Chromosome 6 (32 page)
Authors: Robin Cook
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Mystery & Detective, #Suspense, #Thrillers, #Suspense Fiction, #Fiction - Espionage, #Thriller, #Detective and mystery stories, #Espionage, #Onbekend, #Medical, #Medical novels, #New York (N.Y.), #Forensic pathologists, #Equatorial Guinea, #Forensic pathologists - Fiction, #Robin - Prose & Criticism, #Equatorial Guinea - Fiction, #Cook, #New York (N.Y.) - Fiction
connected him to a clerk, who couldn't have been nicer or more cooperative. Her name was Brenda
Whitehall.
Lou explained that he was interested to find out all he could about Alpha Aviation out of Reno, Nevada. "Just a moment, please," Brenda said. Lou could hear the woman typing the name onto a keyboard. "Okay, here it is," she added. "Hang on and let me pull the folder." Lou lifted his feet up onto his desk and leaned back in his chair. He felt an almost irresistible urge to light up, but he fought it.
"I'm back," Brenda said. Lou could hear the rustle of papers. "Now what is it that you want to know?" "What do you have?" Lou asked.
"I have the Articles of Incorporation," Brenda said. There was a short period of silence while she read, then she added: "It's a limited partnership and the general partner is Alpha Management." "What does that mean in plain English?" Lou asked. "I'm not a lawyer or a businessman." "It simply means that Alpha Management is the corporation that runs the limited partnership," Brenda said patiently.
"Does it have any people's names?" Lou asked. "Of course," Brenda said. "The Articles of Incorporation have to have the names and addresses of the directors, the registered agent for service of process, and the officers of the corporation." "That sounds encouraging," Lou said. "Could you give them to me?" Lou could hear the sound of rustling papers. "Hmmmm," Brenda commented. "Actually, in this instance there's only one name and address." "One person is wearing all those hats?" "According to this document," Brenda said. "What's the name and address?" Lou asked. He reached for a piece of paper. "It's Samuel Hartman of the firm, Wheeler, Hartman, Gottlieb, and Sawyer. Their address is Eight Rodeo Drive, Reno."
"That sounds like a law firm," Lou said. "It is," Brenda said. "I recognize the name." "That's no help!" Lou said. He knew that the chances of getting any information out of a law firm were unlikely.
"A lot of Nevada corporations are set up like this," Brenda explained. "But let's see if there are any
Whitehall.
Lou explained that he was interested to find out all he could about Alpha Aviation out of Reno, Nevada. "Just a moment, please," Brenda said. Lou could hear the woman typing the name onto a keyboard. "Okay, here it is," she added. "Hang on and let me pull the folder." Lou lifted his feet up onto his desk and leaned back in his chair. He felt an almost irresistible urge to light up, but he fought it.
"I'm back," Brenda said. Lou could hear the rustle of papers. "Now what is it that you want to know?" "What do you have?" Lou asked.
"I have the Articles of Incorporation," Brenda said. There was a short period of silence while she read, then she added: "It's a limited partnership and the general partner is Alpha Management." "What does that mean in plain English?" Lou asked. "I'm not a lawyer or a businessman." "It simply means that Alpha Management is the corporation that runs the limited partnership," Brenda said patiently.
"Does it have any people's names?" Lou asked. "Of course," Brenda said. "The Articles of Incorporation have to have the names and addresses of the directors, the registered agent for service of process, and the officers of the corporation." "That sounds encouraging," Lou said. "Could you give them to me?" Lou could hear the sound of rustling papers. "Hmmmm," Brenda commented. "Actually, in this instance there's only one name and address." "One person is wearing all those hats?" "According to this document," Brenda said. "What's the name and address?" Lou asked. He reached for a piece of paper. "It's Samuel Hartman of the firm, Wheeler, Hartman, Gottlieb, and Sawyer. Their address is Eight Rodeo Drive, Reno."
"That sounds like a law firm," Lou said. "It is," Brenda said. "I recognize the name." "That's no help!" Lou said. He knew that the chances of getting any information out of a law firm were unlikely.
"A lot of Nevada corporations are set up like this," Brenda explained. "But let's see if there are any
amendments."
