inside of his lips, he picked up the business card and tossed it back in the firefighter's direction.
'This Dr. Jack Stapleton is the medical examiner I told you about who I ran into at the Corinthian Rug Company Office.'
'Big deal, ' Curt scoffed. 'That was two days ago.'
'Yesterday he showed up at the Strickland funeral home, ' Yuri said.
'He was with Connie's brother.'
'You didn't tell us that.'
'I didn't think it was so important, ' Yuri said. 'At least yesterday I didn't.'
'But today you do? '
'Without doubt, ' Yuri said. He took another bite of his hamburger while Curt and Steve got their beers.
Yuri paused until the waiter left.
'Today Dr. Jack Stapleton showed up at my house.'
'Why? ' Curt demanded. His anger and arrogance had disappeared. Now he was concerned.
'He wanted to warn me that I was at risk for what Connie died of, ' Yuri said. 'Apparently he's made the diagnosis she died of botulinum toxin.'
'Oh, Christ! ' Curt growled.
'How the hell did he do that? ' Steve demanded. 'You told us it wouldn't happen.'
'I don't know what made him test for it, ' Yuri said. 'But I do know he took samples from Connie's body.'
'What did you say to him? ' Curt asked.
'First of all, he didn't know he was talking to me, ' Yuri said. 'When we ran into each other in the alley, I had the beard. I don't know if Stapleton would have recognized me without it, since I'd only spoken to him for a few minutes on Monday. But it was good I had it on just the same. Anyway, I told him my name was Yegor, and he believed it. I offered to convey a message to Yuri Davydov, but Stapleton wouldn't tell me what the message was, other than mentioning that Yuri Davydov might be in danger.'
'But you believe he suspects botulism? ' Curt asked.
'I do, ' Yuri replied.
'Do you think he'll be back? ' Curt asked.
'Maybe not until tonight. I told him that Yuri Davydov was out driving his cab and wouldn't be home until sometime after nine or ten.' Curt looked at Steve. 'I don't like this.'
'Me neither, ' Steve said.
'I don't like it either, ' Yuri said. 'He walked around my house. He undoubtedly saw the vent to the lab and heard the circulating fan. He might have even seen the pest control truck.'
'Good God! ' Curt mumbled.
'I think he's got to go, just like Gonnie, ' Yuri said. -'The People's Aryan Army has to get rid of him fast, like this afternoon.' Curt nodded, then turned to Steve. 'What do you think? '
'I think Yuri's right, ' Steve said. 'If we don't act, this guy's going to singlehandedly screw up Operation Wolverine.'
'The trouble is, how do we get rid of him? ' Curt said.
'The card has his work address, ' Yuri said. 'He told Yegor that he'd be there until six. On the back of the card is his home telephone number.
And I think he rode all the way out to Brighton Beach on a bike. Seems to me that should be enough information for the PAA.'
'You're suggesting he rides his bike around the city? ' Curt asked.
'That would be my guess, ' Yuri said.
'We could follow him when he comes out of work, ' Steve said. 'Then hit him when he's vulnerable.'
Curt nodded while he pondered. 'How will we recognize him? ' Steve pointed to Yuri. 'He'll have to come along to ID him.'
'Can you be back here at five? ' Curt asked.
'Where exactly? ' Yuri demanded. 'I know you don't want me at the firehouse.'
'Right here in this bar, ' Curt said.
'I'll be here, ' Yuri said.
'All right, it's decided, ' Curt said. 'The PAA will sanction Dr. Jack Stapleton I'll make that an order.'
He looked at Steve. 'That means you'll have to get back to Bensonhurst right away to gather some of the troops. And for this kind of mission I think we should steal a van.'
'No problem, ' Steve said.
'We'll need a lot of firepower, ' Curt said. 'I want to make a fast, definitive strike. I mean, I don't want to shoot him just once and have him pull through.'
'I agree, ' Steve said.
'All right, that's it, ' Curt said. He polished off the dregs of his beer and started to slide out from the booth.
'We've got one more issue, ' Yuri said.
Curt held up.
'I want to move Operation Wolverine up to tomorrow, Thursday.'
'Tomorrow! ' Curt echoed with disbelief. 'I thought you were going to have trouble meeting Friday's deadline with the anthrax powder.'
'I worked most of the night and all morning, ' Yuri said. 'With the second fermenter functioning as well as it is, we're in good shape. By tonight we'll have plenty for both laydowns.'
'I guess we could do that, ' Curt said. 'Thursday or Friday, there's really no difference.
' He looked at Steve.
'No reason why not, ' Steve said. 'The getaway is in place. That would be the critical issue.'
'I think we have to do it Thursday, ' Yuri said. 'As you mentioned last night, security is the issue. Even if we get rid of Jack Stapleton, we have no idea who he's talked to.
To wait another twenty-four hours is taking a risk.' Curt gave a little chuckle. 'You know, I think you're right.'
'I know I'm right, ' Yuri said. 'Provided we want to see Operation Wolverine succeed, which, of course, we all do.'
'Absolutely, ' Curt said. 'What time do you want us to come by tonight for the sausages? '
'Better make it late, ' Yuri said. 'I'll need time to get them properly packaged.
Let's say around eleven.'
'Perfect, ' Curt said. 'We'll be there.' Curt slid out from the booth.
Steve followed. Yuri stayed where he was.
'I want to finish my hamburger, ' Yuri explained.
'See you at five, ' Curt said. He gave a halfhearted salute before following Steve out of the bar.
Yuri watched them go. He thought their playacting at soldiering was pathetic, and he was embarrassed to be associated with them. Still, after their little meeting, he felt better than he had all day. It seemed that despite all the problems, everything was falling into place.
As he chewed another mouthful of his burger he considered stopping at the travel agency on the way home to make his reservation to fly from Newark to Moscow Thursday evening. But then he thought maybe he should do it by phone, since he didn't want to take too much time. After all, he had a lot of work to do before eleven.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20
2:15 P. M. Jack coasted to a stop at the OCME's loading dock and climbed off his bike. He was out of breath from the last frantic dash up First Avenue, when he'd kept up with the traffic. By doing so, he'd managed to keep the traffic lights in sync all the way from Houston Street and hadn't had to stop once.
Hoisting the bike onto his shoulder, he climbed up onto the platform and walked into the building. The jaunt to Brighton Beach had been wonderfully rewarding even if he'd failed to accomplish the original goal. Yet he'd done what he could in that regard. The rest was up to the phlegmatic bureaucracy of the Department of Health, or Yuri Davydov himself.
Jack stopped off in his office and hung his coat behind his office door. He noticed Chet's microscope was out
