“Not even a little bit. But that’s not the best part. The first time someone did was a couple of monthsafterJohnny Fratelli disappeared.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.”
“What does Coulter do for a living?”
“Not a thing. His money makes money. All he has to do is sit around, drink champagne, and rake it in.”
“How rich is he?”
“Before he got married, I’d estimate he had over ten mil stashed away, but that’s just a guess, and it’s small change compared to how much he has access to now.”
“What do you mean?”
“His wife’s the loaded one, like hundreds of millions of dollars loaded.”
The line went silent.
“You still there?” Benny asked.
“I’m here. Send me over everything you’ve dug up.”
“Sure, Ricky. No problem. Um, if you have something going and you need help, I’d—”
Benny stopped himself. Gennaro had already hung up.
Chapter 15
Stone and Mike arrived atthe Arrington Vineyard just in time for lunch at the resort’s main restaurant, Shepherd on the Shore, named in honor of Shep Troutman.
Head chef Dierdre Li was using the remaining time before the grand opening to train her staff and test recipes. That day’s meal started with an appetizer of smoked oysters gochujang, followed by a main course of Pad Thai à la Vineyard made with locally sourced seafood, and crème brûlée with raspberry sauce for dessert.
Chef Li approached Stone and Mike’s table once they had finished their meals. “I hope everything was to your satisfaction.”
“Beyond, Chef,” Stone said. “You’ve outdone yourself. If you’re looking for recommendations, I’d say put everything you served us on the opening-day menu.”
“I second that,” Mike said. “One of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. I particularly enjoyed the smoked oysters.”
Chef Li bowed her head. “Thank you, Mr. Barrington, Mr. Freeman. I still have a few more dishes to try out, but I have a good feeling that today’s meal will make the cut.”
The chef gave them a tour of the kitchen and introduced them to her staff.
Stone and Mike shook everyone’s hands, and then Stone said in a voice loud enough for all to hear, “As a representative of the board, I want to say how pleased we are with your work. If the lunch we just had is any indication, I have no doubt Shepherd on the Shore will not only become known as the best restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard, but also one of the best in the world. We look forward to seeing you all again at the grand opening.”
Stone and Mike said their goodbyes to Chef Li and the others, then headed over to the resort’s lobby, where they met up with Larry Chandler, the project manager.
Stone nodded toward several people behind the reception desk, who were huddled around the computers. “What’s happening over there?”
“Software installation and testing,” Chandler said. “They weren’t scheduled to get started until next week, but we were ready early for them, so they’re taking advantage of the extra time.”
“I’m always happy to hear about something being ahead of schedule,” Stone said.
“You and me both. Shall we start with security?”
“If you’re trying to butter me up, it’s working,” Mike said.
Chandler led them to the security monitoring room in the employee-only area. When Stone and Mike had visited last week, the room had looked like a storage space filled with unopened boxes. Now, there were several workstations in front of a wall covered with more than a dozen monitors.
