Near Miss

“This is magnificent,” Carly said, after taking a bite of her stuffed pork chop.

“They have a new clubhouse chef,” Stone said.

“I’d say he’s a keeper.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Stone’s chicken cordon bleu and sauteed mushrooms were particularly tasty.

“Uh-oh,” Viv said, looking out the windows.

The others followed her gaze to the patio outside, where the first splatters of rain had begun dotting the ground.

“Maybe it’s only a sprinkle,” Carly said.

The words were barely out of her mouth when the sputtering shower turned into a hard downpour.

“I guess golf is off the agenda,” Dino said.

Viv turned the evil eye on him “You don’t have to sound so happy about it.”

“Happy? My heart is breaking.”

“In glee,” Stone said.

“That’s not helping,” Dino said. “Unless your goal is for me to sleep on the couch in your living room.”

“I retract my previous statement.”

“I thought so.”

“As clumsy as his delivery was,” Viv said, “I fear Dino is right. Even if the storm passes, who wants to trudge around on wet fairways?”

Carly raised her hand.

“Of course, you do,” Stone said. He gently lowered her arm. “Lucky for you, you have mature friends who can save you from making that mistake.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.”

They replaced the round of golf with drinks in the bar, where they could monitor exactly how wet the course was getting.

They had just ordered their second round when Ed Rawls walked into the room.

“Ed!” Carly said.

“Join us,” Stone said.

They made room for him at their table.

Dino motioned for the server to come back, and said to Ed, “What are you drinking?”

“A Scotch, please. Laphroaig. And make it a double. It’ll be my last for a couple days.”

Dino placed the order.

“Last?” Stone said. “Don’t tell me you’re swearing it off?”

“Blasphemy,” Ed said. “I just need to keep sharp.”

“Something we should know about?”

“Probably. But it might be better if you didn’t know the details. I’ll just say this. It’s best if you stick to your place on Monday. No wandering around.”

“What’s happening on Monday?” Dino asked.

Carly looked at Stone. “You said that’s when Greco’s having his meeting.”

“I did.” Stone had made the same connection. To Ed, he said, “Are we to assume said meeting is taking place here on Islesboro?”

“If it was, staying close to home would be a good idea,” Ed said. The server arrived with his Scotch. Ed thanked him and took a healthy sip.

“And you know this because?” Viv asked.

Dino raised both of his hands. “Wait. I’m not sure I should be around to hear the answer to that.” He started to stand, but Ed motioned him back down.

“I never said I knew anything.”

“Greco must have told him,” Carly said. “Unless you did, Stone.”

“I had no idea where the meeting was going to take place,” Stone said.

“Then that leaves Greco,” she said. “Ed, are you doing something for him?”

Ed’s brow tensed.

“Carly,” Stone said, “that’s one of those questions you shouldn’t ask.”

“Why?”

“You remember when Ed said it would be better for us not to know the details?”

“Yes. Oh, I got it.”

“I knew you would.”

Chapter 49

The group of Russians met on Islesboro at mid-morning Monday, after sleeping on the mainland the night before, then chartering their own ferry.

Peter received them on the front porch at noon, and after a glass of something, they sat down to a buffet lunch. When that had been consumed, and the house had been cleared of caterers and his wife and children, he sat down at his dining table with the family’s council.

“Once again, welcome to Islesboro,” he said. “It is my understanding that I have been chosen to lead the family. So you all say?” The group made affirmative noises. “Very well, I accept, and I will run things pretty much as the late Greek did, absent the murders.”

This news was greeted by a cold silence. “Anyone with objections to this policy will be murdered,” he said, then paused for them to realize he was joking and laugh a bit. “I’ve spent the weekend catching up with current operations and the books. As you know Alexei initiated the policy of conducting ourselves as legitimate businesses, and that conversion will continue apace. As time passes you will begin to know the advantages of legitimacy, particularly of paying taxes. We will gain more from paying than it costs us.

“I want you all to understand that anyone who violates the legitimacy rule will pay dearly. And murder and other violent methods will no longer be practiced.” Their expressions remained hostile.

“We will begin with the matter of Stone Barrington,” Peter said. “Neither Barrington nor his friends and associates in and outside his law firm will be touched.”

“But we have had multiple generations of leadership with his death as an objective.”

“All that is over,” Peter said.

“What if he provokes us?” someone asked.