“That’s right.” Jack’s expression turned pensive. “I probably should have told her to cancel.”
“Why is that?”
“I’d rather she wasn’t running around right now.”
They entered Stone’s office, and Jack took a seat on the couch.
“Something to drink?” Stone asked.
Jack shook his head. “I’m fine.”
Stone sat in the overstuffed chair. “I take it something has happened.”
“I heard back from the people who caused Hillary and Sara’s accident.”
“Another note?” Stone asked, gesturing at the package Jack was holding.
“Not just a note.”
Jack handed the envelope to Stone, then pulled a pair of latex gloves from his pocket and held them out. “You’ll want to use these.”
Stone took them. “You didn’t touch the contents?”
“Just the envelope before I realized what it was.”
After donning the gloves, Stone slipped the contents of the envelope onto the coffee table. In addition to a folded piece of paper, there was a cheap throwaway cell phone.
Stone unfolded the paper and read it.
Dear Johnny:
By now you should understand exactly how serious we are. If you want to prevent anyone else you know from being harmed or worse, you will answer this phone when we call at noon today. If you do not, we will be forced to act again, and this time the target will not walk away.
We will know if you bring in the cops. If you do, we will be forced to take additional action.
There was no signature.
Stone checked his watch. There was a little over an hour until noon.
“I think we should call Dino,” he said.
Jack looked unsure. “Even with the warning?”
“People claim they will know you called the cops for one of two reasons. Either they have an informant on the force, or they want you tothinkthey have an informant on the force. What they won’t expected is for you to call the top cop directly. If they do have an informant, I guarantee he won’t be on Dino’s staff.”
Jack thought about it for a moment before nodding. “I trust your judgment. There is one thing about the message that I don’t understand, though.”
“What’s that?”
“The first note came after Hillary and Sara’s accident. This one seems to imply something new has happened that should have rattled me, but I have no idea what that could be.”
“Ah,” Stone said, connecting the dots. “I believe I do.”
Stone told him what had happened the previous evening.
“My God, are you all right?”
“A little sore, but otherwise fine. Same for Tamlyn. Fred will be in the hospital for a few days but suffered no permanent damage.”
