Part 5 (1/2)

Which was hard to figure. If the sister was dead, wouldn't the house go to the brother?

But the Arab and the brother were keeping all their reasons to themselves. Baker figured they had to be after something in that house. And whatever it was, it had to be pretty d.a.m.n valuable, because they wanted it pretty d.a.m.n f.u.c.king bad. As to what it was, Baker didn't have a clue. Another one of their secrets.

That was okay for now. He had a big big payoff coming when the house finally belonged to the Arab. He'd have to share some of it with the crew he'd hired, but there'd still be plenty left over to solve his current financial woes, and even add a little padding to the pitifully thin cus.h.i.+on of his retirement fund. payoff coming when the house finally belonged to the Arab. He'd have to share some of it with the crew he'd hired, but there'd still be plenty left over to solve his current financial woes, and even add a little padding to the pitifully thin cus.h.i.+on of his retirement fund.

But before all this was over, Baker was going to know all all their secrets. And you could take that to the bank. their secrets. And you could take that to the bank.

A chill rippled over Alicia's skin and collected at the base of her spine as she watched a gray car double-parked across the street. It idled there, slightly uptown from her vantage point, its motor running.

The same car as this morning? She couldn't be sure. Was it watching the door of the Center or waiting for someone in one of those stores? How could she know? h.e.l.l, between the sun glare and the tinted windows, she couldn't even tell how many people were in it.

d.a.m.n, this was scary. What were they waiting for? An explosion?

She shuddered. She'd told Tiffany to let her see all the mail, all the UPS deliveries before they were opened. But what would she do if she came across a package with no return address? Call the bomb squad? Luckily she hadn't had to face that choice-all today's deliveries were from the Center's usual suppliers.

She forced herself to turn away.

This was her fifth-or was it her sixth?-trip to the front since her arrival this morning. Tiffany was beginning to give her strange looks.

She lead Jack Niedermeyer back to her office. Maybe it was just her imagination. Why would anybody follow her? What was the point? She did the same thing every day: from her apartment in the Village to the Center, from the Center to her apartment. A model of predictability.

Relax, she told herself. You're making yourself crazy. Stay calm and figure out where you go from here on the will mess.

”Have a seat,” she said as they entered her office.

Raymond stopped by to drop off some papers. She introduced them but said nothing about why Mr. Niedermeyer was here.

When Raymond was gone and they were seated, facing each other, she took a good look at this very average-looking brown-haired, mid-thirtyish man in jeans and a reddish flannel s.h.i.+rt.

This is the guy who's going to get the toys back? Alicia thought as she indicated a chair. Oh, I doubt that. I doubt that very much. is the guy who's going to get the toys back? Alicia thought as she indicated a chair. Oh, I doubt that. I doubt that very much.

”Now, Mr. Niedermeyer-”

”Just call me Jack.”

”Okay, Just Jack.” And you can call me Dr. Clayton And you can call me Dr. Clayton. No, she wouldn't say that. ”Ms. DiLauro told me you might be able to help. Are you a friend of hers?”

”Not really. I did some work for her once. Got her out of a jam.”

”What sort of a jam?”

He leaned forward. ”I believe the subject is missing toys?”

A tiny flash of intensity there. Well hidden, but Alicia had spotted it. Something personal between these two? Or simply none of my business?

When he'd leaned forward, he'd put his hands on her desk. Alicia was struck by the length of his thumbnails. His hands were clean, his nails well trimmed... all except for the thumbs. Their nails jutted a good quarter inch or more beyond the flesh. She wanted to ask him about them but didn't see how she could do so with any grace.

”I wasn't prying,” she said. ”I'm simply curious as to how one man could possibly find those toys ahead of the whole New York City Police Department.”

Jack shrugged. ”First off, it won't be the 'whole' department. Maybe one or two robbery detectives-if you're lucky.”

Alicia nodded. He was right.

”Second,” he said, ”I think it's a safe bet that the guys who ripped you off aren't family men stocking up for their own kids' Christmases. And from the look of that door, they weren't pros. I smell a quickie, spur-of-the-moment heist. I'll bet they don't have a fence in place to dump their loot, which means they'll be looking for one. I know people...”

He left that hanging. What people? she wondered. People who buy stolen Christmas gifts? Was he some sort of criminal himself?

She looked at him and realized that his mild brown eyes revealed nothing... absolutely nothing.

”So... you 'know people'... people, I a.s.sume, who might lead you to the thieves. And then what?”

”And then I will prevail upon them to return the gifts.”

”And if you can't 'prevail?' What then? Call in the police?”'

He shook his head. ”No. That's one of the conditions of my involvement: no contact with officialdom. If the police recover the gifts, fine. All's well that ends well. If I I return them, it's a wonderful occurrence, a Christmas miracle. You don't know who's responsible, but G.o.d bless 'em. You've never seen me, never even heard of me. As far as you know, I don't exist.” return them, it's a wonderful occurrence, a Christmas miracle. You don't know who's responsible, but G.o.d bless 'em. You've never seen me, never even heard of me. As far as you know, I don't exist.”

Alicia tensed. Was this some sort of scam? Rob the gifts, then charge a fee to ”find” them. Maybe even collect a reward?

But no. Gia DiLauro would never have anything to do with something like that. Her anger this morning had been too real.

But this man, this ”Just Jack”... he might have involved Gia without her knowledge.

”I see,” she said. ”And what would you charge for-?”

”It's taken care of.”

”I don't understand. Did Gia-?”

”Don't worry about it. All taken care of.”

”There'll be a reward.”

She'd had calls-businesses and individuals offering to contribute to a reward fund for the arrest of the perpetrators. The total was mounting.

”Keep it. Spend it on the kids.”

Alicia relaxed. All right. So it wasn't a scam.

”What I need is some information about the gifts-anything distinctive that'll help me make sure I'm on the right track.”

”Well, for one thing, they were all wrapped. We only accepted new toys or clothing-all of it un unwrapped-and then we wrapped them ourselves as they came in. You saw the kind of paper we used. Other than that, what can I say? It was a real hodgepodge of gifts, a beautiful, generous a.s.sortment...”

Alicia felt her throat begin to lock with rage.