Lou was already thinking of calling Paul back to get the rundown on Samuel Hartman, when Brenda made a murmur of discovery.
"There are amendments," she said. "At the first board meeting of Alpha Management, Mr. Hartman resigned as president and secretary. In his place Frederick Rouse was appointed." "Is there an address for Mr. Rouse?" Lou asked. "There is," Brenda said. "His title is Chief Financial Officer of the GenSys Corporation. The address is 150 Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts." Lou got all the information written down and thanked Brenda. He was particularly appreciative because he couldn't imagine getting the same service from his own Secretary of State's Office in Albany. Lou was about to call Jack to give him the information about the ownership of the plane, when the phone literally rang under his hand. It was Mark Servert calling back already. "You are in luck," Mark said. "The fellow I'm acquainted with who knows people in the Central Flow Management organization in Europe happened to be on the job when I called him. In fact, he's in your neck of the woods. He's out at Kennedy Airport, helping direct air traffic across the north Atlantic. He talks to these Central Flow Management people all the time, so he slipped in a query about N69SU on January twenty-ninth. Apparently, it popped right up on the screen. N69SU flew into Lyon from Bata, Equatorial Guinea."
"Whoa!" Lou said. "Where's that?"
"Beats me," Mark said. "Without looking at a map, I'd guess West Africa." "Curious." Lou said.
"It's also curious that as soon as the plane touched down in Lyon, France, it radioed to obtain a slot time to depart for Teterboro, New Jersey," Mark said. "Near as I can figure, it just sat on the runway until it got clearance."
"Maybe it refueled," Lou offered.
"Could be," Mark said. "Even so, I would have expected them to have filed a through-flight plan with a stop in Lyon, rather than two separate flight plans. I mean, they could have gotten hung up in Lyon for hours. It was taking a chance."
"Maybe they just changed their minds," Lou said. "It's possible," Mark agreed.
"Or maybe they didn't want anyone knowing they were coming from Equatorial Guinea," Lou suggested. "Now, that's an idea that wouldn't have crossed my mind," Mark admitted. "I suppose that's why you're an engaging detective, and I'm a boring FAA bureaucrat."
Lou was already thinking of calling Paul back to get the rundown on Samuel Hartman, when Brenda made a murmur of discovery.
"There are amendments," she said. "At the first board meeting of Alpha Management, Mr. Hartman resigned as president and secretary. In his place Frederick Rouse was appointed." "Is there an address for Mr. Rouse?" Lou asked. "There is," Brenda said. "His title is Chief Financial Officer of the GenSys Corporation. The address is 150 Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts." Lou got all the information written down and thanked Brenda. He was particularly appreciative because he couldn't imagine getting the same service from his own Secretary of State's Office in Albany. Lou was about to call Jack to give him the information about the ownership of the plane, when the phone literally rang under his hand. It was Mark Servert calling back already. "You are in luck," Mark said. "The fellow I'm acquainted with who knows people in the Central Flow Management organization in Europe happened to be on the job when I called him. In fact, he's in your neck of the woods. He's out at Kennedy Airport, helping direct air traffic across the north Atlantic. He talks to these Central Flow Management people all the time, so he slipped in a query about N69SU on January twenty-ninth. Apparently, it popped right up on the screen. N69SU flew into Lyon from Bata, Equatorial Guinea."
"Whoa!" Lou said. "Where's that?"
"Beats me," Mark said. "Without looking at a map, I'd guess West Africa." "Curious." Lou said.
"It's also curious that as soon as the plane touched down in Lyon, France, it radioed to obtain a slot time to depart for Teterboro, New Jersey," Mark said. "Near as I can figure, it just sat on the runway until it got clearance."
"Maybe it refueled," Lou offered.
"Could be," Mark said. "Even so, I would have expected them to have filed a through-flight plan with a stop in Lyon, rather than two separate flight plans. I mean, they could have gotten hung up in Lyon for hours. It was taking a chance."
"Maybe they just changed their minds," Lou said. "It's possible," Mark agreed.
