Read Online Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 12 by Dark Harbor - Free Book Online

Brits told our people. Two: Even in the Atlanta pen I was able to do my country a valuable service, and a combination of the two things got me a presidential pardon. And a very nice cash reward, I might add.”
    â€œI didn’t hear about the pardon.”
    â€œAlmost nobody did. I think they announced it in the middle of the night. It probably won’t be out until Will Lee isn’t president anymore.”
    â€œAnd how’d you end up on Islesboro?”
    â€œOh, I’m a fourth-generation islander; my great-grandfather built this house, and I’ve owned it for more than twenty years.”
    â€œHow did the islanders react to your, ah, problems?”
    â€œPretty well. I actually got some encouraging mail in prison, and when I came back, it was like I’d never left. During the whole business I was never asked to resign from the yacht club or the golf club. You play golf?”
    â€œIn a manner of speaking.”
    â€œLet’s do that soon. I’ll introduce you to some islanders.”
    â€œEd, are you convinced that nobody who lives here had anything to do with the murders of Dick and his family?”
    Rawls nodded. “I am. Nobody knows this place and these people better than I do, and, believe me, it’s just not in the cards.”
    â€œBut you can’t suggest exactly who might have been involved?”
    â€œNot yet, but I’ve got some feelers out. You’ll have to be patient; these things aren’t on the clock.”
    â€œYou’re making me feel helpless,” Stone said. “I’m out of my depth with the kind of people you’re talking about.”
    â€œYeah, but you know people who can help, Stone.”
    â€œDo I?”
    â€œWell, until yesterday, you were up here with Lance Cabot, weren’t you?”
    â€œThere is a local grapevine, isn’t there?”
    â€œSure, there is.”
    â€œYou know Lance?”
    â€œI helped train him,” Rawls said. “He worked for me later. So did Kate Rule.” Katharine Rule Lee was the president’s wife and the Director of Central Intelligence.
    â€œYou are well connected, aren’t you, Ed?”
    â€œI know quite a few folks; not all of ’em want to know me.”
    â€œBecause of your indiscretions?”
    Rawls nodded. “Stone, I can see you’re here with the idea of tracking down Dick’s killer and putting him in jail, but that’s not how it works in this particular game.”
    â€œHow does it work?”
    â€œWe find out who gave the order, and after a while, we make something happen to him in such a way that doesn’t seem connected to the Stone murders.”
    Stone noted the “we.” “And how do we make that happen?”
    â€œOh, somebody has an auto accident on an icy road, or maybe he has a few sips of a dioxin cocktail. Satisfaction comes slow in this game.”
    Stone looked at his watch. “I’d better be going; I have to make some calls, and I still have quite a lot of work to do on Dick’s estate.”
    â€œTell you what, let’s play golf tomorrow morning—nine holes at, say, ten and then I’ll take you to lunch at the yacht club. Pick you up at Dick’s at nine-forty-five?”
    â€œSounds good,” Stone said. He shook hands with Rawls and went to his car. As he drove back up Ed Rawls’s drive, the gate was open again. Then, in his rearview mirror, he saw it close behind him.

11
    S TONE DROVE BACK TO the house and called Lance’s cell phone.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œIt’s Stone.”
    â€œEverything all right?”
    â€œSo far. Tell me about Ed Rawls.”
    There was silence for a moment, while Lance thought about it. “Oh, God,” he said. “Ed lives up there, doesn’t he? I’d forgotten.”
    â€œTell me about him.”
    â€œWhat do you want to know?”
    â€œEverything you’ve got time for.”
    â€œAll