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Instead of trying to remember how to use the intercom from his computer, Stone went to the door himself.

No one was there when he opened it, so he stepped outside and spotted Jack Coulter climbing into the back of a Mercedes C300.

“Jack!”

Jack turned, surprised.

“Stone. I thought no one was in.”

“Sorry, I was on the phone.”

Jack said something to the car’s driver, then walked back to the office, carrying a paperback-sized manila envelope.

Stone held the door open.

“Apologies for making you wait.”

“I’d wondered if today was a holiday I’d forgotten,” Jack said as they entered.

“Joan is coming in later, and Ash is out with Sara, looking at apartments.”

“That’s right.” Jack’s expression turned pensive.

“I probably should have told her to cancel.”

“Why is that?”

“I’d rather she wasn’t running around right now.”

They entered Stone’s office, and Jack took a seat on the couch.

“Something to drink?” Stone asked.

Jack shook his head.

“I’m fine.”

Stone sat in the overstuffed chair.

“I take it something has happened.”

“I heard back from the people who caused Hillary and Sara’s accident.”

“Another note?” Stone asked, gesturing at the package Jack was holding.

“Not just a note.”

Jack handed the envelope to Stone, then pulled a pair of latex gloves from his pocket and held them out.

“You’ll want to use these.”

Stone took them.

“You didn’t touch the contents?”

“Just the envelope before I realized what it was.”

After donning the gloves, Stone slipped the contents of the envelope onto the coffee table.

In addition to a folded piece of paper, there was a cheap throwaway cell phone.

Stone unfolded the paper and read it.

Dear Johnny:

By now you should understand exactly how serious we are.

If you want to prevent anyone else you know from being harmed or worse, you will answer this phone when we call at noon today.

If you do not, we will be forced to act again, and this time the target will not walk away.

We will know if you bring in the cops.

If you do, we will be forced to take additional action.

There was no signature.

Stone checked his watch.

There was a little over an hour until noon.

“I think we should call Dino,” he said.

Jack looked unsure.

“Even with the warning?”

“People claim they will know you called the cops for one of two reasons. Either they have an informant on the force, or they want you to think they have an informant on the force. What they won’t expected is for you to call the top cop directly. If they do have an informant, I guarantee he won’t be on Dino’s staff.”

Jack thought about it for a moment before nodding.

“I trust your judgment. There is one thing about the message that I don’t understand, though.”

“What’s that?”

“The first note came after Hillary and Sara’s accident. This one seems to imply something new has happened that should have rattled me, but I have no idea what that could be.”

“Ah,” Stone said, connecting the dots.

“I believe I do.”

Stone told him what had happened the previous evening.

“My God, are you all right?”

“A little sore, but otherwise fine. Same for Tamlyn. Fred will be in the hospital for a few days but suffered no permanent damage.”

“I can’t believe that happened because of me,” Jack said, stricken.

“I am so very sorry.”

“Don’t be. You didn’t do anything. It’s their fault, not yours.”

“Still…” Jack took a breath.

“How could they possibly have found out you’re my friend?”

“I didn’t tell you about this before because I didn’t realize its significance,” Stone said.

“On the evening of the same day you and I had lunch last week, someone jumped me so they could look at the calendar on my phone. I suspect someone saw us at the restaurant, recognized you as Jack Fratelli, and used me to find out what name you’re going by now.”

“And because they knew we’re friends, they tried to hurt you last night to put more pressure on me,” Jack said.

Stone nodded.

“It fits.”

“I must say, using a garbage truck as a battering ram sounds more like they were trying to kill you than hurt you, though.”

“Believe me, if anyone but Fred had been behind the wheel, I’m sure it would have.”

“You should probably consider giving him a raise.”

“Already planning on it,” Stone said.

“I should call Dino, so we don’t lose any more time.”

Stone got Dino on the line and told him about Jack’s latest message, then said, “Jack’s understandably concerned about these people finding out we’re talking to the police and wants to keep this on the down-low.”