"Or maybe they didn't want anyone knowing they were coming from Equatorial Guinea," Lou suggested. "Now, that's an idea that wouldn't have crossed my mind," Mark admitted. "I suppose that's why you're an engaging detective, and I'm a boring FAA bureaucrat."
Lou laughed. "Engaging I'm not. On the contrary, I'm afraid this job has made me cynical and
suspicious."
"It's better than being boring," Mark said. Lou thanked his friend for his help, and after they exchanged the usual well-meaning promises to get together, they hung up.
For a few minutes, Lou sat and marveled at why a twenty-million-dollar airplane was carrying a midlevel crime boss from Queens, New York, from some African country Lou had never heard of. Such a third-world backwater certainly wasn't a medical mecca where a person would go to have sophisticated surgery like a liver transplant.
After entering Frank Gleason's accession number into the computer, Laurie sat pondering the apparent discrepancy for some time. She'd tried to imagine what the information meant in terms of the Franconi body disappearance. Slowly, an idea took root. Suddenly pushing back from her desk, Laurie headed to the morgue level to look for Marvin. He wasn't in the mortuary office. She found him by stepping into the walk-in cooler. He was busy moving the gurneys around to prepare for body pickups. The moment Laurie entered the cooler, she flashed on the horrid experience she'd had during the Cerino affair inside the walk-in unit. The memory made her distinctly uncomfortable, and she decided against attempting to have a conversation with Marvin while inside. Instead, she asked him to meet her back in the mortuary office when he was finished. Five minutes later, Marvin appeared. He plopped a sheaf of papers on the desk and then went to a sink in the corner to wash his hands.
"Everything in order?" Laurie asked, just to make conversation. "I think so," Marvin said. He came to the desk and sat down. He began arranging the documents in the order that the bodies were to be picked up. "After talking with you earlier, I learned something quite surprising," Laurie said, getting to the point of her visit.
"Like what?" Marvin said. He finished arranging the papers and sat back. "I entered Frank Gleason's accession number into the computer," Laurie said. "And I found out that his body had come into the morgue over two weeks ago. There was no name associated with it. It was an unidentified corpse!"
"No shit!" Marvin exclaimed. Then realizing what he'd said, he added: "I mean, I'm surprised." "So was I," Laurie said. "I tried to call Dr. Besserman, who'd done the original autopsy. I wanted to ask if the body had been recently identified as Frank Gleason, but he's out of the office. Do you think it was surprising that Mike Passano didn't know the body was still labeled in the computer as an unidentified corpse?"
"Not really," Marvin said. "I'm not sure I would have, either. I mean, you enter the accession number just
suspicious."
"It's better than being boring," Mark said. Lou thanked his friend for his help, and after they exchanged the usual well-meaning promises to get together, they hung up.
For a few minutes, Lou sat and marveled at why a twenty-million-dollar airplane was carrying a midlevel crime boss from Queens, New York, from some African country Lou had never heard of. Such a third-world backwater certainly wasn't a medical mecca where a person would go to have sophisticated surgery like a liver transplant.
After entering Frank Gleason's accession number into the computer, Laurie sat pondering the apparent discrepancy for some time. She'd tried to imagine what the information meant in terms of the Franconi body disappearance. Slowly, an idea took root. Suddenly pushing back from her desk, Laurie headed to the morgue level to look for Marvin. He wasn't in the mortuary office. She found him by stepping into the walk-in cooler. He was busy moving the gurneys around to prepare for body pickups. The moment Laurie entered the cooler, she flashed on the horrid experience she'd had during the Cerino affair inside the walk-in unit. The memory made her distinctly uncomfortable, and she decided against attempting to have a conversation with Marvin while inside. Instead, she asked him to meet her back in the mortuary office when he was finished. Five minutes later, Marvin appeared. He plopped a sheaf of papers on the desk and then went to a sink in the corner to wash his hands.
"Everything in order?" Laurie asked, just to make conversation. "I think so," Marvin said. He came to the desk and sat down. He began arranging the documents in the order that the bodies were to be picked up. "After talking with you earlier, I learned something quite surprising," Laurie said, getting to the point of her visit.
