“Then let’s go move you out of that cottage right now,” Stone said.
“You want me to just disappear?”
“You have to.”
“What am I going to tell Gigi?”
“Not a thing. You can leave her a note saying you had to go to Connecticut; your grandfather has had a stroke. That might even buy us some time, since she knows that if he dies, she could inherit even more money.”
“We’re wasting time,” Dino said.
53
THE HOUSE WAS down a little lane a few blocks from the Marquesa, and it was tiny: two small bedrooms and a sitting room with an old TV.
“Don’t worry,” Tommy said to Evan, “you’ve got cable. And by the way, don’t use your cell phone.”
“I left it in the cottage, at Stone’s insistence. Gigi is supposed to think I forgot it.”
“Good idea. Got everything you need?”
“Oh, it’s great,” Evan said, tossing his suitcase on the bed in the larger of the two bedrooms. “I hope you don’t mind, I’m going to take a nap,” he said, then he closed the door. Stone, Dino and Tommy sat down in the living room.
“Tommy,” Dino said, “can you put a guard on him, or do we have to do it ourselves?”
“We’re not going to be here long,” Stone said, “and since nobody knows where he is, a guard won’t be necessary.”
“You know something we don’t know?” Dino asked.
“Look, our only shot is to get Manny White to agree to arrange a hit on somebody, then nail him, right?”
“Right,” Dino said.
“Well, you, Tommy and I are out; he knows us all, and he won’t trust any of us.”
“When you’re right, you’re right,” Dino said.
“So who are we going to get to do this?”
“I don’t think my boss would go for sending a Key West cop up there,” Tommy said, “so don’t count on any of my people.”
“Okay,” Stone replied. “How about a Miami cop?”
“The interdepartmental thing is complicated,” Tommy said, “and it could take a while to set it up.”
“And Miami would get the collar,” Dino pointed out.
“Oh, I don’t give a shit about that,” Tommy said.
“Who do we know who could pull this off that Manny doesn’t know?” Dino asked.
“I can think of one guy,” Stone said.
“Yeah, who?”
“Evan.”
“And why do you think Evan could pull this off?” Dino asked.
“He’s a very calm guy,” Stone said. “He doesn’t rattle easily.”
“I’ll give you that,” Dino replied.
“And he’s motivated,” Tommy pointed out.
“That too,” Dino said.
“Okay, let’s say he’ll do it,” Stone said. “Who’s the target? Who does he want killed and where?”
“Somebody in South Florida,” Tommy said, “not Key West.”
“Good,” Stone said. “Who and where?”
“You guys ever know Mike Levy, who was an investigator for the DA’s office?” Tommy asked.
“No,” Stone and Dino said simultaneously.
“He’s retired, lives on the inland waterway, somewhere between Stuart and Palm Beach. Is that too far north?”
“Is it near the interstate?”
“Yeah. It’s only a couple of hours’ drive from Miami, and being on the waterway, it could be approached by boat. That might appeal to the shooter.”
“Does Levy have any family?”
“His wife died last year; I went to the funeral. He’s got kids, but they’re both in the New York area.”
“So he’s all alone there?”
“Yeah, and Mike might find something like this entertaining.”
“Who do we get for backup?” Stone asked.
“The local sheriff might play,” Tommy said. “I worked on something with him a while back.”
“We’re going to need a lot of cash for bait,” Dino said.
“Evan can supply that,” Stone said.
“We’re going to have to get him some fake I.D.,” Dino said. “Manny’s going to be careful. He’ll search him for a wire, maybe even check him out.”
“Let me work on that,” Tommy said. “We’ve done that kind of thing for undercover drug buys.”
“There’s something else,” Stone said. “We need a connection to Manny White that can’t be traced back to us. Evan’s going to have to say that somebody sent him, somebody Manny would trust.”
“Wally Millard,” Dino said. “Wally’s sent him business before; Manny would trust him.”
“You think Wally would do it?” Stone asked.
“Let me talk to him about it,” Dino said.
“What else haven’t we covered?” Stone asked.
“I think that’s about it,” Stone said. “I’ll talk to Evan.”
“Talk to me about what?” Evan asked.
Stone turned to see him standing in the bedroom door, in his shorts, rubbing his eyes.
“Evan,” Stone said, “go back in the bedroom and use the phone to call your grandfather’s house. Tell his secretary that if anyone calls for you to say you’re on your way there, or if it’s tomorrow, that you’re in town, but not in. Tell her to confirm that your grandfather has had a stroke, if anybody questions that. Then put on some clothes and come sit down for a minute,” Stone said. Evan went back into the bedroom and closed the door.
“You think he’ll do it?” Dino asked.
“We’re about to find out,” Stone said.
Dino took out his cell phone. “I’m going to go call Wally,” he said, going out onto the screen porch.
Tommy stood up. “And I’m going to go call Mike Levy.”
Evan came back into the living room and sat down. “I made the call; the secretary and my grandfather are both on board.”
“Evan,” Stone said, “have you ever done any acting?”
“Yes, in high school and university theater. I played both leads and character parts.”
