'We have to call Sam. Do you object to my calling Sam?'
'Wouldn't matter if I did.'
'You got that right.'
It took a while to get Sam. They patched her through to his cell phone and it rang forever. Quickly she explained Michael's encounter with the lawyer in the restaurant and just as quickly Sam explained what he wanted.
'Sam's coming from LA to New York. He's going to that meeting.'
'What?' Michael's brain was moving but not fast enough. 'He can't.'
Grady just smiled.
'Okay. How?'
'To get in the door,' she said, and winked, 'he'll pretend to be you.'
Michael wasn't at all certain he would allow Sam to at tend the meeting in his stead. But at the moment he was more concerned about meeting Georges Raval.
'I'd like to go to Abercrombie and Fitch.' He tried to sound nonchalant, but he wasn't sure he had succeeded.
'Huh?'
'Abercrombie and Fitch. Haven't you heard of them?'
'Of course, they're a dude store.'
'You said I was a dude. So can't I go?'
'You're not that kind of dude.' She wrinkled her nose. 'All right. I'll get us some cabs.'
'I want to take the subway.'
'The subway?'
She called Yodo over from his corner and they huddled with one of the other guards. No doubt there would be a lot of talk about 'security' and the subway. They walked Irving Street to the 1 and 9 at Fourteenth Street and went down Manhattan to Wall Street. From there they walked the few blocks to the Seaport shopping area, where they found Abercrombie amp; Fitch. Michael did his best to peruse the merchandise, but he was much more interested in hearing Grady's stories about growing up in LA.
At 4:25 p.m. he glanced at his watch.
'I've seen enough,' he said. 'Let's go.'
'Let's take a cab.'
'I like the subway. We take the 1 and 9 to Christopher, and it's only a short cab ride or a good walk.'
'Since when did you become an expert on the subway?'
'Since I got a map. There is a saying, 'Em Roma, se romano.' '
'What's that mean?'
' 'When in Rome I am Roman.' '
'Michael, you are up to something here and you're terrible at hiding it.'
'Huh?' It was another pitiful attempt to cover up.
'You've been, like, glancing at your watch every five minutes.'
'I'll explain in a few minutes.'
'Why a few minutes?'
'You'll have to wait for an explanation. You can come or stay.'
'Unless this is a birthday surprise-and it's not my birthday-you're out of your depth with this shit. You gonna tell me?'
Michael just kept walking, setting his mouth in a grim line.
And, damn it, she followed.
They boarded the subway for the ride back up the West side of Manhattan. Once again he got her talking about her life in LA, until they exited at the Christopher Street station. It was 4:45 P.M., too early for Georges Raval. Michael couldn't help looking around the entrance to the south bound anyway.
'Now what?' she asked.
'We go into Starbucks for coffee.'
'Who are you looking for? Your eyeballs might as well be on gimbals.'
They walked past the newsstand, crossed the street from the little concrete island that was the entrance to the Christopher Street station, and walked into Starbucks.
'I'll clear all this up shortly.'
'Now would be a good time,' Grady said.
'What's a macchiato?'
'Italian for stained as with caramel in the coffee. You're not going to distract me.'
Two of the bodyguards remained outside. Yodo and two others spread out around the place and each took a turn going to the counter and ordering. Grady and Michael were first in line and each ordered a soy latte with almond syrup.
They sat at a small table which was a little low for his height.
She unzipped her coat and got comfortable, but he kept his eyes on the subway staircase and the newsstand not one hundred feet away where he expected to see a man in a coat with a carnation.
'In a few minutes I'm going to meet a man. We will fol low him; then I will go alone into an apartment building. If it doesn't look good, we go to the Lutheran church.'
'You know this man?'
'Not exactly.'
'No way can you go by yourself into a building.'
'Get used to it.'
'No. I won't get used to it. How about a compromise? How about we stand back so you can talk in private.'
'We need real privacy. You must wait outside the build ing'
'It's too risky.'
At that moment Michael saw a man in a dark coat crossing the street to the Christopher Street station. In the press of bodies he couldn't see the lapel. Slowly he rose, intent on the man and his coat. Then he saw the white carnation. The man was blond with longish hair and a beard. He walked easily- younger than he expected. And big. Could it be the right man? Then the man stopped right beside the newsstand near the subway stairs, just as he had said. It had to be him. Michael rose, went to the door of Starbucks, brushed his fin gers through his hair, and put on his gloves. With a quick swipe of the hand, the carnation was gone.
Quickly the man began walking down Christopher. Michael followed and immediately Grady was on his arm, the whole entourage following.
As they walked down the darkened sidewalk amongst New Yorkers and tourists, the cabs were jamming the streets and crowds were going home. The air was cold and the psychic intensity of rush hour was running high.
'Can you see him?' she said to Michael.
'Sometimes.'
They were passing the Lutheran church.
'You'll need to stop in a minute while I keep going a little way ahead of you. I need some space.'
'No way.'
The tension in him began to mount. For reasons he couldn't fathom he felt danger.
'What's happening, Michael?'
'Ahead. The man in the dark coat will soon cross the street and go into an apartment building. I will need to go alone inside.'
'You're out of your mind.'
'Then let me be out of my mind. This is important.'
'Let's talk about it first,' she said, stalling for time.
They were walking slowly now past a commercial build ing. She thought she saw someone step out from between two buildings ahead and then step back. Quickly she looked behind to Yodo and the other two guards and then to the one in front. Immediately behind them and in front of Yodo walked two men in heavy overcoats that
