"How about this," Aston Marsh proposed. "I'll take the kids out for a bite, then I'll pick up some bar snacks and come back to have a drink with you. How does that sound?" Goldie Thorne, of course, had no objections.
Once downstairs, Tang Xiaonan clamored to make a phone call. Adrian Hawthorne spoke to the front desk, and they easily managed to borrow the phone. Tang Xiaonan had been worried that making a call would give away their location, but she was relieved when she saw the old-fashioned telephone. It was the kind with a rotary dial and no caller ID; there was no way they could be traced.
There were no phones on Millstone Peak, so their only option was to call Frederick Thorne's distillery. Frederick probably hadn't gotten off work yet. Jim Thorne got through to the gatehouse, and sure enough, Frederick hadn't left. He was on the line in no time.