"Like what?" Marvin said. He finished arranging the papers and sat back. "I entered Frank Gleason's accession number into the computer," Laurie said. "And I found out that his body had come into the morgue over two weeks ago. There was no name associated with it. It was an unidentified corpse!"
"No shit!" Marvin exclaimed. Then realizing what he'd said, he added: "I mean, I'm surprised." "So was I," Laurie said. "I tried to call Dr. Besserman, who'd done the original autopsy. I wanted to ask if the body had been recently identified as Frank Gleason, but he's out of the office. Do you think it was surprising that Mike Passano didn't know the body was still labeled in the computer as an unidentified corpse?"
"Not really," Marvin said. "I'm not sure I would have, either. I mean, you enter the accession number just
to find out if the body is released. You don't really worry too much about the name."
"That was the impression you gave me earlier," Laurie said. "There was also something else you said that I've been mulling over. You said that sometimes you don't get the body yourself but rather one of the funeral home people does."
"Sometimes," Marvin said. "But it only happens if two people come and if they've been here lots of times so they know the process. It's just a way of speeding things up. One of them goes to the cooler to get the body while me and the other guy finish the documents." "How well do you know Mike Passano?" Laurie asked. "As well as I know most of the other techs," Marvin said. "You and I have known each other for six years," Laurie said. "I think of us as friends." "Yeah, I suppose," Marvin said warily.
"I'd like you to do something for me as a friend," Laurie said. "But only if it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable."
"Like what?" Marvin said.
"I'd like you to call Mike Passano and tell him that I found out that one of the bodies that he sent out the night Franconi disappeared was an unidentified corpse." "That's strange, man!" Marvin said. "Why would I be calling him rather than just waiting for him to come on duty?"
"You can act like you just heard it, which is the case," Laurie said. "And you can say that you thought he should know right away since he was on duty that night." "I don't know, man," Marvin said unconvinced. "The key thing is that coming from you, it won't be confrontational," Laurie said. "If I call, he'll think I'm accusing him, and I'm interested to hear his reaction without his feeling defensive. But more important, I'd like you to ask him if there were two people from Spoletto Funeral Home that night, and if there were two, whether he can remember who actually went to get the body." "That's like setting him up, man," Marvin complained. "I don't see it that way," Laurie said. "If anything, it gives him a chance to clear himself. You see, I think the Spoletto people took Franconi."
"I don't feel comfortable calling him," Marvin said. "He's going to know something is up. Why don't you call him yourself, you know what I'm saying?" "I already told you, I think he'll be too defensive," Laurie said. "Last time he was defensive when I asked him purely vague questions. But okay, if you feel uncomfortable, I don't want you to do it. Instead, I want you to go on a little hunt with me."
"That was the impression you gave me earlier," Laurie said. "There was also something else you said that I've been mulling over. You said that sometimes you don't get the body yourself but rather one of the funeral home people does."
"Sometimes," Marvin said. "But it only happens if two people come and if they've been here lots of times so they know the process. It's just a way of speeding things up. One of them goes to the cooler to get the body while me and the other guy finish the documents." "How well do you know Mike Passano?" Laurie asked. "As well as I know most of the other techs," Marvin said. "You and I have known each other for six years," Laurie said. "I think of us as friends." "Yeah, I suppose," Marvin said warily.
"I'd like you to do something for me as a friend," Laurie said. "But only if it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable."
"Like what?" Marvin said.
"I'd like you to call Mike Passano and tell him that I found out that one of the bodies that he sent out the night Franconi disappeared was an unidentified corpse." "That's strange, man!" Marvin said. "Why would I be calling him rather than just waiting for him to come on duty?"
"You can act like you just heard it, which is the case," Laurie said. "And you can say that you thought he should know right away since he was on duty that night." "I don't know, man," Marvin said unconvinced. "The key thing is that coming from you, it won't be confrontational," Laurie said. "If I call, he'll think I'm accusing him, and I'm interested to hear his reaction without his feeling defensive. But more important, I'd like you to ask him if there were two people from Spoletto Funeral Home that night, and if there were two, whether he can remember who actually went to get the body." "That's like setting him up, man," Marvin complained. "I don't see it that way," Laurie said. "If anything, it gives him a chance to clear himself. You see, I think the Spoletto people took Franconi."
