Judge & Jury

"Your husband must be quite a confident man to let you come down here by yourself, Alicia. Or maybe it'shim you are escaping?"

Andie sighed, a little embarrassed."Actually, I lied. I'm not married. I was trying to pretend not to be some dumb woman for the store clerk here. The cigars are for the ship."

"Buying them so early?" Cavello looked at her."You certainly are a prepared little girl."

Shit. Andie flinched. The first mistake.

The proprietor handed her the package. Andie took her change.

"You've made a wise choice to go with the Cohibas, Alicia. And as far as the end of the world, I think that's something I could show you. And you may not have to go as far as you think."

"Is that so? What do you mean?"

"My ranch. That's what it's called. This must be fate, Alicia."

"I don't believe in fate," Andie said, smiling once again. She put her package under her arm and slipped past him as he held the door."But I believe in lunch."

Andie's heart started to quicken.Stay cool, she said to herself.Just a few seconds more. You have him-don't lose him.

Cavello followed her out to the sidewalk. Down the street, Andie noticed two bodyguards milling around, not paying too much attention. Sloppy, just as Nick said.

"I have lunch Saturdays at the Bar Ideal," Cavello said."It's down by the port. If you care to join me."

"It all depends," Andie called, backing down the street. She could see the gleam in his eye. She had him hooked.

"On what?" Cavello followed her a few steps.

"On what you did to get yourself in the Witness Protection Program, Mr. Celletini. I only go out with a certain kind of man."

"Oh, that. " Cavello gri

Chapter 117

SATURDAY CAME.

Andie was already sitting in the café when Cavello arrived. The two black Range Rovers pulled up down the square, and the door to the lead one opened. Cavello got out looking full of himself as always.

This was no game, no role, she knew. This man would gladly kill her given the chance. But she had to do this, she told herself. She had to stay calm. She had to act!

Cavello looked pleased and maybe even a little surprised as he stepped up to her table. He was wearing the same black leather topcoat and dark sunglasses, the tweed cap."I'm very happy to see you, Alicia. I see my past occupation didn't scare you off."

"Gee, and I thought we were only playing with each other." Andie looked at him over her own sunglasses."Should I be scared?"

She had let down her hair this time, and was wearing an orange T-shirt that read BALLBUSTERin small type under her waist-length denim jacket. Cavello read the lettering on her shirt."Maybe it's me who ought to be scared, Alicia. May I sit down?"

"Sure. Unless you like to eat standing up."

He sat down and took off his hat. Cavello's hair was slightly grayer. His face had barely changed from the one she had stared at with hatred in the courtroom, the day of the new trial.

"You don't seem too sinister to me," she said."Anyway, how could anyone who farms sheep be so bad?"

Cavello laughed, and she knew that he could be charming when he wanted to."You know, that's what I've been trying to tell the Justice Department for years."

Andie laughed. They both did.

A waiter came up. He seemed to recognize Cavello.

"The empanadas are like rocks here. But the margaritas are the best north of Antarctica," said Cavello.

"Margarita," Andie said, not even opening the menu. Cavello asked for an Absolut on the rocks.

"So whyare you here?" She tilted her chair."They have sheep all over, don't they? You don't seem like much of a farmer, Frank."

"The weather." Cavello smiled, then went on."Let's just say it suits me here. Desolate. Lonely. Isolated. And those are the good points."

"You know, I'm actually starting to believe that Witness Protection thing." She eyed him with a coy smile.

The waiter brought their drinks. Andie lifted her margarita. Cavello, his vodka.

"To the end of the world," he said,"and whatever hopes and expectations go along with it."

Andie met his eyes. They clinked glasses."Sounds like a plan."

She took a sip and looked past him into the square. Somewhere out there Nick was watching. That gave her strength, and God she needed it right now.

"So, what sort of hopes and expectations do you have, Frank?" she asked, peering over her sunglasses.

"Actually, I was thinking of you."

"Me?" Andie, nervous again, put down her glass."What do you know about me?"

"I know people don't come this far because they're happy. I know you're very attractive, and apparently open to new things. I know you're here."

"You're quite the psychologist."

"I guess I just like people. How their minds work."

He asked about her, and Andie went through the story that she and Nick had fabricated. About how her first marriage had crashed, and how some Boston restaurant where she was a sous-chef had failed, how it was time for a change in her life-new adventures. So here she was.

A couple of times she touched his arm. Cavello responded by leaning closer. She knew how the game was played. Andie just prayed he hadn't already seen through her act.

Finally Cavello locked his hands in front of his face."You know, Alicia, I'm not the kind of person who beats around the bush."

"No, Frank." She took a sip of her drink.

"No, Frank?" He paused, disappointed.

Andie smiled at him."No, Frank, I never got the impression that you were."

Cavello gri

Cavello sat there staring at her. This was so pathetic-and nauseating.

"You might like to see my ranch. It's not too far away. The vistas are some of the best anywhere."

"That would be nice. I'd love it. When were you thinking?"

"Why not this afternoon? After we eat."

"We could do that." Andie shrugged."I have another idea, though. My hotel is just a few blocks away. Frank, I'm pretty sure I can give you an equally stu

Chapter 118

I WAS WATCHING the two of them from the cover of the Land Cruiser parked across the square. As Andie and Cavello rose from the table and started toward the hotel, I felt my heart begin to pound. She had done her job. They were heading to her hotel room.

Cavello nodded toward someone in the lead Range Rover, which I was praying meant, Take the rest of the afternoon off.

It didn't.

Two men stepped out immediately. One was squat with a shaved head and a mustache, the other tall with long black hair, wearing an Adidas warm-up top. The bodyguards fell in twenty yards behind. This wasn't good.

For the first time since Andie and I pla

I touched the grip of my Glock, loaded and ready in my jacket. Then I stepped out of the Land Cruiser.

The question exploding in my brain-did I try to take them out now?