Read Kisser (2010) for Free Online

Atlanta, leaving now.”
    “I’ll have somebody pick up on him there and follow him home. You want my guy to say anything to him?”
    “You might have him give Long the impression that he’s under constant police surveillance, without using those words.”
    “Give me a description.”
    “Get that from Carrie,” Stone said. “I’ve never seen the man. I just know that he’s tall and slim.”
    “Will do,” Cantor said. He hung up.
    Stone went back to the crossword. It was a bitch, as it often was on Saturdays. He was still working on it nearly three hours later when Cantor called back.
    “Hello?”
    “It’s Cantor. My guy met your guy and imparted your suggestion to him. He’s tailing him now. I ran his license plate, but it’s still registered to the Habersham Road address; he didn’t bother to change it after moving. I’ll call you back when I get an address.”
    “Good going,” Stone said. He went to the kitchen, made a ham and mozzarella sandwich on whole grain, toasted it, and brought it back to the study with a Diet Coke. He finished it and was down to the last couple of impossible words on the crossword when Cantor called again.
    “Got a pencil?”
    “In my hand.”
    “Max Long drove to an apartment complex in northeast Atlanta called Cross Creek. Nice place, with a golf course. My guy couldn’t follow him past the guard at the gate, but fifty got him the address: 1010 Cantey Place. His phone is unlisted, but I’ll have it for you later. You want my guy to surveil?”
    “For a couple of days.”
    “I can put a watch for his name on the Delta reservations computer,” Cantor said.
    “Great idea. That’ll give us some notice if he decides to come back, and we can have him met at LaGuardia.”
    “Consider it done,” Cantor said. “By the way, Max Long is six-three, two hundred pounds, longish dark hair going gray, broken nose. I’ll do a search for a photo; shouldn’t be hard to come up with one.”
    “Sounds like we’ve got the guy just about boxed,” Stone said.
    “We’re getting there.”
    “Talk to you later.” Stone hung up and attacked the last two words on the crossword. They took another half hour.

9
    STONE AND DINO HAD BEEN at Elaine’s just long enough to order a drink, when Carrie came rushing in, flushed and excited. Stone signaled for a drink for her. “You look happy,” he said.
    “I feel happy,” she said. “I’ve got two very good solos in the show and one absolute, solid-gold showstopper.”
    “I look forward to hearing them,” Stone said.
    “Not until opening night; I want you to get the full effect.”
    “I’m already getting the full effect,” he replied. Their drinks arrived, and they clinked glasses.
    Dino spoke up. “It’s nice to see you both so happy.”
    “If you’d had my day,” Carrie said, “you’d be happy, too.”
    “I am happy,” Dino said. “Can’t you tell?”
    “He always looks dour,” Stone said. “You could know him for years before seeing him smile.”
    “Do you have a wife, Dino?” Carrie asked.
    “Had. Don’t want another.”
    “A girl?”
    “Until recently.”
    “What happened?”
    “I got tired of obeying. Stone and I spent a little time in Key West, and I discovered I didn’t miss her.”
    “He smiled more then,” Stone said.
    “If I goose him, will he smile?” Carrie asked.
    “If you goose me in the right place,” Dino said.
    Carrie laughed, a healthy, unrestrained sound. Dino smiled a little.
    “There, I knew I could do it,” she said.
    “So, do you know your script and score?” Stone asked.
    “I will by Monday morning,” she said.
    “How’d it go with Bob and the Leahys?”
    “Bob showed me how to work the security system, then left with Max’s box to take it to FedEx. The Leahys are sweet and made me feel very safe. They dropped me off here, and I’ve dismissed them until Monday morning.”
    “I think we’ve got Max pretty boxed in now,” Stone said, “so you shouldn’t have to