“Well,” Stone said, “we’ve got an important role for you.”
“Oh?”
“How much cash do you have on hand?”
“Do I have to pay to play?”
“Only temporarily.”
“I’ve got about sixty thousand in my briefcase. You may remember that I’ve given you forty thousand over the past week. Why don’t we use your money?”
“I’ve already wired it to New York,” Stone lied. “Unlike you, I don’t like to travel with a lot of cash.”
“To each his own,” Evan said. “I’ve always found cash on hand comforting.”
“It just makes me nervous.”
“What kind of role do you want me to play?”
“It’s the lead,” Stone replied.
54
MANNY WHITE OPENED his desk drawer and picked up the throwaway cell phone that was ringing. “Yeah?”
“You know who this is?” she asked.
“Sure,” he said. “I wish you every profi table happiness.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“So how’s the new life?”
“On hold,” she said. “The old, old man has had a stroke, and he’s flown north. You should pull our friend off. He’s very hot here, anyway.”
“Okay. Shall I send him north in pursuit?”
“No. I don’t know how long he’ll be there; he hasn’t called me yet.”
“Call him, then.”
“I can’t; he left in a hurry when I was out, and he forgot his phone.”
“Okay, I’ll pull our guy out.”
“Tell him to avoid the airport. They’ll be checking cars on the highway, too.”
“You’ve got a boat, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Take him up the road someplace, where he can rent a car.”
“They’ll be watching up there, too.”
“Then take him up to Key Largo. I’ll meet you the
re and drive him home.”
“I guess I could do that.”
He gave her the name of a marina. “You know it?”
“Yeah.”
“When will you be there?”
“I can leave first thing in the morning,” she said. “Tell him to call me on this number, and I’ll tell him how to find the boat.”
“Okay, I’ll call him now. We should be in Key Largo by late tomorrow afternoon. I’ll call you a couple of hours out and give you a better ETA. Hey, since you got some time off, you want to do a little work?”
She laughed. “Are you kidding? I’m never going to work again.”
He laughed, too. “Can’t blame you. Call me tomorrow.” He hung up.
She hung up, too, and she didn’t have to wait long for the call.
“Yes?”
“Hi, it’s Larry Lee,” he said.
“That’s the name these days, huh?”
“Always has been.”
“Manny told you what he wants to do?”
“Yeah, and it sounds good to me; I don’t like being holed up like this.”
“You know where the Key West Yacht Club is?”
“Yeah, I’ve driven past it.”
“There’s a thirty-two-foot motorboat with no name on the stern—an old one, mahogany and white—just inside the main gate. Meet me there at seven A.M. tomorrow morning, and ditch your car somewhere else first. If you get there before I do, let yourself onto the boat; the lock is broken on the cabin doors.”
“Okay, see you at seven.”
“Call me ten minutes before you get there, so I’ll know you’re on the way. I’ll call you if anything changes.” She hung up, happy for something to do with herself. She liked being on the water.
A FEW BLOCKS away, late that evening, Tommy sat down with Evan next to a phone. “Here’s what we’re going to do,” he said.
“I’ve made some arrangements with the phone company. You’re going to call your grandfather’s number in”—he looked at his watch—“two minutes. There’ll be a click, and then you’ll get a dial tone. Dial Gigi’s number. She’ll see the Connecticut number on her caller I.D. Don’t be too definite about when you’re coming back.”
“I get the picture,” Evan said. He waited until Tommy cued him, then he dialed the number, got the dial tone and dialed Gigi’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hi,” he said.
“There you are,” she replied. “Where are you?”
“I just got to Grandfather’s house,” he said. “I’m sorry to run out like that, but it was an emergency.”
“How is he?”
“Hanging on by a thread, apparently. I sat with him for a couple of minutes, but he’s in a coma. His doctor didn’t want to take him to the hospital, said there was no point. He has a living will and a do not-resuscitate order.”
“Maybe that’s best, then.”
“It’s what he wanted. How are you?”
“I’m okay. I think I’ll move back onto the boat tomorrow, though; I miss being on the water.”
“Good idea.”
“I may even cruise around some. You can reach me on my cell.”
“Another good idea.”
“Do you know how long you’ll be there?”
“No way to tell; it could end tonight or in a couple of days, according to what the doctor said. I’ll arrange a small, graveside service. Most of his friends are dead, so there’s no point in doing the whole church thing.”
“Come back to me soon,” she said. “I love you, and I miss you.”
“Same here, babe. You take care.”
“You too.” She hung up.
EVAN HUNG UP.
“Did she buy it?”
“Sure she did,” Evan replied. “She has no reason not to. Does this plan you and Stone and Dino are working on provide for putting her away?”
“Not directly, but if we get Manny in a tight enough squeeze, he’ll implicate her.”
“I hope so,” Evan said.
55
GIGI WAS ALREADY on the boat when her cell phone buzzed.
“Yes?”
“It’s Larry. I’m across the street—I’ve ditched the car.”
“Come ahead, then.”
“Okay.” He hung up.
