Part 28 (1/2)

”I just been cursed with death by a doppelgangster! If ever there was a time to panic, it's now now.”

As he slammed the phone down on me, I supposed he had a point.

With a sigh, I hung up the receiver and turned to face my would-be lover. ”I'm really sorry about this,” I began.

”Something bad has happened,” he guessed.

”I have to go. Right now,” I said. ”I'm so sorry.”

”Shh. It's okay. Take a breath.” He put his hands on my shoulders. ”I'll come with you.”

”What? No!” Seeing his surprise at my horrified reaction, I took that breath, as he had advised. Then I tried to pull my scattered thoughts together. ”That's not a good idea.”

”Let me help you.” His face was serious, his gaze earnest, his s.e.x drive forgotten for the moment.

I silently cursed the Evil that was dragging me away from this man right now.

I wanted to avoid lying to Lopez. So, choosing my words carefully, I said, ”I can't bring a stranger with me. It wouldn't be appreciated.”

”Then I'll wait outside for you, or in a cab or something.”

I shook my head. ”No, this will take a while.”

”Esther-”

I kissed him. After a moment of surprised immobility, he slid his arms around me and kissed me back. I knew it was a dirty trick, kissing him so he'd stop talking about this; but it certainly wasn't as if I didn't want to kiss him. And go right on kissing him. For hours.

While we kissed, I tried to calculate how long it would take me to go get Max, go to Brooklyn, pry Danny Dapezzo out of his cousin Vinny's wine vault, and get him back to the bookstore in the Village. At which point, I would cheerfully abandon Lucky and Max to question Danny about the doppelgangster and come up with a plan of action, while I returned to my interrupted plans with Lopez.

I tried tried to calculate it, but it wasn't possible to think while Lopez was kissing me. Not possible at all. to calculate it, but it wasn't possible to think while Lopez was kissing me. Not possible at all.

Trying to regain my breath when he let me go, I settled for saying, ”Look, this should only take a few hours. We'll meet here again tonight, okay?”

At that point, I decided, I would have to tell him the truth about where I had gone today-and why. But right now, I was in a hurry and didn't have time for the big argument I knew we'd have. So the truth would have to wait until tonight.

”Okay,” Lopez said, ”I'll come back tonight. But, look, are you sure I can't even-”

I kissed him again. Quickly this time. ”I have to go.”

He hesitated for a moment, obviously puzzled and probably wanting to ask if my caller had been Max, but then nodded. ”Okay.”

”The fact that you never sulk is one of my favorite things about you,” I said suddenly.

He smiled and touched my cheek. ”You don't sulk, either. And dating a cop isn't easy.”

”That much is true.”

I picked up my purse and walked through the front door as he held it open for me. I locked the apartment, and we went down the stairs together. Once outside, he put his arm around me as we walked to Tenth Avenue, where he hailed a cab for me. When a taxi stopped next to us, Lopez opened his mouth to give the driver the address of my destination, then realized he didn't know where I was going. He looked at me in silent query.

”I'll see you tonight.” I kissed him once more and hopped into the cab. To my relief, it instantly squealed away from the curb, as if fleeing deadly danger.

It took a few minutes to convince Max we'd never find a taxi driver willing to take Nelli to Brooklyn Heights with us, and we must therefore leave her behind. And once the two of us were finally in a cab and heading toward the bridge, we encountered heavy traffic; many of the downtown bars and restaurants were doing their midweek stocking up of food and alcohol for the coming weekend, so the narrow streets were clogged with parked delivery trucks. Then, to top it off, there was an accident in Brooklyn that caused traffic to back up onto the bridge, where we sat for twenty minutes.

After several tries, I finally reached Lucky on his cell phone. He had been in Queens, and now he was on his way to Brooklyn to help Danny. As Max and I sat in traffic, Lucky told me he'd been calling Danny without getting any response.

”Well, he said he was going to lock himself in a vault,” I reminded Lucky. ”His cell phone probably isn't getting a signal in there.”

”Let's hope that's all it is.”

”Call me when you get there. We're still stuck on the bridge.” After I hung up, I said to Max, ”We should have taken the subway, we'd be there by now.”

Since we weren't moving at all, Max was fairly calm. ”I propose we walk.”

I nodded and said to the driver, ”We're getting out here.”

He gave me a horrified look. ”You can't do that!”

I sighed. ”I know you were counting on the meter running up to an astronomical sum while we sit here, but this is an emergency. We can't dawdle. A human life is at stake.”

”Oh, come on, lady.”

”Also,” I said, ”we'll tip you well.”

”Yeah?”

I muttered to Max, ”How much cash did you bring?” ”Is one hundred dollars sufficient to cover our obligation?” he asked me.

”That's way too much,” I said.

”That's perfect!” The cab driver s.n.a.t.c.hed the hundred dollar bill from Max. ”Thanks, buddy! You folks have a nice day.”

”Hey!” I said.

”No, Esther, we have more urgent concerns than mere money.” Max opened the door, exited the cab, and extended his hand to me.

I didn't know if he had invested wisely over the past three hundred years or if the Magnum Collegium-the secret, ancient, worldwide organization that had sent him here-paid him well. Either way, he always seemed to have a healthy cash flow. So since he didn't want to fight with the driver about the money, I let it go.

The wind on the bridge whipped my dress around my legs as we walked above the East River and toward Brooklyn Heights.

”You look very nice, by the way,” Max said.

”Thanks,” I said morosely, recalling why I had worn this clingy black dress and these pretty red shoes today.

Once we reached Brooklyn, we walked south for a few streets to get away from the traffic jam. Then I hailed another cab.

”Oh, must must we?” Max said with dread. we?” Max said with dread.

”Yes, we must,” I replied as a taxi pulled up next to us. ”Manhattan is the only borough I know well. I haven't the faintest idea how to find this wine shop on foot.”