Cassidy was sweating. “Please, Mr. Sollazo, I’m an honest guy.” Sollazo burst out laughing. “Get out of here.” Mori saw him through the door, then returned.
,Anything else, Signore?”
“Yes, I want you to go and see Salamone. It seems Ryan is being taken to Green Rapids General Hospital on Tuesday morning for a heart scan. Find out all you can, how the system works when they take one of the inmates for that kind of check.”
“Does the Signore mean what I think he means?”
“Perhaps. Afterwards, check out the hospital. I don’t need to tell you to be discreet. You always “Thank you, Signore,” Mori said, face impassive, and Went out, and Sollazo went back to work. SALAMONE W/I:S DESPERATELY AFRAID OF MORI, but then most people were, for he was the Russo family’s most feared enforcer, so he received him with some trepidation. They walked over the grass toward the lake and Mod told him why hehad come.
Salamone, eager to please, was more than helpful.
“They use a special security ambulance to take guys down to the hospital. I’ve gone myself when they’ve
had a stretcher case needing a nurse.”
“How many guards?”
“The driver and a guy riding shotgun beside him.
Usually another two in the back with tl cons. It depends how many, but I can tell you Tuesday morning is light, just Kelly or Ryan, or whatever they call him, and a guy called Bryant, who’s going to have a keyhole op on his prostate. I’ve seen the schedule.” “Fine,” Mori said. “So where would they take Ryan?” “Third floor. There’s a clinic there called General Heart Surgery.” “So a guard takes him up there or two maybe7” “Usually one. I mean, the guy has a heart condition.
He’s handcuffed, of course.” “At all times.’?” “Not while he’s having treatment.” “Good,” Mori said. “That’s all I need to know.
You know the old saying from Sicily’? ‘Keep the tongue in the mouth or it gets cut out.'” “Jesus, Giovanni’.” Paolo sounded shocked.
mean, I love my Don.” “Sure you do.” Mori patted his face and walked away.
THE HOSPITAL CAP, PARK WAS FULL, BUT SOMEone pulled out as M-fi arrived, so Mori took the space which he noted was reserved for the Chief of Surgery. He went in through thenain entrance. It was very modem, lots of tiling and high technology, staff everywhere, nurses in uniform, doctors in white coats, and many people who were presumably visitors.
He strode confidently through the concourse and took a lift to the fourth floor quite deliberately. The corridor he stepped out into was very quiet. A door opposite said Storeroom, then there was an elevator with very wide doors, obviously designed to carry stretchers and trolleys. Next to it a door said Staff
I9O
Rest Room. Mori opened it without hesitation and went in.
There were washbasins and toilet cubicles and a row of pegs, some of them occupied by overalls and white coats, one of which had a plastic security card pinned to it in the name of a Doctor Lynn, Radiology.
Mori put it on and went out.
He took the elevator down to the third floor, exited, and strolled confidently along, looking for the clinic Salamone had described, and there it was. General Heart Surgery. He opened the swing door and went in.
There were two or three patients on the benches, a young black nurse at reception. She looked up and smiled and Mori put his hands in his pockets so that the white coat pat-ted just in case she knew the name on the identity card.
“Can I help you, Doctor?”
“I’m new, I’m afraid, Radiology. I’ve got to see a patient up here on Tuesday morning,n inmate from Green. Rapids Detention Center. I was just checking.
You know, getting my bearings. A heart patient.”
“Oh, sure, Mr. Kelly. He’s been here on several occasions. Yes, you’re in the right ,place. Clinic Three right down the hall, that’s where he’s treated.”
“Well, thank you,” Mori told her and went down the hall. He glanced through the round window in the door of Clinic Three, saw a patient on a trolley, a nurse bending over him.