“We’ve got their addresses here.”
Holly shook her head. “Those are probably not current; they were the addresses when they enlisted. But there should be next of kin listed with an address. They could still be alive.”
“These are guys in their fifties,” Stone said.
“Lots of people in their fifties still have living parents.”
Stone picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Let’s see.” He put the phone down again. “Out of service.” He tried the other one.
“Hello?” A small child.
“Hi,” Stone said, “can I speak with your daddy?”
The kid dropped the phone like a rock, and Stone could hear him screaming for his father.
“Hello?” a male voice said. “Who do you want?” The voice was heavily Spanish-accented.
Stone hung up. “Hispanic. Not our guy. The Pentagon wouldn’t have current addresses?”
“Not likely, but the Veterans Administration might, especially if either guy has used his veterans’ benefits. I can do a computer search but not now.” She leaned over and kissed him hotly.
“I guess it can wait until tomorrow,” Stone managed to say.
13
Stone woke the following morning with a warm girl heating his rib cage. He was ravenously hungry, and it occurred to him that they, in their enthusiasm, had never gotten around to dinner.
“I’m not awake,” Holly whispered.
“Do you want breakfast?”
“Maybe.”
Stone put on some shorts, went downstairs, grilled bacon and scrambled eggs. When he was almost done he whistled as loudly as he could, which was very loud.
A minute and a half later Holly padded down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, very naked.
“Good morning,” he said. “Did you forget something?”
She stared at him blankly. “What?”
“Never mind, have a seat. I’m not sure I have a big enough napkin for you, though.”
Holly sat down and began eating greedily. “Why am I so hungry?”
“Because we skipped dinner last night.”
“Why did…? Oh.”
“Yes, oh. It was more fun than dinner, anyway.”
“Well, you can take me out to dinner tonight.”
“If I’m still here tonight.”
“Lance promised me two nights with you to get me to come up here.”
“Lance has given me two jobs, and I might not be able to get both of them done if I’m sleeping with you.”
“I’m a job?”
“Only in a manner of speaking. He used your presence to lure me up here and check on Barton.”
“What’s Barton like?”
“A ringer for Lance but older. It’s like they’re twins who were born a few years apart.”
“But is he like Lance?”
“Nobody is like Lance. Barton is more talkative, at least with me. He’ll like you, though, especially if you go dressed like that.”
She giggled.
“Lance says he likes the ladies.”
“He didn’t mention that to me.”
They finished breakfast, then Holly left and returned with her laptop. “Give me the names of the two men from Cantor’s squad who interested you.”
Stone picked up the files. “Abner Luke Kramer and Charles Larry Crow.” He gave her their service numbers.
She went to the V.A. website and through a few pages, typing rapidly. “Here we go,” she said. “Private Kramer spent four years at NYU on the GI bill, got a degree in business administration, then went to Wharton for an MBA. Corporal Crow was treated for a couple of months at a V.A. hospital on Long Island, then got himself a V.A. mortgage.”
“Any addresses?”
“One for each: Kramer, on West Tenth Street, in Manhattan; Crow, in the Bronx.”
Stone wrote down both addresses and phone numbers.
“You going to call?”
“Might be better if I just show up and surprise them.”
Holly continued typing. “Google knows about Kramer,” she said. “He was an executive vice president at Goldman Sachs in New York until four years ago, but he left to start his own company, A. L. Kramer, which has done very well, apparently. Here’s a picture.” She turned the laptop so he could see
Holly shook her head. “Those are probably not current; they were the addresses when they enlisted. But there should be next of kin listed with an address. They could still be alive.”
“These are guys in their fifties,” Stone said.
“Lots of people in their fifties still have living parents.”
Stone picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Let’s see.” He put the phone down again. “Out of service.” He tried the other one.
“Hello?” A small child.
“Hi,” Stone said, “can I speak with your daddy?”
The kid dropped the phone like a rock, and Stone could hear him screaming for his father.
“Hello?” a male voice said. “Who do you want?” The voice was heavily Spanish-accented.
Stone hung up. “Hispanic. Not our guy. The Pentagon wouldn’t have current addresses?”
“Not likely, but the Veterans Administration might, especially if either guy has used his veterans’ benefits. I can do a computer search but not now.” She leaned over and kissed him hotly.
“I guess it can wait until tomorrow,” Stone managed to say.
13
Stone woke the following morning with a warm girl heating his rib cage. He was ravenously hungry, and it occurred to him that they, in their enthusiasm, had never gotten around to dinner.
“I’m not awake,” Holly whispered.
“Do you want breakfast?”
“Maybe.”
Stone put on some shorts, went downstairs, grilled bacon and scrambled eggs. When he was almost done he whistled as loudly as he could, which was very loud.
A minute and a half later Holly padded down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, very naked.
“Good morning,” he said. “Did you forget something?”
She stared at him blankly. “What?”
“Never mind, have a seat. I’m not sure I have a big enough napkin for you, though.”
Holly sat down and began eating greedily. “Why am I so hungry?”
“Because we skipped dinner last night.”
“Why did…? Oh.”
“Yes, oh. It was more fun than dinner, anyway.”
“Well, you can take me out to dinner tonight.”
“If I’m still here tonight.”
“Lance promised me two nights with you to get me to come up here.”
“Lance has given me two jobs, and I might not be able to get both of them done if I’m sleeping with you.”
“I’m a job?”
“Only in a manner of speaking. He used your presence to lure me up here and check on Barton.”
“What’s Barton like?”
“A ringer for Lance but older. It’s like they’re twins who were born a few years apart.”
“But is he like Lance?”
“Nobody is like Lance. Barton is more talkative, at least with me. He’ll like you, though, especially if you go dressed like that.”
She giggled.
“Lance says he likes the ladies.”
“He didn’t mention that to me.”
They finished breakfast, then Holly left and returned with her laptop. “Give me the names of the two men from Cantor’s squad who interested you.”
Stone picked up the files. “Abner Luke Kramer and Charles Larry Crow.” He gave her their service numbers.
She went to the V.A. website and through a few pages, typing rapidly. “Here we go,” she said. “Private Kramer spent four years at NYU on the GI bill, got a degree in business administration, then went to Wharton for an MBA. Corporal Crow was treated for a couple of months at a V.A. hospital on Long Island, then got himself a V.A. mortgage.”
“Any addresses?”
“One for each: Kramer, on West Tenth Street, in Manhattan; Crow, in the Bronx.”
Stone wrote down both addresses and phone numbers.
“You going to call?”
“Might be better if I just show up and surprise them.”
Holly continued typing. “Google knows about Kramer,” she said. “He was an executive vice president at Goldman Sachs in New York until four years ago, but he left to start his own company, A. L. Kramer, which has done very well, apparently. Here’s a picture.” She turned the laptop so he could see
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