She started the engines and checked the gauges. A moment later there was a knock on the hull, and Larry Lee stepped into the cockpit. “Good morning,” she said.
“Good morning. We ready to head out?”
“We’ve got to stop at Key West Bight for fuel, so you go below and stay there, until I call you up. I can handle the fueling.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to handle everything,” he said. “I know nothing about boats. I’ll try and do what you tell me, though.”
He threw his bags below and took a seat.
Gigi tossed the lines ashore and edged out of the berth and into the channel. In an hour they’d be on their way to Key Largo. Larry looked pretty good, she thought. She had fucked him a couple of times before; maybe she would again. It would make an interesting change from Evan.
EVAN SAT IN the living room with Stone, Dino and Tommy while they briefed him.
“Okay,” Dino said, “Wally Millard is on board; he’s the guy who’s recommending Manny to you. If it should come up in your conversation with Manny, Wally is medium height, stocky, gray hair. He’s ex-NYPD, now a P.I. A lawyer friend referred you to him; you had all your meetings with him at Elaine’s. Be vague about what kind of work he did for you.”
“Okay,” Evan said. “What’s Elaine’s?”
Dino looked at Evan as if he felt sorry for him. “It’s a very popular restaurant in New York, at Eighty-eighth and Second Avenue.”
“Got it.”
Tommy handed Evan a typed sheet of paper and a map. “My friend Mike Levy has agreed to be the target,” he said. “I want you to commit all this to memory, except the map, which you can show Manny. There are written directions to Mike’s house, both from I-95 and from the Intracoastal Waterway, but I want you to strongly suggest an approach from the water. Mike has a Boston Whaler at a little marina just south of there; it’s marked on the map. Tell Manny the shooter can use the boat, then leave the keys in the locker under the steering wheel.”
“Why do you want an approach from the water?” Evan asked.
“Because it’s easier to see the shooter coming. If he comes by land, he could leave his car anywhere and sneak through the woods. Mike’s making a dummy that he’ll put on the back porch, which overlooks the waterway. There’s a floating dock there with the initials M.L. on a sign. He can shoot from the boat or from the dock.”
Evan read the instructions over carefully. “All right. Why do I want Levy killed?”
“A business partnership gone wrong—there’s some insurance money. Don’t try and give too much detail; you don’t want a guy like Manny to have any more information than he actually needs to accomplish the hit. The more you tell him, the more he’ll ask.”
“Okay.”
Stone handed Evan an envelope. “Here’s your money back. We’ve wiped all the fingerprints off, and all the bills have been marked with a tiny dab of a fluid that won’t show except under ultraviolet light. Also, we’ve left the bands from South Beach Security in place; that will lend credibility. Offer him forty grand, and go as high as sixty if you have to. You’ll give him half the money up front and let him propose how you give him the second half. That’s probably when the state cops will bust him, so you have to call us and give us a location. Otherwise, they’ll have to put a tail on you.”
Tommy gave him a wallet. “You’ve got a driver’s license, a Social Security card and some miscellaneous I.D., all in the name of Howard Worth. It’s an identity we did for a drug cop; all we did was make a new license with your photo from my cell phone camera.”
Evan put the wallet in his pocket. “Do you want me to identify myself by that name?”
“No, that stuff is
just in case he searches you. Tell him your name is Joe, just Joe. All he should know about you is that name and the number for this phone.” Tommy handed him a phone. “Memorize the number. It’s a throwaway. Don’t call anybody but Manny from this phone.”
Stone handed him another phone. “Use this for general purposes, like calling us.”
“Am I going to have to wear a wire?” Evan asked.
“No,” Tommy said, handing him a well-used briefcase. “The briefcase is wired, so keep it within about eight feet of you and Manny. It’ll pick up everything and record it. It’s a solid-state recorder, very small, and it’s concealed under the lining of the case. We’ve put a few pens, paper clips and other junk in there, just to look like you use it every day, but there’s room for the money, too.”
“Got it,” Evan said.
“It’s okay if you’re a little nervous,” Stone said. “Anybody would be, under the circumstances. Try and stick to the script we’ve talked about, but you can improvise, if you think it will help. Just don’t talk too much; you might make mistakes.”
Stone described Manny’s office, so he would know what to expect. “Okay, you ready to make the call?”
Evan took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay.”
MANNY’S SECRETARY BUZZED him. “There’s a man who says he needs to talk to you, says it’s urgent.”
“What’s his name?”
“Joe, just Joe.”
Manny picked up the phone. “Manny White.”
“Mr. White, my name is Joe. I’d like to speak to you about a job, a very important job.”
“So speak,” Manny said.
“Not on the phone,” Evan said. “I can meet with you around midday today, if you’re available. In your office or wherever you choose.”
“Give me some sort of idea about what you want,” Manny said. “I may not do your kind of work.”
“Wally Millard, in New York, says you might be able to help.”
“Oh, okay, then. How about one o’clock, in my offi ce?”
“Then we’re good.”
“You have the address?”
“No.”
Manny gave it to him, then hung up and called Wally Millard.
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