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Twenty minutes later, Weston had been taken to the hospital, and the detectives had the crime scene well enough in hand that Stone and Dino were able to sneak away.

They found Viv at a table, in the company of a woman with long dark hair and even darker eyes.

She was laughing at something Viv said.

When Viv noticed them, she said, “I was beginning to think we’d be eating without you.”

“Blame the delay on Stone sticking his nose into someone else’s business,” Dino said.

“If I hadn’t, he likely would have left in a coroner’s van instead of an ambulance,” Stone said.

“And think of the headache that would have caused you.”

“On behalf of the New York City Police Department, I thank you.”

“Shouldn’t that come with a citation I can put on my wall?”

“I’ll look into it and get back to you.”

A waiter approached the table and said to Stone and Dino, “May I get you something to drink?”

“Johnnie Walker,” Dino said, taking a seat.

“Knob Creek for me,” Stone said, doing the same.

“Um, I’m not sure if we have that,” the waiter said.

“You do. I had one at the bar earlier.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll be right back.”

The waiter left.

Stone turned his attention to Viv’s guest.

“Hello. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Stone Barrington.”

The woman held out her hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Barrington. I’m Tamlyn Thompson.” Her accent was a mix of smooth BBC British and something he couldn’t immediately place.

He shook her hand.

“Call me Stone. And the pleasure is all mine.”

“Then you must call me Tamlyn.”

“Tamlyn is Strategic Services’ new chief technology officer,” Viv said.

“Ah, Mike told me that he had a new CTO,” Stone said.

“Congratulations on your appointment.”

“Thank you. I’m very excited.”

“As you should be.”

She smiled, then said, “Viv has been telling me all about you.”

“Has she now?” He glanced at Viv.

“Should I be worried?”

“I’ve told her nothing but the truth,” Viv said.

“If that’s the case, I’m surprised Tamlyn’s still here,” Dino said.

“It was touch and go there for a moment,” Tamlyn said, the hint of a smile on her lips.

“But I thought it would be rude if I were to leave Viv here on her own.”

“Very magnanimous,” Stone said.

“I try to make my parents proud.”

“My advice,” Stone said, “believe only half of what you heard.”

“Which half?”

“The half that puts me in the better light.”

The waiter returned with two glasses on a tray.

He set one in front of Dino and the other in front of Stone.

“My manager wanted me to let you all know that your dinner is on us tonight, to thank you for your help with the situation earlier.”

“Tell your manager thank you,” Stone said.

“And that if he was trying to figure out a way to make sure we come again, he’s succeeded,” Dino said.

“I will pass your messages on. Would you like to order now? Or do you need a little more time?”

While the ladies ordered, Stone and Dino perused their menus, then made their selections: New York steak with roasted carrots for Stone, and stuffed pork chops with squash for Dino.

When the waiter left, Stone brought Viv and Tamlyn up to speed with what had happened to Weston.

“You didn’t happen to recognize the men who attacked him, did you?” Viv asked, once he finished.

“I’ve seen their type before, but never them.”

“Do people get beat up in restrooms in New York a lot?” Tamlyn asked.

“Not nearly as much as movies and TV would make you believe,” Dino said.

“Is this your first time living in the city?” Stone asked.

“First time living in the States,” she replied.

“Then you are in need of a guide.”

“Are you offering?”

“I would be happy to provide that service.”

“Viv told me you’d be helpful. Or is that one of those things I shouldn’t remember?”

“That one is accurate and should be committed to memory.”

“Done.”

“Far be it from me to ever say my wife’s advice is iffy,” Dino said, then nodded toward Stone.

“But I would proceed cautiously with this one.”

“And why is that?” Tamlyn asked.

“Soon you’ll find yourself eating at the best restaurants, drinking the best wine, and flying off on his private jet to one of his many homes for the weekend.”

“How many homes do you have?” Tamlyn asked Stone.

“Six, I believe,” Stone said.

“Eight,” Dino corrected him.

Stone looked at him, brow furrowed.

“You’re forgetting the one in Malibu and the townhouse in D.C.”

“I’ve been thinking about putting the townhouse on the market,” Stone said.

“And I don’t consider the Malibu house mine, so I don’t actually use it.”

“You have a house you don’t use?” Tamlyn asked.

“He’s promised it to a friend,” Viv said.

“How generous.” She looked at Dino.

“Everything you said sounds wonderful.”

“Oh, it is,” Dino said.

“The problem occurs when you eventually move on from him, and those things are no longer readily available to you.”

“Say I did fall for his charms. Why would I move on from him?”

Dino shrugged.

“I don’t know, but history—”

“Dino, I think you’ve said quite enough,” Stone said.

“Have I?”

“You have, trust me.”

“Sorry, pal.”

Changing the subject, Stone asked Tamlyn, “Where in England are you from?”

“I’m not,” she said.

“My father is. From Burnley. It’s a smaller city just north of—”

“Manchester,” Stone said.

“You know it?”

“I know someone from there. Up the Clarets!”

She looked at him, surprised.

“Up the Clarets. Are you a football fan? Or I guess you call it soccer over here.”

The Clarets were Burnley’s pro club.

“I’ve watched a match or two. Did you know the word soccer was invented by the British?”

“Is that true?”

“It is. It was a nickname given to the sport in its early days that made its way to the States. While the name stuck here, the Brits stopped using it altogether. Now they make fun of us for calling it by a name they gave it.”

“I had no idea.”

“Many don’t,” he said.

“If you’re not from the U.K., then where?”

“Born in Singapore, though spent most of my school years in England.”

“Ah, that’s the other part of your accent.”

She smirked.

“When I’m relaxed, you’ll hear my full Singlish coming out.”

“I look forward to it.”

“Do you, now?” she said, eyebrow raised.

“Is that where your mother is from?”

“She is.”

“Her mother is a long-serving member of the Singaporean parliament,” Viv said.

“Is that so?” Stone said.

“Twenty-one years so far,” Tamlyn said.

“You must be very proud of her.”

“Both my father and I are.”

Once they had finished eating, Stone said, “Can I interest anyone in a nightcap at my place?”

“Sorry, Stone,” Viv said.

“I have a conference call with our Seoul office in…” She looked at her watch.

“…forty-five minutes. Which means Dino and I need to be leaving.”

“I guess you know my answer,” Dino said.

To Tamlyn, Stone said, “Please tell me you don’t need to be on that conference call, too.”

“I don’t,” she said.

“But this is only my second night here, and I’m still adjusting. Plus, I do have an early meeting tomorrow, so I must also pass.”

“While I’m disappointed, I completely understand.”

Smiling, she said, “I will take a rain check, however.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

She eyed him playfully.

“Please do.”