* * * * *
THE GARAGE AT Third and Marshall didn't have a name. It was probably listed under something in the phone book, but on the outside of the building there was nothing. Just a redbrick building with a paved parking lot, enclosed by chain-link fencing. There were three bays in the side of the building, opening out to the lot. The bay doors were open and men worked on cars in each of the bays. A white stretch limo and two black Town Cars were parked in the lot. I pulled the Buick into a slot next to one of the Town Cars, locked the Buick, and dropped the keys into my shoulder bag.
A guy who looked like Antonio Banderas on an off day sauntered over to me.
'Nice car,' he said, eyeing the Buick. 'Man, they don't make cars like this anymore.' He ran a hand over the back fender. 'Cherry. Real cherry.'
'Uh-huh.' The cherry car got four miles to a gallon and cornered like a refrigerator. Not to mention it was all wrong for my self-image. My self-image called for fast and sleek and black, not bulbous and powder blue. Red would be okay, too. And I needed a sunroof. And a good sound system. And leather seats . . .
'Earth to Babe,' Banderas said.
I dragged myself back to the moment. 'You know where I can find Eddie?'
'You're looking at him, Cookie. I'm Eddie.'
I extended my hand. 'Stephanie Plum. Ranger sent me.'
'I got a car ready and waiting.' He rounded the nearest Town Car, opened the driver's side door, and took a large white envelope from behind the visor. 'Here's everything you need. The keys are in the ignition. The car's gassed up.'
'I don't need a chauffeur's license to do this, do I?'
He stared at me blank-faced.
'Yeah, right,' I said. Probably nothing to worry about anyway. It wasn't easy to get a permit to carry concealed in MercerCounty. And I wasn't one of the chosen. If I got stopped by a cop he'd be so overjoyed to be able to arrest me for illegally carrying concealed that he'd no doubt forget to charge me for the driving thing.
I took the envelope and slid behind the wheel. I adjusted the seat and leafed through the papers. Flight information, parking directions, some procedural instructions, name and brief description, and snapshot of Ahmed Fahed. No age was given, but he looked young in the photo.
I eased the Lincoln out of the lot and headed for Route 1. I picked up the turnpike in East Brunswick and glided along in my big, black, climate-controlled car, feeling very professional. Chauffeuring wasn't so bad, I thought. Today a sheik, tomorrow . . . who knows, maybe Tom Cruise. Definitely better than getting some computer nut out of his apartment. And if it wasn't for the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about that severed right hand and decapitated head, I'd really be enjoying myself.
I took the airport exit and found my way to Arrivals. My passenger was coming in from San Francisco, flying commercial. I parked in the area reserved for limos, crossed the road, entered the terminal, and checked the monitors for gate information.
A half hour later, Fahed strolled through the gate, wearing two-hundred-dollar sneakers and oversize jeans. His T-shirt advertised a microbrewery. His red plaid flannel shirt was wrinkled and unbuttoned, sleeves rolled to the elbow. I'd expected sheik clothes with the head thing and robe. Fortunately for me, he was the only arrogant Arab departing first class, so it wasn't hard to pick him out.
'Ahmed Fahed?' I asked.
His eyebrows raised ever so slightly in acknowledgment.
'I'm your driver.'
He looked me over. 'Where's your gun?'
'In my shoulder bag.'
'My father always orders a bodyguard for me. He's afraid someone will kidnap me.'
Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow.
He shrugged. 'We're rich. Rich people get kidnapped.'
'Hardly ever in Jersey,' I said. 'Too much overhead. Hotel rooms and food bills. The payoff's better on extortion.'
His gaze dropped to my chest. 'You ever do it with a sheik?'
'Excuse me?'
'You could get lucky today.'
'Yeah. And you could get shot. How old are you, anyway?'
He tipped his chin up an eighth of an inch. 'Nineteen.'
My guess would be closer to fifteen, but hey, what do I know about Arabs? 'You have luggage?'
'Two bags.'
I led the way to baggage, snagged his two pieces, and rolled them out of the building across the pick-up lanes to the parking garage. When I had my charge settled into the backseat, I cruised off into gridlocked traffic.
After a couple minutes of creeping along Fahed was antsy. 'What's the problem?'
'Too many cars,' I said. 'Not enough road.'
'Well, do something.'
