hold on the accounts.” Engel frowned. “No one pushes millions of dollars across a counter that easily. That’s not how it works. She can only transfer the money by presenting herself at the bank, and after we freeze the accounts, the funds won’t be available to her.”
“If she shows up there, what will she be told?”
“That the accounts are frozen.”
“Alice will go down there, anyway. She’ll try to find a way to withdraw the money.”
Officer Stern said, “No, she won’t, Bennie. We’ll pick her up tonight. She won’t get on that plane.”
Engel gestured. “There you have it, Bennie. Your ultimate solution is with the authorities. That’s what Legal tells me, too.”
Bennie thought something felt wrong. Her brain stalled, and she wondered if it was the pill working, or if she needed another. She looked at the cops, from one to the other. “What if you don’t stop her?”
“We will.” Officer Stern was confident. “We’ll leave right now. She won’t get past us. She can’t.”
“Then let’s go,” Bennie said, on fire.
Chapter Ninety-nine
Alice handed the cabbie back his phone and perched on the edge of her seat. The car wasn’t going any faster than a crawl, and it was making her crazy. She had to get to the airport. “Can’t you go any faster?” she asked, again. “I told you, rock this crate!”
“Rain’s terrible. Can’t see a damn thing. Doin’ my best.”
“Do better.”
The cab lurched forward, and Alice thought ahead, taking a mental inventory. She had an ID, passport, and money, but she was pretty sure her gun hadn’t survived the swim.
“I need to buy a gun,” she said.
“There’s a gun shop, but it’s not on the way.”
“No good. You know anybody who could meet us on the way with one? There’s a hundred bucks in it for you.”
“Lady, you can’t take a gun on the plane, anyways.”
“Let me worry about that. You know anybody or not?”
“Matter o’ fact, I do.” The cabbie looked in the rearview. “I got one.”
“Of course you do!” Alice almost cheered. “Let me see it.”
The cabbie seemed to stall, his eyes on the road.
“I’m not gonna shoot you, grandpa.”
The cabbie reached under the seat, straightened up, and passed her a revolver, its dull muzzle glinting in the darkness.
She pushed out the chamber and gave it a slow whirl. Six round gold circles smiled back at her. “I’ll give you two hundred bucks.”
“S’worth three.”
“Okay.”
“You expensin’ it?” the cabbie asked, chuckling.
“You’re a funny guy, you know that?”
“Tell my wife, would ya?”
The bright lights of the airport lay ahead, in the distance. “We almost there?”
“Sure enough.”
Alice smiled. Home, free.
Chapter One Hundred
Mary’s emotions came rushing back at the sight of Anthony. His eyes were troubled and his expression dark with concern.
“ANT, HOW YOU DOIN’?” Her father gave him a bear hug, and her mother waddled after, clucking.
“Ant’n’y, what’s a matta, you no love my
“Ma!” Mary’s head exploded. “Please!”
“It’s… not like that, Mrs. DiNunzio,” Anthony stammered, and Judy waved from the bed with a weak grin.
“Yoo hoo! I’m over here and I’m fine, thanks.”
“Hiya.” Anthony walked to the bedside. “So you’re alive. Way to go.”
“I know, right?” Judy smiled. “Nice of you to come.”
“It’s all over the news, did you see?” Anthony gestured at the TV in the corner, but it was off. “Anyway, how are you?”
“I’ve been better.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Not yet.”
“They said you were shot. When do you get out of the hospital?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Not really. The troops are here, and Frank’s on the way.”
“Great.” Anthony shifted his feet, plainly uncomfortable. “Well, I guess I’d better go. On the news they said you were critical.”
“I am,” Judy said, and everybody laughed except for Mary’s mother, who couldn’t follow the conversation.
“Okay, well, see you all.” Anthony gave Judy a peck on the cheek, then turned awkwardly away. He went to the doorway and paused on the threshold. “Judy, hope you feel better soon.”
“I will, thanks.”
“Good-bye.” Anthony left, closing the door behind him. Everybody fell quiet a minute, and all the heads turned to Mary.
“They got a cardiac unit here?” she asked.
Chapter One Hundred and One
Bennie leaned forward in the backseat of the cruiser, where she was sitting with Grady, her purse in her lap. A long line of red taillights snaked ahead of them, and they were barely moving. “Can’t we go any faster?” she asked, through the metal grate.
“No. It’s the traffic and the weather.”
“Can’t we use the siren?”
“It’s not procedure. The plane isn’t going anywhere, and we don’t want to tip her off, either.”
“You got all the flights covered, right?”
“Yes. We know what we’re doing. Sit back and relax.”
Bennie tried to stay calm, and the traffic finally loosened. The cruiser broke free, accelerating as a minivan and an SUV cleared out of the fast lane.
Grady patted her arm. “We’re almost there. You feeling okay?”
“Fine.”
“How’s that hand? It looks kind of raw.”
“It’s fine.” Bennie boosted herself up in the seat. Just ahead, the bright lights of the airport cut through the
