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  Too bad there was a man involved. They always got in the way.

  * * *

  Mort Tallent stood at the water’s edge, taking in deep breaths, trying to absorb the raw power of the ocean. That smell of the sea always soothed him. Standing here, his toes digging into the wet sand, made him think of his competitive surfing days.

  With the sun beating down on his back, he would paddle out looking for the huge waves. Once riding the surge, he would surrender to the water that held and caressed him. It was strange, but primal, moving to a rhythm that assured he was part of everything that ever was or ever would be—he became a human at one with the earth, at one with the vast universe.

  He thought of those moments often. Old memories. Good memories.

  Now, his feet were cold and the water washing up to his ankles was icy. The days had turned shorter and after working hours, it was dark, with only a sliver of the moon allowing him to see a small segment of a world he couldn’t stop remembering.

  His big wave surfer’s dream, Mavericks, would be happening soon. Its crazy surf breaks could pick you up and bash your body against the rocks. But he had never worried much about death when he was out there. All he wanted to do was ride a monster—wipeout or not, crushed by the ocean depths or not.

  Hell, everyone dies. If it happened then, at least it would be of my own choice.

  Tallent still rode the board every now and then while on vacations. The last time was with Annie when they both cried over past days when they surfed and surfed and made love in the sand under the moonlight.

  Annie, Annie. I think of you more and more.

  She was dead because of him and that continued to eat away at his soul. It was becoming harder to concentrate on anything. Some times in the middle of surgery, he would find himself day-dreaming about the past and how he’d lost the love of his life.

  He slowly walked back to the sea wall and tried to wipe away the loose sand clinging to his feet.

  Maybe it was time to slam the door on his medical career. He had enough money—that wasn’t his problem at all.

  The problem was his twisted soul.

  * * *

  Kat Parker was having trouble falling asleep. She was lying next to Cal, semi-awake. Their evening had been idyllic. After dinner, they’d sat around laughing at each other’s jokes, then discussing the way they felt about life, from politics to their careers. In the end, they’d made love and he fell asleep with her curled up in his arms.

  The two of them had happened so quickly—an unexpected whirlwind that landed her with a man she could emotionally connect with without reservation. And he accepted her the way she was.

  She quietly sidled from the bed and wandered into the living room. Looking out the window, she worried how she was going to tell Cal about her Cardio Cath in two days.

  There was no way out. She had to tell him. It would be impossible to cover up something like that. Besides, it wasn’t fair not to tell him. He deserved the truth.

  She jumped when he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “Hey, what are you doing up?” He squeezed her tighter. “I woke up and you were gone.”

  She turned in his arms. “I have to tell you something, Cal. Something that I probably should have told you right from the beginning.” Her voice was tentative as each word stuck in her throat.

  “What is it?”

  Pain was building up in her neck and back—her heart was racing. “I need to have a serious medical procedure done in a couple of days.”

  Even in the dim light she could see the frown on his face. “What kind of procedure?”

  The look on his face left her devastated. “I wanted to tell you before, but I couldn’t.”

  “But why? What’s wrong?”

  She couldn’t speak. The words wouldn’t come. Fear was shutting her down.

  He took her arm, led her to the sofa. “Tell me, Kat. Please.”

  She started crying, then she was sobbing, her chest heaving with pain and despair. He pulled her close, murmured, “It’s all right. I’m here.”

  “I’ve been having neck and back pain for quite a while.” She swiped away at the tears. “They’ve been following me with tests, trying to get me to lose weight, change my life style. I’ve really tried. But I finally gave up. I need to know if there’s something wrong with my heart once and for all.”

  “And your doctor advised surgery?”

  “My internist wanted me to work on my weight and eating habits, but I got disgusted and asked for a referral to a cardiologist.”

  “You know you could have told me about the procedure.”

  “We’d just found each other, Cal. I didn’t want to lose you.”

  He squeezed her tighter, and then even tighter. “That’s going to be a lot harder than you think. I’m not letting you go.”

  “You mean it?”

  He leaned over and kissed her, and then kissed her again and again until she was breathless.

  Chapter 31

  Harry was tired—it had been a long, busy day. The stairs to his brother Paul’s second floor apartment seemed to go on forever.

  He missed Paul now that his brother lived in Noe Valley instead of the Sunset District where he and Gina lived.

