Page 40 of Near Miss

“I’m—I’m not sure. Is there someplace I can sit down and catch my breath?” She looked around, until her eyes landed on the entrance to Patroon. “Maybe in there?”

“I’m sure they have a chair you can use.”

She took a step and winced. “Can you help me? It feels like I twisted my ankle.”

“I would be happy to.”

In his ear, Hutto said, “We’ll keep an eye on your car.”

Fred escorted the woman into the restaurant and over to a chair, then approached the hostess. “Someone pushed her down. Is it possible to get her a glass of water?”

“Of course.”

As the hostess hurried off, Fred looked back at the woman. “Have you decided if you’d like me to call the police?”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to cause a scene.”

“I think it’s more accurate to say that man who hit you and shoved you onto the sidewalk caused the scene.”

“I need a few minutes to collect myself before I decide anything.”

“Very well. If you need me, I’ll be out at my—”

“No,” she said, grabbing his hand. “Please, stay with me. I’m afraid he might come back.”

“Mr. Flicker,” Hutto said over Fred’s earpiece. “A man has just stopped at the back of the Bentley and dropped down, out of sight.”

Fred took the seat next to the woman. “Of course, I’ll stay.”

Stone’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, saw it was a call from Mike Freeman. “Hello, Mike.”

“There’s a situation with your car,” Mike Freeman said.

Stone covered his phone, and said to his companions, “I’ll be right back.” He found a quiet spot near the restrooms and brought his phone back up. “What kind of situation?”

Mike told him about Fred and the woman, then said, “After they went inside, a man approached your car and crawled underneath it. I’ve been told he just left.”

“Describe the man.”

Mike did.

“That sounds like Bozo. And before you say anything, no, not the clown.”

“I’m going to send one of my people to check his handiwork.”

“Good idea. Let me know what they find.”

“I will.”

Stone returned to his friends.

Chapter 23

Stone’s dinner of pan-seared halibut had just been set in front of him when Mike called him again.

“It appears Bozo has ill will toward you. He has attached a car bomb to your Bentley.”

Stone excused himself from the table again. “Can it be removed?”

---