AS TEDDY WENT down the Eiffel Tower, he checked to see if he was being followed. He wasn’t. He took evasive maneuvers anyway, out of habit, then hopped in a cab and headed for Stone’s house.
Stone met him at the door in his bathrobe.
“Just getting up?” Teddy said.
Stone led him into the living room and offered him a drink.
“Where’s Dino?”
“He’s having lunch with the prefect of police. I imagine they’re talking shop.”
“I hope he doesn’t eat too much.”
“Why is that?”
“I thought we might go out tonight, if you can arrange a dinner.”
“I can always arrange a dinner. Luckily, I have nothing booked. What did you have in mind?”
A svelte Frenchwoman, wrapped in a towel and dripping wet—yet somehow still effortlessly elegant—padded into the room.
“Monsieur Stone, I am in the shower for twenty minutes. You said you would scrub my back.”
“Yes, Monique, but you see we have a guest. Monique, Felix. Felix, Monique.”
“Monsieur,” she said to Teddy, “please do not think I do not like you, but you are keeping me from having a clean back.”
Teddy grinned. “I did not realize you had a previous engagement, Stone. Don’t worry, Monique, I won’t be long.”
Monique turned and padded out of the room.
“You were talking about dinner. What did you have in mind?”
“I was thinking of the Hotel l’Arrington.”
“Really? Coals to Newcastle in my case, but I’m happy to show it off.”
“I was hoping your co-owner could join us.”
“Marcel? I’m sure he’d love to, if there’s nothing he can’t get out of. Let me give him a call. Is there a particular reason you want to meet him?”
“I was hoping to get some information about the hotel.”
Stone’s eyebrows raised.
“I know you’re the co-owner,” Teddy said, “but he’s always here and has more intimate knowledge of the day-to-day. I was hoping to get some information about the convention next week, but there’s no reason to tell Marcel that. It may be nothing, and I don’t want to alarm him.”
“Now you’re alarming me. What’s happing at l’Arrington next week?”
“Animals.”