last talked with Lou, Dr. Malovar had appeared and had him look at some
forensic slides for him. So soon on the heels of his consulting Malovar,
Jack didn’t feel he could refuse.
‘I’ve been calling every fifteen minutes,’ Lou remarked.
‘Sorry,’ Jack said.
‘I’ve got some surprising information that I’ve been dying to give you,’
Lou said. ‘This is one weird case.’
‘That’s not telling me anything I didn’t already know,’ Jack said. ‘What
did you learn?’
Movement out of the corner of Jack’s eye attracted his attention.
Turning his head, he saw Laurie standing in the doorway. She did not
look normal. Her eyes were blazing, her mouth was set in an angry
grimace, and her skin was the color of ivory.
‘Wait a sec!’ Jack said, interrupting Lou. ‘Laurie, what the hell is the
matter?’
‘I have to talk with you,’ Laurie sputtered.
‘Sure,’ Jack said. ‘But could it wait for two minutes?’ He pointed at
the phone to indicate that he was talking with someone.
‘Now!’ Laurie barked.
‘Okay, okay,’ Jack repeated. It was clear to him she was as tense as a
piano wire about to snap.
‘Listen, Lou,’ Jack said into the phone. ‘Laurie just came in, and she’s
upset. Let me call you right back.’
‘Hold on!’ Laurie snapped. ‘Is that Lou Soldano you’re talking with?’
‘Yeah,’ Jack said hesitantly. For an irrational instant, he thought that
Laurie was overwrought because he was talking with Lou.
‘Where is he?’ Laurie demanded.
Jack shrugged. ‘I guess he’s in his office.’
‘Ask him,’ Laurie snapped.
Jack posed the question, and Lou answered in the affirmative. Jack
nodded to Laurie. ‘He’s there,’ he said.
‘Tell him we’re coming down to see him,’ Laurie said.
Jack hesitated. He was confused.
‘Tell him!’ Laurie repeated. ‘Tell him we’re leaving right away.’
‘Did you hear that?’ Jack asked Lou. Laurie then disappeared down the
corridor toward her office.
‘I did,’ Lou said. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Damned if I know,’ Jack said. ‘She just barreled in. Unless I call you
right back, we’ll be there.’
‘Fine,’ Lou said. ‘I’ll wait.’
Jack hung up the phone and rushed out into the hall. Laurie was already
on her way back and was struggling into her coat. She eyed him as she
brushed past on her way to the elevators. Jack hustled to catch up with
her.
‘What’s happened?’ Jack asked hesitantly. He was afraid to upset her any
more than she already was.
‘I’m about ninety-nine percent sure how Franconi’s body was taken from
here,’ Laurie said angrily. ‘And two things are becoming clear. First,
the Spoletto Funeral Home was involved and second, the abduction was
surely abetted by someone who works here. And to tell you the truth, I’m
not sure which of these two things bothers me more.’
‘Jeez, look at that traffic,’ Franco Ponti said to Angelo Facciolo. ‘I’m
sure as hell glad we’re going into Manhattan instead of going out.’
Franco and Angelo were in Franco’s black Cadillac, heading west on the
Queensborough Bridge. It was five-thirty, the height of rush hour. Both
men were dressed as if they were going to a ritzy dinner.
‘What order do you want to do this in?’ Franco asked.
Angelo shrugged. ‘Maybe the girl first,’ he said. His face twisted into
a slight smile.
‘You’re looking forward to this, aren’t you?’ Franco commented.
Angelo raised his eyebrows as much as his facial scar tissue would
allow. ‘Five years I’ve been dreaming about seeing this broad
professionally,’ he said. ‘I guess I never thought I would get my
chance.’
‘I know I don’t have to remind you that we follow orders,’ Franco said.
‘To the letter.’
‘Cerino was never so specific,’ Angelo said. ‘He’d just tell us to do a
job. He didn’t tell us how to do it.’
‘That’s why Cerino is in jail and Vinnie is running the show,’ Franco
said.
‘I’ll tell you what,’ Angelo said. ‘Why don’t we do a drive by Jack
Stapleton’s place. I’ve already been inside Laurie Montgomery’s
apartment, so I know what we’re getting ourselves into. But I’m a little
surprised by this other address. West One Hundred-sixth Street isn’t
where I’d expect a doctor to be living.’