The lawyer was not looking at the fire anymore. He was staring straight in Petry’s direction, as if he knew he was there, and he was smiling.
That wasn’t right. He should be screaming, panicked, and trying to rescue his mother’s work, but the blaze didn’t seem to faze him at all.
Three people ran up to Barrington, each holding something in their hands. At a word from Barrington, they turned so Petry could see what they were carrying. Each held one of the paintings that Petry had bought, the same paintings he could see burning on the fire.
That’s when the realization hit him. Duchamp, who had been horrified at Petry’s plan, must have teamed up with Barrington to make Petry the fool.
That arty son of a bitch was going to pay for this. “Let’s go.”
They got up and turned for the path back to their sedan but didn’t even make it a step. Standing in their way was the giant frame of a man who was supposed to be dead.
Phillip raised the pistol in his hand. “Going somewhere, gentlemen?”
“Nico,” Petry said. “What’s he doing here?”
“Uh...”
The corner of Phillip’s mouth ticked up. “Your fixer isn’t so great at fixing things, I guess.”
“Hey,” Nico said. “There’s no need for this to get ugly. I told you, it wasn’t personal.”
“It felt personal to me.”
“Look, we can work something out. Mr. Petry is a very rich man. What will it take so that we can all walk away from here?”
“You think buying me off is going to save you?”
“Everyone has a price. Name yours and I’ll make it happen.”
Petry watched Phillip’s eyes, waiting for them to focus solely on Nico.
The instant they did, Petry shoved his lawyer in the back, sending him sprawling toward Phillip, then he sprinted into the cover of the brush.
Phillip’s gun went off. Petry kept running, expecting a bullet to tear into him, but it didn’t.
Another shot hit the trunk of a tree as he passed it. He zagged right and moved deeper into the brush, then headed in the direction he thought would take him back to his car.
Chapter 52
Stone ducked as a gunshot echoed past Billy’s house. He glanced at his friends. No one appeared to have been hit.
Another shot went off.
“It’s coming from where Sticks and Petry are set up,” Billy said. He listened to something on his radio. “One of Viv’s teams is moving in.”
“They weren’t the ones doing the shooting?” Stone asked.
“No.”
Stone glanced at Dino. “LAPD?”
Dino shook his head. “They were hanging back to catch Petry and the others when they returned to the road.”
“Then who took the shot and who were they shooting at?” Monica asked.
A Strategic Services security guard hurried over. “The guests are being moved into the house. You all should join them. It’s not safe out here.”
The radio on his belt squawked to life. “This is team five. We’ve got a body. Male, approximately forty-five. No pulse.” After a short pause, the security officer said, “He has a New York driver’s license, says his name is Nicolas Savage.”
Viv gestured for her security officer to give her his radio, and he handed it over. “Team five, this is Vivian Bacchetti. No sign of anyone else?”
“No, ma’am. Just the one.”
“There are at least two more out there. Proceed with extreme caution.”
“Copy.”
The fire engine had reached the small blaze, and firefighters were preparing to douse the flames.
“Billy, I need your car,” Stone said.
“Where are you going?” Billy asked.
“To find them.”
“I’m coming with you,” Dino said.
Billy handed Stone the keys to the Audi. “I need to make sure everything here is okay, then I’ll catch up to you.”
“Here,” Viv said, tossing Stone the radio.
Catching it in his right hand, he and Dino ran to Billy’s garage.
“Dammit,” Sticks muttered.
He had stopped just inside the brush to scan the road. From his angle, he could see several silhouettes crouched behind Petry’s car.
More cops, he figured.
That morning, he and Benji had stolen a black BMW 340i and hidden it by a house that was being remodeled. Keeping under cover, he headed in that direction. He paused again when he reached the driveway, then relaxed upon seeing no sign of the cops.
He jogged to the vehicle and climbed into the driver’s seat. As he reached out to start the engine, someone banged against the driver’s-side window.
He flinched and glanced over, sure that it was the police.
But it was Petry.
The man yanked on the handle and the door flew open. “Out!”
“What?”
“Get out!”
“The hell I—”
Petry grabbed him by the shirt and tugged him out of the car, then he took the seat. Before Sticks could get back to his feet, the door closed, and the lock engaged.
“Hey!”
The engine started.
“Sorry,” Petry said, not sounding sorry at all.
He put the car in gear and sped away.
Stone raced the Audi up the driveway and skidded onto the street.
“Viv said they were set up off the next road,” Dino said.
Just as they reached the intersection, a black BMW squealed around the corner onto their road.
It whizzed past, but Stone caught a quick look at the driver. “That’s Petry!”
He spun the Audi in a one-eighty and hit the gas.
“You’re sure?” Dino asked.
“Positive.”
Dino contacted Viv on the radio and reported what was happening.
“I’ll let the police know,” she said. “Teddy’s heading out in his Porsche, so he shouldn’t be too far behind you.”
“Copy,” Dino said.
Stone glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the single light of a motorcycle gaining on them. “We’ve got company.”
“That’s not a police bike,” Dino said.
The motorcycle came up fast and went around them on the driver’s side. The rider wasn’t wearing a helmet and didn’t even glance at them.
“Isn’t that the guy who chased Tristan from the Roosevelt?” Dino said. “The one who works for Simon?”
Stone nodded, having also made the connection. “Phillip Pierce.”
“Maybe he’s working for Petry, too.”
Phillip pulled a gun out from under his jacket and aimed it at the BMW.
“If he is,” Stone said, “I don’t think he’s satisfied with the terms of his employment.”
The gun flashed and the BMW swerved slightly but didn’t slow.
“Are you armed?” Dino asked.
“Uhh...”
“You forgot, didn’t you?” Dino said.
“It was a busy day.”
“Did we or did we not discuss you carrying tonight?”
“I seem to recall something about that, but I’m not clear on the details.”
The radio came to life with Teddy’s voice. “I saw a muzzle flash. Are you guys okay?”
“He wasn’t shooting at us,” Dino replied. “Where are you?”
“Thirty yards behind you.”
Stone glanced at the mirror and saw the Porsche’s headlights.
“Are you guys armed?”
“Funny, we were just discussing that,” Dino said. “I am, but...”
“Stone forgot.”
“That he did.”
“Open the glove compartment,” Teddy said. “There’s a button just inside, on the left.”
Dino found the button and pushed. The top of the compartment lowered. Clipped to it were a SIG Sauer P226 pistol, silencer, and one spare magazine.