Ill tell you what else is disconcerting, Stone said. Hes a lot richer than we thought. My thinking was that by the time hed paid his debts, and spread some of the rest around, he’d have pissed away just about all of it. They lunched in the center of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, at Brasserie Lipp, which was Stones favorite Paris restaurant. The food was Alsatian, as was the beer, and they all had the choucrute garni, a mix of sliced meats and sausages, with sauerkraut and potatoes. The crowd in the restaurant reminded Stone of the group at Elaines — now long-lamented, since her death — a mixture of arts, academia, and journalism, with a smattering of showbiz, even if he didnt recognize many of them. No, thats all right. You just sit here and relax now. Dinner tonight, Clarkes? Paul Drake— While investigating for Mason, he had no time for anything but a hamburger — and a bicarbonate — at his desk, with a dream of filet mignon on the side. Stamos stopped at the womens restroom for a few minutes. When she came back out, Devine followed her, but waited for the elevator doors to close behind her before he rushed forward and pushed a button to summon his own elevator car. Devine, for reasons he could not entirely understand, believed the man, because everything with Cowl was transactional. So if the man hadnt tried to frame him, who had? Sometimes I feel she is alive and very close, but sometimes I feel she is dead and very close. It is a puzzle. She had trouble with her mind before she died, and when a friend whom she trusted betrayed her confidence it was a great shock. Iexpect him home, yes. Im all jittery. Im so nervous I dont feel that I can— Why would he send the list to me? I didnt work in the building. And did he tell you why? I identified certain latents which I have here in photographs numbered one, four, six and eight. She had me when I was sober, anyway. He was beating himself up. Then, And speaking of sober, this is the kind of thing I never admitted to anybody even when I was drunk, but Im going to tell you, Dev. And Im going to trust that you’ll never tell anybody else.’ Then what are you going to ask her?.