Page 80 of Near Miss

“As far as I know, no one else has the immediate desire for my death.”

“Maybe we should go in separate cars.”

“Carly, I’m shocked. By now I would have thought you knew the best place to be is closer to me, not farther. Though many have tried to get rid of me, none have succeeded.”

“I would like to see the statistics on those around you when prior attempts have been made, before I pass judgment.”

Stone patted his jacket pockets. “Sadly, I seem to have left thatinformation in my office. If it helps, I trust Fred has everything well in hand.”

“That will have to do.”

Fred was right where he’d said he would be, and soon they were on their way.

Stone called Mike Freeman. “I’m not sure if you heard yet, but there are a couple of unwanted admirers camped out in a car, near my house.”

“I just received the report,” Mike said. “Gromyko’s people?”

“That would be my assumption. I think it’s time to do what we talked about.” That afternoon Stone had called Mike and discussed the possibility of beefing up the security detail watching the house, and providing bodyguards for when Stone went out.

“I thought you’d say that. I’ve already contacted additional resources and they will be in place within thirty minutes. If that doesn’t get Gromyko’s people to leave, we’ll take more direct action. Are you home now?”

“No. I’m on the way to Clarke’s.”

“I’ll have another car meet you there.”

“Thank you, Mike.” Stone hung up.

Stone and Carly were first to arrive and were shown directly to their table and placed their drink orders. Stone had had an idea that day, and asked, “Carly, do me a carlysearch on your memory.”

“For what subject?”

“Teddy Fay.” He spelled it for her.

“Got him,” she said. “Former CIA tech expert, with an unproven reputation as an assassin.”

“I’m thinking of asking him to join our little anti-Gromyko campaign.”

“Well, if the rumor that he is still alive is more than a rumor, sure, why not?”

“He has an alias,” Stone said. “Billy Barnett.”

“Producer at Centurion?”

“You are quick.”

“He was mentioned in a review of your son, Peter’s, recent film.”

“And that was enough for you to store his memory?”

“I don’t have a lot of control over what sticks in my memory. Teddy Fay did. And Billy Barnett, too.”

“Need I tell you that, should you meet, you are never,never, to speak his real name aloud?”

“Okay, got it.”

“For our purposes, your memory is now a vault, and only you have the combination.”

“Agreed.”

---