“I can agree to that,” Dino said.

“But I want to be there when they call.”

“I was hoping you would.”

“I have a suggestion.”

“That is?”

“Usually, I’d bring my tech squad with me on something like this, to see if they can trace the call, and at the very least make a recording. Since we want to keep this close to the vest, why not call in Bob Cantor? He can do all that without anyone here but me knowing what’s going on.”

“I think that’s an excellent idea.”

Bob arrived twenty minutes before noon, and Stone and Jack filled him in on Jack’s history as Johnny Fratelli.

“That’s why you look familiar,” Bob said.

“We’ve met before?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know if I’d say we met, but I was a uniform working as backup when you were arrested.”

“Jack’s done his time and lives a clean life now,” Stone said, though that last part was only mostly true.

“No problem for me,” Bob said.

“It seems like you’ve made a good life for yourself since.”

“I have,” Jack said.

“And I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Then let’s see what I can do to help.”

They headed to the conference room where Bob immediately began setting up.

At five minutes to noon, Dino walked in.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it,” Stone said.

“I was delayed by a call from one of the detectives working your garbage truck case.”

“Is that what you’re calling it?”

“Would you prefer we called it the botched Barrington hit?”

“The garbage truck case sounds just fine. Is there news?”

“As a matter of fact, there is.”

“That should do it,” Bob announced.

“Let’s table this until after,” Stone said to Dino.

“Good idea,” Dino said.

“Unless Jack’s extortionist is completely incompetent, they’ll block their number,” Bob said.

“The longer you keep them on the phone, the more chance I’ll have to decode the number and maybe even find out where they’re calling from.”

Bob donned a pair of wireless headphones, then handed one each to Stone and Dino.

“The mics on these are muted, so you can listen in without worrying about anyone hearing you breathe.”

“The perfect Christmas gift for the discerning snoop,” Stone said, then glanced at his watch.

They had two minutes until the scheduled call time.

“Jack, whatever they ask for, don’t promise anything. Instead, tell them that you need time to work out logistics, or something similar.”

“Got it.”

“It’s okay to sound a little angry, too,” Dino said.

“They’ll be expecting that. But don’t let it get the better of you. They might hang up.”

The phone rang at noon on the dot.

As Bob predicted, the caller ID read: Blocked .

Jack accepted the call.

“Yes?”

“Is this Jack Coulter? Or would you rather I call you Johnny Fratelli?” a digitally distorted voice said.

“Who are you?”

“I think I’ll go with Johnny. And you don’t need to know who we are.”

“Then what do you want?”

“You have something of ours and we want it back.”

“And what would that be?”

“Money, of course. With interest and penalties, we’ll call it an even fifty million.”

“I guarantee you I don’t owe anyone fifty million dollars.”

“Like I said, interest and penalties. That’s what happens when you hold on to something that doesn’t belong to you for as long as you have. If you pay up, we go our separate ways, and you never hear from us again. If you don’t, people around you are going to start dropping like flies.”

“Do you think I have that kind of money lying around?”

“My associates and I are reasonable people. We understand it will take you a little time. So, here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to call back two days from now, at noon. You will be given a routing number and an offshore account number. Immediately following the call, you’ll transfer the entire amount to that account. That’s it. Couldn’t be simpler. I’ll talk to you again in forty-eight hours.”

“Hold on! Two days is not nearly enough time,” Jack said, but the line was dead.

They all looked to Bob, who tapped his keyboard a few times, then grimaced.

“Not enough time.”

“What about a location?” Dino asked.

Bob worked his computer again.

“Somewhere in the Bronx.”

“That’s a big area,” Stone said.

“Sorry. It’s the best I could do.”

“It was worth a try.”

Bob punched a couple keys.

“I just emailed you the audio file. Anything else you need?”

Stone shook his head.

“That’s it. Thanks, Bob. Send Joan your invoice.”

“Let’s consider this one on the house.”

Bob packed up, said his goodbyes, and left.