Page 37 of Loitering With Intent (Stone Barrington 16)

“Bill, it’s tougher than you think. A friend of Evan’s turned up dead, so we’ve got the local cops on our side now; they want to talk to him as much as we do.”

“I don’t care if they talk to him or not,” Eggers said. “I just want those papers back—signed, sealed and delivered.”

“That’s what I want, too, Bill, but I’ll understand if you’d rather send somebody else down here to find the kid.”

“Don’t hand me that crap. You know I don’t have time to start over with somebody else.”

“Then leave it with me, and let me get the job done, okay?”

Eggers made a harrumphing noise and hung up.

“He’s not happy?” Dino asked.

“What do you think?”

“I think he’s not happy.”

“Good guess. I can’t say that I’m happy, either.”

“Except for the Swedish doctor.”

“Except for the Swedish doctor; I’m happy about her. You want me to see if she has a friend?”

Dino thought about that. “Nah, Genevieve would find out and nail me with it.”

“How would she find out? I wouldn’t tell.”

“She’d find out, believe me. Sometimes I think she has some sort of ESP girl-to-girl network that constantly broadcasts my whereabouts and my company.”

“That’s a scary thought,” Stone said.

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16

STON E K N O C K E D ON Annika’s door, clutching a bouquet of flowers. She opened the door, kissed him, took the fl owers and led him inside.

“Can I get you a drink?” she asked.

“Do you have any bourbon?”

; “I don’t know,” she said, pointing at the bar. “Look through those bottles.”

To Stone’s surprise, he found a bottle of Knob Creek, unopened.

“My favorite,” he called to her, holding up the bottle. “How’d you know?”

“I didn’t,” she called from the kitchen. “Most of those bottles were brought by other people as gifts.”

Stone was opening the bottle when his cell phone vibrated. “Yes?”

“It’s Tommy. Evan Keating has a reservation at Louie’s Backyard.”

“When?”

“Five minutes ago. I’m going over there myself.”