Part 88 (1/2)

”Come here, baby,” Ally said, reaching out. ”What is it?”

The darkness of the river flowed over her now, and for the first time ever, she wished she'd brought along a flashlight ...

That was when, out of the rain, she finally heard the sound. It was an engine lowering from the sky, which Knickers must have already heard.

Then a helicopter, a McDonnell Douglas, materialized, lowering onto the empty sports s.p.a.ce on the pier.

The downdraft of the rotor threw spray against the FieldTurf and into her eyes. But she gazed through it, unblinking, feeling an unexpected sense of power entering her limbs. The rain should have felt cold, but she didn't really notice.

Maybe, she thought, they had to meet. They were bonded.

As the pilot cut the power, the engine began to wind down--whoom, whoom, whoom--until it came to a dead stop and there followed an unnatural silence. Finally the door on the side opened and a metal step dropped down.

After a moment's pause that seemed to last forever, he appeared, at first a vague figure in the rain, but then he stepped down and came toward her. He was wearing a white hat with a wide brim and a tan raincoat that seemed more like a cloak than a coat.

”Alexa, I so appreciate your making time for me.”

It was hard to tell in the rain, but he appeared to be strong, and there was actually a kind of radiance about him, as though he carried his own special luminosity. He seemed completely transformed. The question was, transformed how? He looked years younger than the last time she saw him.

”I thought we should talk. I've been meaning to call you. I wanted to see how you're doing.”

That's not it at all, she told herself. What do you really want?

”Actually, I've been wanting to thank you,” Winston

Bartlett went on. ”It turns out that you saved me after all. Your telomerase antibodies finally kicked in. The initial ones Karl injected in me. It just took a few weeks.”

”And what about Kristen?” she asked.

His look saddened.

”You didn't hear?” He shook his head. ”She ... died in the fire.”

That doesn't sound right, Ally thought. She looked like she was the only one who was going to survive it.

”Oh yeah? How did that happen?”

”You might as well know. She was burned beyond recognition. The body still hasn't been officially identified. When the firemen found her, she had a shard of gla.s.s through her throat. They thought she must have fallen on something, but I fear it's entirely possible she could have done it to herself.”

Was that story true, or a bald-faced lie? Ally wondered. Were they still hiding her someplace?

But why was he here? He certainly hadn't come to discuss the kitchen design job for his Gramercy Park mansion. That was now long ago and far away.

”Alexa,” he said moving toward her, ”please don't be frightened but there's something I have to find out.”

He reached out with his left hand and seized her wrist. She only saw the glint of the penknife in his right hand for an instant before he slashed it across her palm.

”What!” she screamed and yanked her hand away. Knickers gave a loud yelp and then howled mournfully.

Only then did she notice that there'd been just a momentary flash of pain.

”It's okay,” Bartlett said reaching to soothe Knickers. ”Just a superficial scratch. Now watch it. I want to know if Karl had time to finish the procedure.”