapped the phone shut and returned it to its holster. Dino wasn’t up yet. Stone showered, shaved and dressed and walked out to their porch. Dino was sipping coffee from the pot in his room.
“I ordered breakfast for you,” Dino said.
“Good.”
“You look a little peaked.”
“You could say that,” Stone agreed.
“Is the Swede turning out to be too much for you?”
“Don’t ask.” Stone looked at his watch. Eggers would be at his desk momentarily.
“Any news on any front?” Dino asked.
“Yes, and I’m going to call Eggers in a minute. You can listen in, so I won’t have to repeat myself.”
“I’ll try and contain myself,” Dino said drily. Stone pressed the speed-dial button on his phone, and it began to ring. He pressed the speaker button so Dino could hear the conversation.
“Eggers,” the phone said.
“It’s Stone.”
“God, you’re up early; I hope it’s good news.”
“Is there such a person as Harry Keating?”
“Yes, or rather, there was.”
“Was he Warren Keating’s brother?”
“Yes, he was the man I dealt with until his death.”
“What do you know about Warren Keating?”
“That he was Harry’s brother. He wasn’t in the business until Harry died; doesn’t know anything about it, really. He’s a chemist, or at least he has a chemistry degree. I don’t think he had much of a career; he just took a monthly check from Harry.”
“I finally pinned Evan Keating down last night, and he won’t sign the papers.”
“What?”
“He says his father is a liar and a thief.”
“We’re talking twenty-one million dollars! Is the kid nuts?”
“Do you know more about the family than the kid does?”
“Well, no.”
“Who negotiated the deal for the sale of the business?”
“I initiated the talks, but the buyer had to retain another lawyer, since I represent him, too.”
“How was Evan’s share of the proceeds determined?”
“As the managing partner, Warren has the authority in the will to allocate the funds, and he has his father’s agreement.”
“Do you know the father?”
“Yes, he was still running the company when they became our clients. He retired a good ten years ago, and Harry ran the company since then. Grew it a lot.”
“Do you know the old man?”
“Sure.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“At Harry’s funeral, about three months ago.”
“Did you have an opportunity to talk with him then?”
“For a few minutes. He was crushed about Harry’s death.”