minutes lead time, plus the ten minutes it'll take us to walk up to meet you.'
'And they'll stay fifty yards back,' he said.
'Right.'
'And you'll come the rest of the way alone. With the money.'
'Right.'
'I liked it better with Khoury,' he said. 'Where I said 'Frog' and he jumped.'
'I can see where you would. Twice as much money this time, though.'
'That's true,' he said. 'Leila Alvarez. Haven't thought of her in a while.' His voice took on an almost
dreamy quality. 'She was really nice. Choice.'
I didn't say anything.
'Lord, she was frightened,' he said. 'Poor little bitch. She was really terrified.'
WHEN I finally got off the phone I had to sit down. Kenan asked me if I was all right. I said I was.
'You don't look so hot,' he said. 'You look like you need a drink, but I guess that's the one thing you don't need.'
'You're right.'
'Yuri just made some coffee. I'll get you a cup.'
When he brought it I said, 'I'm okay. It takes it out of you, talking to that son of a bitch.'
'I know.'
'I tipped my hand some, let him know some of what I know. It started to look as though that was the only way to get him off the dime.
He wasn't going to move unless he could control the situation completely. I decided to show him he was in a little weaker position than he realized.'
Yuri said. 'You know who he is?'
'I know his name. I know what he looks like and the license number of the car he's driving.' I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling his presence on the other end of the telephone line, sensing the workings of his mind. 'I know who he is,' I said.
I explained what I'd worked out with Callander, started to sketch out a diagram of the terrain, then realized that what we needed was a map. Yuri said there was a street map of Brooklyn somewhere in the apartment but didn't know where. Kenan said Francine had kept one in the glove box of the Toyota, and Peter went downstairs for it.
We had cleared off the table. All of the money, repackaged to hide the counterfeit bills, was packed into two suitcases. I spread the map on the table and traced a route to the cemetery, indicating the two entrances on the graveyard's western border. I explained how it would work, where we'd set up, how the exchange would be made.
'Puts you right out in front,' Kenan observed.
'I'll be all right.'
'If he tries anything—'
'I don't think he will.'
You can always kill me, I'd told him. Yes I could, he'd said.
'I am the one who should carry the bags,' Yuri said.
'They're not that heavy,' I said. 'I can manage them.'
'You make a joke, but I am serious. It is my daughter. I should be out in front.'
I shook my head. If he ever got that close to Callander, I couldn't trust him not to lose it and go for him.
But I had a better reason to offer him. 'I want Lucia to run to safety. If you're there she'll want to stay with you. I need you here,' I said, pointing to the map, 'so you can call to her.'
'You'll tuck a gun in your belt,' Kenan said.
'I probably will, but I don't know what good it'll do. If he tries anything I won't have time to get it out. If he doesn't I won't have any use for it. What I wish I had is a Kevlar vest.'
'That's the bulletproof mesh? I heard it won't stop a knife.'
'Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It won't always stop a bullet, either, but it gives you a sporting chance.'
'You know where you can get one?'
'Not at this hour. Forget it, it's not important.'
'No? It sounds pretty important to me.'
'I don't even know that they've got guns.'
'Are you kidding? I didn't think there was anybody in this town doesn't have a gun. What about the third man, the sharpshooter, guy hiding behind a tombstone covering everybody? What do you figure he's doing the job with, a fucking Wham-O slingshot?'
