Page 159 of Stuart Woods' Smolder

Twenty minutes passed in silence before Phillip finally said, “Did you close the deal with Petry?”

“Yes.”

“He has the paintings?”

“He has the forgeries. Or Sticks might still have them. I’m not sure.”

Phillip looked at him for the first time, the dried blood on his forehead crinkling as he furrowed his brow.

“I guess there’s a few things I need to catch you up on.”

When they reached L.A., Phillip had Simon drop him off in a quiet neighborhood in the Valley.

Before Phillip closed the door, Simon said, “I’ll pick you up at six so we can be downtown for the meeting at Rudy’s.”

Phillip stared at him, his face blank. “No.”

“No?”

“I have other things to deal with.”

“But—”

“Goodbye, Simon.” Phillip shut the door and walked off.

Chapter 48

When the board meeting broke for lunch, Stone and Dino took over Ben’s office and initiated a conference call with Monica, Teddy, and Viv.

“So, where are we?” Stone asked.

“Simon’s all lined up,” Viv said, then played them a recording of Rudy’s call with the art dealer.

“Billy, how are things on your end?”

“Petry’s vehicle is still at the Four Seasons. I hacked into the hotel’s CCTV system to see if he sneaked out, but he hasn’t left his room since arriving last night. I’ve got eyes on the garage where the cube truck is. No sign of Sticks or his buddy yet. Simon, on the other hand, has been very busy. A couple hours ago he drove out to Palmdale. That’s in the Mojave Desert, about an hour from downtown.”

“What was he doing out there?”

“Whatever it was, it didn’t take him long. He stopped at a strip mall parking lot for a minute, then turned around and headed back here.”

“And where is he now?”

“Driving around the Valley. I think he’s killing time.”

“More like he’s afraid Petry found out about the fakes and is staying on the move, so he won’t be found,” Dino said.

“Viv, anything from your people at the party?” Stone asked.

“No sign of trouble yet. I’ve added a team who will be stationed around the surrounding area.”

After they covered a few more items, Stone said, “I think that’s it. See everyone in a few hours.” He hung up and called the studio’s transportation department.

“This is Stone Barrington.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Barrington. The car and driver you requested should be outside the admin building now.”

“That’s what I wanted to know. Thank you.” He disconnected the call.

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