Part 31 (2/2)
”Good idea; I guess I'd better go somewhere.”
”Got any ideas?”
”Why don't I take Lance Cabot to lunch?”
”Someplace good, I hope.”
Stone picked up the phone and called Lance's number.
Erica answered. ”Oh, h.e.l.lo, Stone,” she said brightly. ”How are you?”
”Very well, thanks; is Lance there?”
”Sure, just a minute.”
”Good morning, Stone,” Lance said.
”Good morning; are you free for lunch today?”
”Sure; where?”
”The Connaught grill, at twelve-thirty?”
”See you then.”
Stone hung up.
”What do you hope to accomplish by having lunch with him?” Dino asked.
”A few days ago, he tried to bring me into some sort of business deal; I blew him off at the time, but now I feel more receptive. Also, it will give you a good look at Lance; I'll get you a table, too.” He called downstairs and made the reservations.
Stone arrived in the grill on time; Dino was already seated a couple of tables away from his own; Lance showed up five minutes later.
”Well, what's up?” Lance asked, after they had ordered lunch.
”Last weekend, you asked me to do some legal work for you in New York.”
”Yes, but you weren't interested; I accept that.”
”Now I'm interested.”
”What changed your mind?”
”I have some time on my hands here. I won't do the legal work myself, but I'll give you the name of a man who can handle it. I'm more interested in partic.i.p.ating in the business end of the, ah, transaction.”
”You mean you want a piece of the action?”
”If I like the action.”
”I a.s.sume you'd be willing to make an investment?”
”That depends on what the deal is and how big an investment you want.”
”Could you come up with a quarter of a million dollars?”
”If I were sufficiently motivated.”
”What do you want to know?”
”Everything.”
Lance laughed. ”I'm not sure that I know everything.”
”Let's start with what you know.”
”All right; I propose to buy some items in England or elsewhere in Europe and sell them to someone in another part of the world for a large profit.”
”How much will you pay for them and what will you sell them for?”
”I expect to pay in the region of half a million dollars for these items, and I expect to sell them for around two million, maybe a bit more.”
”That is a very nice profit indeed. And exactly what are the items?”
”I'm not at liberty to tell you just yet.”
”You understand that I will be unwilling to make the investment until I know?”
”Of course; I don't think you're a fool, Stone.”
”Can you give me a general idea?”
”Let's just say that the goods are of a scientific nature, and that the buyers are lovers of science.”
”Are Ali and Sheila part of this deal?”
”A very important part. They will act as liaison between the sellers and the buyers.”
”Why can't you do it yourself?”
”Let's just say that I'm of the wrong nationality, ethnicity, and religion. Ali and Sheila are critical to the success of the transaction.”
Stone took a card from his wallet and wrote a name and telephone number on the back of it. ”This is a lawyer in New York who will handle your legal work. But for the record, this is the only part of the transaction that I will ever admit taking part in-a simple reference.”
”I quite understand.”
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