"I don't feel comfortable calling him," Marvin said. "He's going to know something is up. Why don't you call him yourself, you know what I'm saying?" "I already told you, I think he'll be too defensive," Laurie said. "Last time he was defensive when I asked him purely vague questions. But okay, if you feel uncomfortable, I don't want you to do it. Instead, I want you to go on a little hunt with me."
"Now what?" Marvin asked. His patience was wearing thin.
"Can you produce a list of all the refrigerator compartments that are occupied at the moment?" Laurie asked.
"Sure, that's easy," Marvin said.
"Please," Laurie said, while gesturing towards Marvin's computer terminal. "While you're at it, make two copies."
Marvin shrugged and sat down. Using a relatively rapid hunt-and-peck style, he directed the computer to produce the list Laurie wanted. He handed the two sheets to her the moment they came out of the printer.
"Excellent," Laurie said, glancing at the sheets. "Come on!" As she left the mortuary office, she waved over her shoulder. Marvin followed at her heels. They walked down the stained cement corridor to the giant island that dominated the morgue. On opposite sides were the banks of refrigerated compartments used to store the bodies before autopsy. Laurie handed one of the lists to Marvin. "I want to search every compartment that is not occupied," Laurie said. "You take this side and I'll take the other."
Marvin rolled his eyes but took the list. He started opening the compartments, peering inside, then slamming the doors. Laurie went around to the other side of the island and did the same. "Uh-oh!" Marvin intoned after five minutes. Laurie paused. "What is it?"
"You'd better come over here," Marvin said. Laurie walked around the island. Marvin was standing at the far end of the island, scratching his head while staring at his list. In front of him was an open refrigerated compartment. "This one is supposed to be empty," Marvin said. Laurie glanced within and felt her pulse race. Inside, was a naked male corpse with no tag on its big toe. The number of the compartment was ninety-four. It wasn't too far away from number one eleven, where Franconi was supposed to have been.
Marvin slid out the tray. It rattled on its ball bearings in the stillness of the deserted morgue. The body was a middle-aged male with signs of extensive trauma to the legs and torso. "Well, this explains it," Laurie said. Her voice reflected an improbable mixture of triumph, anger, and fear. "It's the unidentified corpse. He'd been a hit-and-run accident on the FDR Drive." Jack stepped off the elevator and could hear a phone ringing insistently. As he proceeded down the hall he became progressively aware it had to be his phone, especially since his office was the only one with an
"Can you produce a list of all the refrigerator compartments that are occupied at the moment?" Laurie asked.
"Sure, that's easy," Marvin said.
"Please," Laurie said, while gesturing towards Marvin's computer terminal. "While you're at it, make two copies."
Marvin shrugged and sat down. Using a relatively rapid hunt-and-peck style, he directed the computer to produce the list Laurie wanted. He handed the two sheets to her the moment they came out of the printer.
"Excellent," Laurie said, glancing at the sheets. "Come on!" As she left the mortuary office, she waved over her shoulder. Marvin followed at her heels. They walked down the stained cement corridor to the giant island that dominated the morgue. On opposite sides were the banks of refrigerated compartments used to store the bodies before autopsy. Laurie handed one of the lists to Marvin. "I want to search every compartment that is not occupied," Laurie said. "You take this side and I'll take the other."
Marvin rolled his eyes but took the list. He started opening the compartments, peering inside, then slamming the doors. Laurie went around to the other side of the island and did the same. "Uh-oh!" Marvin intoned after five minutes. Laurie paused. "What is it?"
"You'd better come over here," Marvin said. Laurie walked around the island. Marvin was standing at the far end of the island, scratching his head while staring at his list. In front of him was an open refrigerated compartment. "This one is supposed to be empty," Marvin said. Laurie glanced within and felt her pulse race. Inside, was a naked male corpse with no tag on its big toe. The number of the compartment was ninety-four. It wasn't too far away from number one eleven, where Franconi was supposed to have been.
