Page 161 of Stuart Woods' Smolder

“Bye-bye, Stacy.”

When Sticks and Benji disappeared inside the garage, Teddy opened the tracker app. The dot representing the box began moving, and soon after the truck exited onto the street. He started his car and followed from several car lengths back.

At Laurel Canyon Boulevard, the truck turned and headed up the Valley side of the Hollywood Hills.

Teddy called Viv. “Looks like Sticks is on the way to my place.”

“I’ll alert the troops.”

“Observe but do not engage.”

“I’ll remind them.”

A few streets from Teddy’s house, an incognito Strategic Services team in a Jeep Wrangler fell in behind Teddy. When the truck turned onto the street prior to Teddy’s, he let the Jeep follow them and he continued toward home.

He did have a party to get ready for, after all.

Chapter 49

Simon parked in front of Rudy’s townhouse ten minutes before seven. The idea of holding off until the top of the hour didn’t even cross his mind. He’d waited long enough.

Rudy’s girlfriend answered again, and once more he had the sense he’d seen her somewhere other than at Rudy’s.

“Oh, hey, you’re back. He’s in his studio.”

Simon mumbled his thanks and headed downstairs.

Rudy was at the far end of the room, looking through several paintings piled against the wall. He didn’t look up as Simon entered the room.

“I’m here for the paintings,” Simon said.

Rudy looked over his shoulder, then motioned to a small group of paintings covered by a drop cloth, leaning against a wall. “Have at it.”

Simon strode over. “I could use your help carrying them.”

“I’m busy.”

Simon glared at him, then huffed and shook his head. He retrieved the painting at the front of the stack—Summer at Sheep Meadow—turned toward the stairs, and immediately stopped in his tracks.

Standing between him and the way out were Stone Barrington, Rudy’s girlfriend, and a man who looked familiar.

“Stone, what are you doing here?” He tried to sound casual but failed miserably.

“You first.”

“Me? Well, you see…these…these are the paintings you’re buying. My friend Rudy was kind enough to store them for me. You can take them with you now and save me the trip back to the gallery.”

“Thank you, Simon. I’ll do that. After which I’ll be returning them to the people you stole them from. Well, except the one you’re holding. That oneisactually mine.”

“Stole? Why, I would never. How—how could you even think such a thing?”

“Allow me to introduce you to my friend Monica Reyes.” He smiled at the woman Simon had thought was Rudy’s girlfriend. “You’ve probably heard her name before. She was a fraud investigator at Vitale Insurance, working for your late friend Dalton Conroy. You remember him. He’s the one you had killed along with Tristan Williams.”

The blood drained from Simon’s face. “K-k-killed? That’s pr-pr-preposterous!”

“Don’t forget Joshua Paskota,” Monica said.

“That’s right,” Stone said. “And Joshua Paskota in Santa Fe.”

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