'If I know my daughter, Gia will have her work cut out for her.' He stared at Jack. 'I suppose you have some running around to do tonight?'
Jack nodded. 'A lot.'
'And I suppose you want I should come over and babysit the two ladies while you're out of the apartment? Don't even ask,' he said, holding up a hand, 'I'll do it.'
'I owe you one, Abe,' Jack said.
'I'll add it to the list,' he replied with a deprecating wave of his hand.
'Do that.'
Back in the cab, Jack gave the driver the address of Abe's daughter's apartment.
'Take the Midtown Tunnel,' he said.
'The bridge is better for where you're going,' the cabby said.
'Take the tunnel,' Jack told him. 'And go through the park.'
'It's quicker around.'
'The park. Enter at Seventy-second and head downtown.'
The cabby shrugged. 'You're paying for it.'
They drove over to Central Park West, then turned into the park. Jack stayed twisted around in his seat the whole way, watching through the back window for any car or cab that followed them. He’d insisted on taking the route through the park because it was narrow and winding, curving through the trees and beneath the overpasses. Anyone tailing would want to stay close for fear of losing them.
No one following—Jack was sure of that by the time they reached Columbus Circle, but he kept his eyes fixed out the rear window until they reached the Queens Midtown Tunnel.
As they slid into that tiled fluorescent gullet, Jack faced front and allowed himself to unwind. The East River was above them, Manhattan was rapidly falling behind. Soon he'd have Gia and Vicky lost in the mammoth beehive of apartments called Queens. He was putting the whole island of Manhattan between Kusum and his intended victims. Kusum would never find them. With that worry behind him, Jack would be free to concentrate his efforts on finding a way to deal with the crazy Indian.
Right now, however, he had to mend his relationship with Vicky. She sat on the far side of her mother with her big plastic grape sitting in her lap. He began by leaning around Gia and making the kind of faces mothers always tell their children not to make because you never know when your face'll get stuck that way.
Vicky tried to ignore him but soon was laughing and crossing her eyes and making faces, too.
'Stop that, Vicky!' Gia said. 'Your face could get stuck that way!'
5
Vicky was glad Jack was acting like his old self. He’d frightened her this morning with his yelling and grabbing her orange and throwing it away. That had been mean. He’d never done anything like that before. It had frightened her, but worse, he’d hurt her feelings. She’d got over being scared right away, but her feelings had remained hurt until now. Jack was making her laugh. He just must have been grouchy this morning.
Vicky shifted her Ms. Jelliroll Carry Case on her lap. It had room in it for the doll and extra things like doll clothes.
Vicky had something extra in there now. Something special. She hadn't told Jack or Mommy that she’d found two oranges in the playhouse. Jack had thrown the first away. But the second was in her carry case, safely hidden beneath the doll clothes. She was saving that for later and not telling anybody. That was only right. It was her orange. She’d found it, and she wasn't going to let anybody throw it away.
6
Apartment 1203 was hot and stuffy. The stale smell of cigarette smoke had become one with the upholstery, rugs, and wallpaper. Gia spotted dust bunnies under the front room coffee table from the door.
So this was the hideout: Abe's daughter's place.
Gia had met Abe briefly once. He hadn't looked too neat—had little bits of food all over him, in fact. Like father, like daughter, apparently.
Jack went to the big air conditioner in the window. 'Could use some of this.'
'Just open the windows,' Gia told him. 'Let's get a change of air in here.'
Vicky was prancing around, swinging her strawberry carry case, delighted to be in a new place. Nonstop chatter:
'Are we staying here Mommy how long are we staying is this going to be my room can I sleep in this bed ooh look how high we are you can see the Umpire State Building over there and there's Chrysler's building it's my favorite 'cause it's pointy and silvery at the top...'
And on and on. Gia smiled at the memory of how hard she’d worked coaxing Vicky to say her first words, how she’d agonized over the completely unfounded notion that her daughter might never speak. Now she wondered if she would ever stop.
Once the windows on both sides of the apartment were open, the air began to flow through, removing the old trapped odors and bringing in new ones.
'Jack, I've got to clean this place up if I'm going to stay here. I hope no one minds.'
'No one'll mind,' he said. 'Just let me make a couple of calls and I’ll help you.'
Gia located the vacuum cleaner while he dialed, listened, then dialed again. Either it was busy or he got no answer, because he hung up without saying anything.
They spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning the apartment. Gia took pleasure in the simple tasks of scouring the sink, cleaning the counters, scrubbing the inside of the refrigerator, washing the kitchen floors,
