“No. In fact, I feel more strongly that I did the right thing.”
“There’s no question that you did.”
She insisted that I needed breakfast, and we looked at the room service menu. Jill said she was going to have the healthy heart breakfast and suggested I have the same.
We chatted, read the papers, and watchedToday with Katie and Matt.
Breakfast came, and the healthy heart meal gave me acid.
After breakfast, Jill wanted to take a walk and wanted me to join her, but I said, “I need to stay here. I may have to go to a meeting. And you may need to join me. Call me every hour, and check your cell phone every half hour.”
“All right… what kind of meeting?”
“The kind you should have had five years ago.”
She nodded.
I said, “You won’t have to say anything. You just need to be there. I’ll do the talking.”
She replied, “I can speak for myself.”
I smiled at her. “I’m sure you can.”
She went into her bedroom, got dressed, then came back into the living room. She asked me, “Do you need anything while I’m out?”
I needed my Glock, but I said, “I’m running low on toothpaste.” I wasn’t, but she needed to do something. “Crest. And see if you can find another copy of A Man and a Woman. Also, don’t forget to call up to the room before you come back to the Plaza.” I took a pen from the desk and wrote Dom Fanelli’s cell phone number on my business card and gave it to her. I said, “If you can’t get me on the phone, or if you sense a problem, call Detective Fanelli at that number. He’ll tell you what to do.”
She looked at me and asked, “Is this your army of angels?”
I wouldn’t actually describe Dom Fanelli as an angel, but I replied, “Yes.” I added, “He’s your guardian angel if something happens to me.”
She said, “Nothing is going to happen to you.”
“No. Have a good day.”
She wished me a good day and left.
Maybe I should have kept her here, where it was marginally safer than out there. But I’ve baby-sat enough witnesses to know that they can start to become resentful, even hostile, if they’re kept cooped up too long. Also, in this case, it would be more difficult for Nash to snatch both of us if we were separated.
I checked my cell phone, but there were no messages from Ted Nash, or anyone.
I called my home answering machine, and there were a few messages, but none of them from Nash.
I called Dom Fanelli’s cell phone, and he answered. I asked, “How are you making out with the VIP airport escort?”
“I think I have it lined up. I had to call in all kinds of favors, make up a ton of bullshit, and promise the fucking world. I’ve got two uniforms and one borrowed PD. I’m going to meet them on the street at three, and we should be at the gate before Kate’s flight lands.”
“Sounds good. Here’s another thought-if the Feds are there waiting for her, they may decide to meet her before Passport Control. You need to get in there and avoid that possibility.”
“I’ll try… I know some Port Authority cops… I’ll see what I can do.”
“You have to do it. Also, don’t get on the scene too early, or you’ll tip your hand, and they’ll call up the reinforcements, and you’ll get into a pissing match that you may lose. It’s got to be like a snatch job. In and out before they can react.”
“You’re making a hard job harder.”
“You can do it. Unless they’ve got a Federal warrant for her, she’ll voluntarily go with you, who she knows.”
He laughed. “Yeah? She hates me.”
“She loves you. Okay, if one of her bosses is there, it could get even stickier.” And, I thought, if Ted Nash was there, it could get very weird when Kate saw a dead man walking. I said to Dom, “But I know you can convince Kate that her loving husband sent you.”
“Right. But I gotta tell you, John, she may be your wife, but she’s a Fed. Which comes first?”
Good question. I said to him, “Make her understand what this is about without saying too much in front of anyone else. Okay? Call me if you need to, and I’ll talk to her. If all else fails, threaten them with arrest for interfering with a police officer in the performance of his duties. Okay?”
“Yeah, but you and I know it’s bullshit. We don’t have any legal right to be there.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“No. Leave it to me.” He stayed quiet for a few seconds, then said, “No matter how it plays out at the airport, the bottom line is me getting Kate to the Plaza Hotel.”
“I know that. And make sure you’re not followed.”
“The Feds can’t follow a dog on a leash.”
“Right.” I said, “You understand why this is important?”
“I do. You wanna get laid by six-thirty latest.”
“Right. Don’t mess me up.”
He laughed, then asked me, “Hey, how are you doing with Mrs. Winslow? What’s she look like?”
“A nice old lady.”
“She’s thirty-nine. What’s she look like?”
“Pretty.”
“What did you do last night at the Plaza?”
“Had dinner.”
“That’s it?”
“We’re both married and not interested.”
“There’s a concept. Hey, when I bring Kate to the Plaza, how’s that going to play out when she sees you’ve been shacking up with the star of Beach Blanket Bimbo?”
“Dom… clean up your mind.”
“You’re no fun anymore. Where’s your witness now?”
“Taking a walk. I gave her your cell number in case the Plaza gets hot.”
“You sure you don’t want some backup at the Plaza?”
“No. We’re incognito here, and no one followed us or tracked us electronically, or we’d already be busted.” I added, “The Feds can’t find themselves in a mirror. But I will need a police escort from here to a meeting with the Feds today, or tomorrow.”
“Just give me an hour lead time.” He said to me, “You really got yourself into some deep shit this time, partner.”
“You think?”
“Hang in.”
“I always do. Call me when Kate’s in your car.”
“Will do. Ciao.”
I checked my cell again, but no messages.
The rain had stopped, but it was still overcast. I settled in for a long morning.
The cleaning lady came and went, and I ordered more coffee from room service.
Every hour, Jill called as promised, and I repeated that there was no news, and she told me what she was doing, which was mostly art galleries. She’d gotten a tube of Crest and found a copy ofA Man and a Woman at a video store. She said, “Mark has called about five more times and left messages. Should I call him back?”
“Yes. Try to determine if any Federal agent has called or visited him. In other words, see what he knows, and if he’s buying your story that you just need to be alone. Okay?”
“All right.”
“See if he’s at work. He works in the city, right?”
“Yes. Downtown.”
“Call him there. And don’t let him browbeat you into giving him any more information. Okay?”
She surprised me by saying, “Screw him.”
I smiled and said, “Call me back. And don’t forget, five minutes max on your cell phone, and don’t use a public phone because that will tell him on his Caller ID that you’re in Manhattan. Okay?”
“I understand.” She added, “You think of everything.”
“I try.” I hope so.
At about 12:30, I turned my cell phone on and waited a few minutes. It beeped, and I retrieved my message. The voice said, “John, this is Ted Nash. I need to speak to you. Call me.” He gave me his cell phone number.
I sat in an easy chair, put my feet up on a hassock, and called Mr. Ted Nash.
He answered, “Nash.”
I replied, “Corey.”
There was a half second pause, then he said, “As we discussed, I promised to get back to you about a meeting.”
“Meeting…? Oh, right. How’s your calendar look?”
“It looks open for tomorrow.”
“How about today?”
“Tomorrow is better. Aren’t you picking up Kate at the airport this afternoon?”