Marvin slid out the tray. It rattled on its ball bearings in the stillness of the deserted morgue. The body was a middle-aged male with signs of extensive trauma to the legs and torso. "Well, this explains it," Laurie said. Her voice reflected an improbable mixture of triumph, anger, and fear. "It's the unidentified corpse. He'd been a hit-and-run accident on the FDR Drive." Jack stepped off the elevator and could hear a phone ringing insistently. As he proceeded down the hall he became progressively aware it had to be his phone, especially since his office was the only one with an
open door.
Jack picked up speed and then almost missed his door as he slid on the vinyl flooring. He snapped the phone off the hook just in time. It was Lou. "Where the hell have you been?" Lou complained. "I got stuck over at the University Hospital," Jack said. After Jack had last talked with Lou, Dr. Malovar had appeared and had him look at some forensic slides for him. So soon on the heels of his consulting Malovar, Jack didn't feel he could refuse. "I've been calling every fifteen minutes," Lou remarked. "Sorry," Jack said.
"I've got some surprising information that I've been dying to give you," Lou said. "This is one weird case."
"That's not telling me anything I didn't already know," Jack said. "What did you learn?" Movement out of the corner of Jack's eye attracted his attention. Turning his head, he saw Laurie standing in the doorway. She did not look normal. Her eyes were blazing, her mouth was set in an angry grimace, and her skin was the color of ivory. "Wait a sec!" Jack said, interrupting Lou. "Laurie, what the hell is the matter?" "I have to talk with you," Laurie sputtered. "Sure," Jack said. "But could it wait for two minutes?" He pointed at the phone to indicate that he was talking with someone.
"Now!" Laurie barked.
"Okay, okay," Jack repeated. It was clear to him she was as tense as a piano wire about to snap. "Listen, Lou," Jack said into the phone. "Laurie just came in, and she's upset. Let me call you right back."
"Hold on!" Laurie snapped. "Is that Lou Soldano you're talking with?" "Yeah," Jack said hesitantly. For an irrational instant, he thought that Laurie was overwrought because he was talking with Lou.
"Where is he?" Laurie demanded.
Jack shrugged. "I guess he's in his office." "Ask him," Laurie snapped.
Jack posed the question, and Lou answered in the affirmative. Jack nodded to Laurie. "He's there," he said.
Jack picked up speed and then almost missed his door as he slid on the vinyl flooring. He snapped the phone off the hook just in time. It was Lou. "Where the hell have you been?" Lou complained. "I got stuck over at the University Hospital," Jack said. After Jack had last talked with Lou, Dr. Malovar had appeared and had him look at some forensic slides for him. So soon on the heels of his consulting Malovar, Jack didn't feel he could refuse. "I've been calling every fifteen minutes," Lou remarked. "Sorry," Jack said.
"I've got some surprising information that I've been dying to give you," Lou said. "This is one weird case."
"That's not telling me anything I didn't already know," Jack said. "What did you learn?" Movement out of the corner of Jack's eye attracted his attention. Turning his head, he saw Laurie standing in the doorway. She did not look normal. Her eyes were blazing, her mouth was set in an angry grimace, and her skin was the color of ivory. "Wait a sec!" Jack said, interrupting Lou. "Laurie, what the hell is the matter?" "I have to talk with you," Laurie sputtered. "Sure," Jack said. "But could it wait for two minutes?" He pointed at the phone to indicate that he was talking with someone.
"Now!" Laurie barked.
"Okay, okay," Jack repeated. It was clear to him she was as tense as a piano wire about to snap. "Listen, Lou," Jack said into the phone. "Laurie just came in, and she's upset. Let me call you right back."
"Hold on!" Laurie snapped. "Is that Lou Soldano you're talking with?" "Yeah," Jack said hesitantly. For an irrational instant, he thought that Laurie was overwrought because he was talking with Lou.
"Where is he?" Laurie demanded.
Jack shrugged. "I guess he's in his office." "Ask him," Laurie snapped.
Jack posed the question, and Lou answered in the affirmative. Jack nodded to Laurie. "He's there," he said.
"Tell him we're coming down to see him," Laurie said.
Jack hesitated. He was confused.
"Tell him!" Laurie repeated. "Tell him we're leaving right away." "Did you hear that?" Jack asked Lou. Laurie then disappeared down the corridor toward her office. "I did," Lou said. "What's going on?"
