"Wonderful what good
sex can do."
I drew a breath. "No, my friend. Do not delude yourself. The
sex was fine, but the problem exists."
He frowned and started to say something, then shrugged
and walked on. "So tell me about the folks at Stonehall
Enterprises."
I filled him in, starting with my discovery of the body, and I
gave him a sketch of the dinner party, too.
"Kennedy sounds like a clown."
I considered. "Only in the sense that he's funny. He's a
shrewd observer. He probably used Maeve Butler's invitation as an
opportunity to meet with the Stonehall people when they were off-
guard. I think his experience with this kind of crime is limited."
Jay snorted.
"What?"
"I don't know anybody with experience of the setup you
described. It's one of a kind."
I had meant that I thought Sgt. Kennedy's experience of the
executive-level milieu was limited. Jay was patronizing me. I felt a
flare of anger and bit it back. We walked on in silence.
"So Kennedy was scoping out the victim's business
associates. That means the chief inspector, what's his name—"
"Mahon."
"Whatever Mahon may have told the dead man's sister, he
isn't sure Wheeler was scragged by one of the kids."
"Or Sergeant Kennedy isn't sure."
"You think he's running his own investigation?"
"I think he knows the area, and the boys involved in the
game, better than Mahon does."
"You may be right."
"I am. Occasionally."
"What do you mean—" We had come to the fork in the road.
Jay broke off and stared down at Stanyon Hall. "Where are we, the
Magic Kingdom Annex?"
"Stanyon does have a Disneyesque air. Wait till you see the
wood carvings inside, and the stained glass in the library."
He shook his head. "It reminds me of Beverly Hills."
"Oh, come on, Jay."
"It's fake, right?"
"True."
"It's pretentious, right?"
"I catch your drift."
"Fun," he said. "But not as much fun as the Arab guy who
had all those nude statues around his LA estate painted in realistic
colors."
I said austerely, "Alex and Barbara are restoring Stanyon as
an investment. Alex, at least, regards it with a certain ironic
detachment." I told him about the company logo picked out in
stained glass.
"Jesus." He shook his head, but he was smiling.
We slipped through the huge oak door as a group of women
were leaving. The data processors, obviously. They nodded and said
good evening. One of the women whipped out a cigarette before she
stepped off the verandah and lit it with a flourish. I grinned at her,
and she grinned back. She was old enough to be Slade Wheeler's
mother.
I gave Jay a moment to admire the towering staircase then I
led him to the salon.
Our entrance created a stir. There were six people in the
room—the Steins, Liam, Mike, Tracy, and Kayla Wheeler. Kayla sat by
herself next to the open window. The rest clustered around the
drinks trolley.
Kayla stared and went back to her brooding cigarette, but
the others broke off their conversation. Barbara took a step toward
us. She looked startled rather than pleased.
I said, "My husband flew over to babysit, so I thought I'd
better bring him to meet you."
Barbara's eyes widened, and she extended her hand. "I'm
Barbara Stein."
"Jay Dodge. Interesting house." He shook hands.
Alex came forward. "It's pretty horrible, really. The loo in
the cloakroom backed up this morning, and our builder's
disappeared. I'm Alex. Welcome to Ireland. Do you want wine or
something stronger?"
"I thought this was beer country," Jay said amiably, shaking
Alex's hand.
"Guinness?"
"Might as well try it."
"Lark?"
"A glass of red wine," I murmured.
I let the Steins introduce Jay to the other Stonehouse people.
With a grimace, Barbara led him over to Kayla. He shook hands with
Wheeler's sister and murmured condolences. Kayla leaned forward
in her chair, wobbling a little. Though I didn't hear what she said, I
could see her eyes gleaming all the way across the room. Barbara
drifted back. She looked at me, and I shrugged. It was clear that Kayla
was
sex can do."
I drew a breath. "No, my friend. Do not delude yourself. The
sex was fine, but the problem exists."
He frowned and started to say something, then shrugged
and walked on. "So tell me about the folks at Stonehall
Enterprises."
I filled him in, starting with my discovery of the body, and I
gave him a sketch of the dinner party, too.
"Kennedy sounds like a clown."
I considered. "Only in the sense that he's funny. He's a
shrewd observer. He probably used Maeve Butler's invitation as an
opportunity to meet with the Stonehall people when they were off-
guard. I think his experience with this kind of crime is limited."
Jay snorted.
"What?"
"I don't know anybody with experience of the setup you
described. It's one of a kind."
I had meant that I thought Sgt. Kennedy's experience of the
executive-level milieu was limited. Jay was patronizing me. I felt a
flare of anger and bit it back. We walked on in silence.
"So Kennedy was scoping out the victim's business
associates. That means the chief inspector, what's his name—"
"Mahon."
"Whatever Mahon may have told the dead man's sister, he
isn't sure Wheeler was scragged by one of the kids."
"Or Sergeant Kennedy isn't sure."
"You think he's running his own investigation?"
"I think he knows the area, and the boys involved in the
game, better than Mahon does."
"You may be right."
"I am. Occasionally."
"What do you mean—" We had come to the fork in the road.
Jay broke off and stared down at Stanyon Hall. "Where are we, the
Magic Kingdom Annex?"
"Stanyon does have a Disneyesque air. Wait till you see the
wood carvings inside, and the stained glass in the library."
He shook his head. "It reminds me of Beverly Hills."
"Oh, come on, Jay."
"It's fake, right?"
"True."
"It's pretentious, right?"
"I catch your drift."
"Fun," he said. "But not as much fun as the Arab guy who
had all those nude statues around his LA estate painted in realistic
colors."
I said austerely, "Alex and Barbara are restoring Stanyon as
an investment. Alex, at least, regards it with a certain ironic
detachment." I told him about the company logo picked out in
stained glass.
"Jesus." He shook his head, but he was smiling.
We slipped through the huge oak door as a group of women
were leaving. The data processors, obviously. They nodded and said
good evening. One of the women whipped out a cigarette before she
stepped off the verandah and lit it with a flourish. I grinned at her,
and she grinned back. She was old enough to be Slade Wheeler's
mother.
I gave Jay a moment to admire the towering staircase then I
led him to the salon.
Our entrance created a stir. There were six people in the
room—the Steins, Liam, Mike, Tracy, and Kayla Wheeler. Kayla sat by
herself next to the open window. The rest clustered around the
drinks trolley.
Kayla stared and went back to her brooding cigarette, but
the others broke off their conversation. Barbara took a step toward
us. She looked startled rather than pleased.
I said, "My husband flew over to babysit, so I thought I'd
better bring him to meet you."
Barbara's eyes widened, and she extended her hand. "I'm
Barbara Stein."
"Jay Dodge. Interesting house." He shook hands.
Alex came forward. "It's pretty horrible, really. The loo in
the cloakroom backed up this morning, and our builder's
disappeared. I'm Alex. Welcome to Ireland. Do you want wine or
something stronger?"
"I thought this was beer country," Jay said amiably, shaking
Alex's hand.
"Guinness?"
"Might as well try it."
"Lark?"
"A glass of red wine," I murmured.
I let the Steins introduce Jay to the other Stonehouse people.
With a grimace, Barbara led him over to Kayla. He shook hands with
Wheeler's sister and murmured condolences. Kayla leaned forward
in her chair, wobbling a little. Though I didn't hear what she said, I
could see her eyes gleaming all the way across the room. Barbara
drifted back. She looked at me, and I shrugged. It was clear that Kayla
was
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