Page 121 of Stuart Woods' Smolder

“We will,” Stone promised. “Much more.”

“I hate to break up whatever’s going on here,” Billy said, “but I believe there was something you wanted to discuss.”

Stone brought Billy up to speed.

After, Billy said, “Any ideas on why Duchamp would be stockpiling your mother’s paintings?”

“I’ve been trying to figure that out but haven’t come up with anything. Until a few days ago, I didn’t even know who he was.”

“What about his gallery in New York? I assume he has one there.”

“He does,” Monica said.

“Have you ever visited it? Maybe purchased something?”

Stone shook his head. “As far as I know, the only purchase I’ve ever made from him was in Santa Fe, the night I met him.”

“No other ties between you? Something to do with Woodman & Weld, perhaps?”

“I can’t think of any, but I’ve left a message for Joan to look into it. I’ll let you know if she digs something up.”

“I don’t suppose that either of you know where Simon is staying.”

“Only that he’s not at the Arrington.” Stone had checked before Billy arrived.

“Okay. I’ll talk to my friend. Assume he’ll look into it unless you hear differently from me.”

They all stood.

“Thanks, Billy,” Stone said.

“If either of you think of anything else, let me know. I’ll be in touch.”

Chapter 36

Teddy drove from the Arrington to his office at Centurion Pictures, as it was more convenient than his home in the Hollywood Hills.

A year earlier, he had personally installed a floor safe, hiding it under the credenza behind his desk. With the touch of a button, the credenza slid out of the way. He tapped in the code and swung the safe’s door open.

From inside, he retrieved a laptop that was loaded with the CIA’s latest black ops digital tools. He’d obtained them via a back door into the Agency’s system that he’d created himself.

One of the apps contained links into restricted record databases throughout the world. Teddy used it to get into the property records for the state of California, where he conducted searches for Simon Duchamp and the Duchamp Gallery. There were no hits for either.

Another link led him to a very handy, aggregate databasethat combined hotel booking records from the major chains in the U.S. This proved more fruitful.

Three rooms at the Verdugo Royale Hotel in Beverly Hills were currently booked by Duchamp Gallery. Two standard rooms and a suite. Teddy was sure Simon Duchamp would be in the latter.

He exchanged the laptop for a few items he thought he might need from the safe, then returned his office to its normal state.

At the studio’s costume department, he picked up a pair of gray coveralls and black work shoes, and at props, a length of rope, all of which went into a duffel. He then returned to his Porsche and headed out.

His next stop was a parking garage at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. At this time of night, there were several open spots and almost no one walking around. With the help of the makeup kit he kept in his car and a wig from his safe, he turned himself into a middle-aged everyman, with a face not even a mother would remember. He then donned the coveralls and shoes to complete his transformation. Sporting a new identity, he drove to Beverly Hills and parked a few blocks from the Verdugo Royale Hotel.

Ten minutes later, he was rappelling from a balcony of an unoccupied suite onto the one belonging to Duchamp’s room. He landed without a sound, untied himself, and crept to the windows.

Inside, a man sat at a dining table, working on a laptop. He was angled so that Teddy could only see a portion of his face, but it was enough to determine he fit the description of Duchamp.

Teddy pulled out a listening device designed specifically to pick up voices through glass and stuck it to the lower corner of the windowed wall. He then climbed back to the balcony above.

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