I had eaten my last can of chili, and there was nothing left in the apartment except things in bottles. So at 6 P.M. I called down to my protective detail and ordered a pepperoni pizza, which is good for the soul.
At seven, my intercom buzzed and the SO guy said, "Pizza coming up."
I unlocked the door and left it ajar, then drew my Glock and moved back into the foyer. If the pizza had anchovies, the delivery guy was dead.
There was a knock on the door, then it opened, and there was Captain Vince Paresi carrying a pizza box. I wished I had a camera instead of a gun.
Paresi noticed me holstering the Glock, but didn't comment.
He said to me, "I thought I'd keep you company tonight."
That sounded like it could have been Kate's idea. Or Walsh's. Or Paresi had the same idea himself-Corey needed company and needed to be watched. I'm flattered.
I said, "That's very thoughtful of you."
"Yeah. Take the pizza."
I took the box and noticed that Paresi also had a bottle of red vino under his arm.
I suggested, "Let's dine al fresco."
He reminded me, "You're not supposed to go out on your balcony."
"Live dangerously."
I took the pizza out to the balcony and set it on the cafe table. Paresi remained in my living room while I went back into the kitchen and collected a corkscrew, glasses, a few napkins, and a bottle of Scotch.
At my urging, he joined me on the balcony, and we shared his wine and my pizza. It was a nice night, and below on the street the city was coming alive on this Friday evening.
The wine wasn't bad and the pizza was okay, and the conversation was sort of strained. Also, Paresi kept looking at the buildings up and down the street. Vince was not a good date.
Finally, he said to me, "Those bastards could nail both of us up here."
"Don't be paranoid. More wine?"
He suggested, "Let's go inside."
"It's nice out here." I let him know, "If Khalil wanted to whack me with a sniper rifle, he'd have already done it." I added, "He has something else planned for me."
Paresi replied, "I was thinking about me." But not wanting me to think he was any less brave or crazy than I was, he produced two cigars and we lit up.
He poured himself the last of the wine and informed me, "CAU got a hit on Kate's cell phone just a few hours ago." He flipped his ash and continued, "A seven- or eight-second signal lock. Then it was gone, like someone was accessing the phone's directory, then shut it off."
"Where did the signal come from?"
"Well, the cell tower that logged in her phone has coverage between Forty-fourth and Forty-third streets."
"Okay… did you send cars there?"
"We did, but I'm guessing the signal came from a moving vehicle."
"Right. Sandland Taxi Service." I said, "Well, at least we know that Kate's cell phone is in Manhattan."
"Right. And I hope that means Khalil is in Manhattan." He nodded toward the city below and said, "He's out there."
"Maybe you'll get a call."
"More probably you." He reminded me, "Let us know within five seconds if you get a call from him."
"You and Tom do the same."
He nodded.
I looked again at the towering apartments and office buildings up and down my street. Some windows were lighted, some were dark, and I suspected one of those windows was looking back at us.
I asked Paresi, "How's it going on Seventy-second Street?"
He glanced out at the buildings and replied, "Lots and lots of doors to knock on." He informed me, "Some buildings don't even have a doorman or security guard that we can speak to-"
"Check the lobby directories for Terrorist Safe House."
He ignored that and said, "Half the doors we bang on don't even answer." He added, "Even some of the offices didn't answer during normal business hours."
"Kick the doors in."
He ignored that, too, and said, "I think we've cleared about half the apartments and maybe eighty percent of the offices." He then asked me, "Do you actually think they have a safe house-an observation post on this street?"
"Makes sense to me. That's what we'd do so that's what they'd do."
He nodded, but said nothing. Then he said, "It would have been good if that cell signal came from across the street."
I informed him, "They're not that stupid."
He disagreed. "They are."
"They were, Vince. But they're getting smarter." I advised him, "They might not have our technology, but they know what we have, and they know how to get around it."
He shrugged.
I further advised him, "Don't underestimate them. And do not underestimate Asad Khalil."
"Right. How's the cigar?"
"Better than the wine, but not as good as the pizza."
"How's your Scotch?"
"Older than the kids you've got watching my lobby."
He smiled and reminded me, "We're understaffed. Especially on weekends."
Right. And we might be more understaffed before this weekend was over.
Kate called and was very happy to find me home with my date. She inquired, "Have you been drinking?"
"No. We're still drinking."
"Good night, John. I love you."
"Love you, too."
Vince and I finished a half bottle of Scotch, and he left before midnight.
I wasn't sure if he had a protective detail with him, and I didn't want to ask. Macho guys don't ask or answer that kind of question.
Anyway, having tempted fate and finding out that fate wasn't interested in me tonight, I left the balcony and went to bed.
A quiet night. But I had that feeling I sometimes get when nothing happens that something is going to happen.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Saturday. Light rain today and showers forecast for Sunday. Good weather to kill a Libyan terrorist.
I called for my government vehicle at 10 A.M., and visited Kate at Bellevue.
She seemed in a good mood, knowing she'd be out soon.
I asked her, "Is Tom okay with you leaving?"
"He is," she informed me, "as long as I go to my parents' place."
"Okay. Does he know that you want me to go with you?"
"Yes. He's fine with that."
That was a surprise, and I asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I convinced him that you shouldn't be doing what you're doing."
"I like doing what I'm doing."
"Well, I don't." She informed me, "I had a very frank talk with Tom-a tough talk. And I told him that, one, he couldn't keep me here against my will, and two, Washington might not approve of him using you-a contract agent-as live bait to trap a terrorist. If something happened to you-"
"Hold on. I volunteered for this."
"I didn't. And you never consulted me."
I seem to remember my life and job being simpler before I got married-both times.
She also informed me, "Tom doesn't believe this is working anyway, and it's taking a lot of manpower and resources that could be better used elsewhere to find Khalil." And then the clincher. "In fact, if something happened someplace in the city, and it came out that half the surveillance teams were watching our apartment and following you around, Tom would have a lot of explaining to do in Washington." She also informed me, "Tom would like us-including you-out of here and on a plane to Minneapolis on Monday."
Kate is a smart lady, and she knew how to play Tom Walsh better than I did. In fact, I was sure that Walsh would rather have his FBI agents kill or capture Asad Khalil so he didn't have to pose for photos with me.
Kate said, "Don't sulk." She assured me, "I'm doing this for us."
"Well… I'm touched… but this is not the old gung-ho Special Agent Mayfield I used to know."
She replied, "John… I just had a near-death experience. That changes a person."