"Damned if I know," Jack said. "She just barreled in. Unless I call you right back, we'll be there." "Fine," Lou said. "I'll wait."
Jack hung up the phone and rushed out into the hall. Laurie was already on her way back and was struggling into her coat. She eyed him as she brushed past on her way to the elevators. Jack hustled to catch up with her.
"What's happened?" Jack asked hesitantly. He was afraid to upset her any more than she already was. "I'm about ninety-nine percent sure how Franconi's body was taken from here," Laurie said angrily. "And two things are becoming clear. First, the Spoletto Funeral Home was involved and second, the abduction was surely abetted by someone who works here. And to tell you the truth, I'm not sure which of these two things bothers me more."
"Jeez, look at that traffic," Franco Ponti said to Angelo Facciolo. "I'm sure as hell glad we're going into Manhattan instead of going out."
Franco and Angelo were in Franco's black Cadillac, heading west on the Queensborough Bridge. It was five-thirty, the height of rush hour. Both men were dressed as if they were going to a ritzy dinner. "What order do you want to do this in?" Franco asked. Angelo shrugged. "Maybe the girl first," he said. His face twisted into a slight smile. "You're looking forward to this, aren't you?" Franco commented. Angelo raised his eyebrows as much as his facial scar tissue would allow. "Five years I've been dreaming about seeing this broad professionally," he said. "I guess I never thought I would get my chance." "I know I don't have to remind you that we follow orders," Franco said. "To the letter." "Cerino was never so specific," Angelo said. "He'd just tell us to do a job. He didn't tell us how to do it." "That's why Cerino is in jail and Vinnie is running the show," Franco said. "I'll tell you what," Angelo said. "Why don't we do a drive by Jack Stapleton's place. I've already been inside Laurie Montgomery's apartment, so I know what we're getting ourselves into. But I'm a little surprised by this other address. West One Hundred-sixth Street isn't where I'd expect a doctor to be living."
Jack hesitated. He was confused.
"Tell him!" Laurie repeated. "Tell him we're leaving right away." "Did you hear that?" Jack asked Lou. Laurie then disappeared down the corridor toward her office. "I did," Lou said. "What's going on?"
"Damned if I know," Jack said. "She just barreled in. Unless I call you right back, we'll be there." "Fine," Lou said. "I'll wait."
Jack hung up the phone and rushed out into the hall. Laurie was already on her way back and was struggling into her coat. She eyed him as she brushed past on her way to the elevators. Jack hustled to catch up with her.
"What's happened?" Jack asked hesitantly. He was afraid to upset her any more than she already was. "I'm about ninety-nine percent sure how Franconi's body was taken from here," Laurie said angrily. "And two things are becoming clear. First, the Spoletto Funeral Home was involved and second, the abduction was surely abetted by someone who works here. And to tell you the truth, I'm not sure which of these two things bothers me more."
"Jeez, look at that traffic," Franco Ponti said to Angelo Facciolo. "I'm sure as hell glad we're going into Manhattan instead of going out."
Franco and Angelo were in Franco's black Cadillac, heading west on the Queensborough Bridge. It was five-thirty, the height of rush hour. Both men were dressed as if they were going to a ritzy dinner. "What order do you want to do this in?" Franco asked. Angelo shrugged. "Maybe the girl first," he said. His face twisted into a slight smile. "You're looking forward to this, aren't you?" Franco commented. Angelo raised his eyebrows as much as his facial scar tissue would allow. "Five years I've been dreaming about seeing this broad professionally," he said. "I guess I never thought I would get my chance." "I know I don't have to remind you that we follow orders," Franco said. "To the letter." "Cerino was never so specific," Angelo said. "He'd just tell us to do a job. He didn't tell us how to do it." "That's why Cerino is in jail and Vinnie is running the show," Franco said. "I'll tell you what," Angelo said. "Why don't we do a drive by Jack Stapleton's place. I've already been inside Laurie Montgomery's apartment, so I know what we're getting ourselves into. But I'm a little surprised by this other address. West One Hundred-sixth Street isn't where I'd expect a doctor to be living."
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