  He knocked and waited. It took a minute or two before Paul opened the door.

  “Hey, thought I gave you a key. Since when did you become too timid to barge into my place at any hour?”

  “Didn’t want to scare the hell out of you.”

  “What’s up, little brother?” Paul reached out and they gave each other a big bear hug.

  Harry edged inside and wasn’t a bit surprised by the abominable condition of the flat. Clothes were strewn everywhere and when he walked into the kitchen, the sink was overflowing with dirty dishes. A small table held a pile of empty cardboard pizza boxes.

  “Paulo, what am I gonna do with you? This place is a mess. You’re supposed to be a good example to me. Every older brother is supposed to be that.”

  “Obviously, not me.” Paul offered Harry a seat on a sofa filled with books of every description.

  “No way, man. You and I are cleaning up this mess before I take you out to dinner. You put those books in the case over there. Hell, this is your joint. I shouldn’t have to tell you where to put things. Just do it!”

  Paul started collecting the books, shoving them into the living room’s wall-to-wall bookcases.

  “While you’re doing that, I’ll start in the kitchen.” Pretty soon Harry was elbow deep into suds and dishes. “How’s work at the docks?”

  Paul shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s a living.” He started laughing. “It’s a good thing I bought a bottle of detergent the other day or you’d really be screaming your head off.” He went for the vacuum, started it.

  They worked in silence, except for the roar of the appliances and the clattering of dishes. Since Paul’s divorce, Harry’s visits always began with the same ritual—the two of them cleaning up Paul’s mess.

  “Gina kick you out?” Paul put the vacuum away, gathered up another bunch of magazines from a corner of the sofa and piled them neatly in a chair he’d taken from the kitchen. “I usually don’t see you around dinner time.”

  “Nope. In fact, I’ve been meaning to tell you—we’re getting married in April,”

  “No shit! You finally got her to agree to tie the knot?”

  “You know about Dominick meeting the grim reaper, right?”

  “Yeah,” Paul said. “It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. I can’t imagine anyone hurting that woman of yours. Dominick dead. Wow! What a fucking loser.”

  “Eloquently stated ... and very true.” Harry started drying the dishes and stacking them in the cupboards. “It was like the weight of the world dropped from her shoulders after that. Things have really been great since.”

  “She’s a fine woman. Actually, a saint to put up with you.” Paul went into the kitchen, started to help clean off the cou
nters. “Have you told Mom and Dad yet?”

  “No,” Harry said. “I thought I’d wait so there wouldn’t be too many snide shots of Mom calling her ‘the little Catholic girl,’ and then listening to Dad make fun of my being a nurse.”

  “They don’t mean any harm. They’re just old fashioned.”

  “No way, Paulo. It’s mean, and so are the prejudices that fuel it.”

  “Were they nice to her when they met her?” Paul asked.

  “Actually, I’ve soft-shoed my way out of doing that. ” Harry scoured the sink, avoiding Paul’s eyes. “Do I have to do the bathroom or have you been taking care of it?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Everything’s cool. I can only take so much of your nagging. You’re worse than my ex was.”

  Harry took the dish towel and flung it onto the kitchen table. “Let’s get out of here.”

  They went to a small, local restaurant that Paul had suggested. It served mostly American-style comfort food. Harry was eating a turkey burger with salad on the side. Paul had a twelve ounce medium-rare steak that had taken up most of the plate when it was served; a small side dish held a baked potato, loaded with sour cream and bacon bits.

  “So you haven’t introduced Gina to Mom and Dad?”

  “Look, she has enough of a rift with her own parents, does she need to take on ours?” Harry dug his fork into the salad and took a mouthful.

  Paul’s eyes turned hard. “Yeah, I remember her folks rode her back for leaving her ex, even after he nearly killed her.”

  “You know, it’s the Italian bit—her parents are friends with Dominick’s parents from the old country.”

  “Yeah, parents can be a real pain in the ass. ” Harry watched Paul chew his steak slowly and glance up at him every few seconds..

  “All right, Harry.” Paul let his fork drop to the plate. “Spit it out! You’re holding back and it’s not about your wedding plans. I’m here for you, man ... long as it doesn’t have anything to do with putting up any money. In fact, I was thinking of calling you for a short-term loan.”

  “You’re so full of bullshit, Paulo, don’t know how you can stand living with yourself.”

  “Cause no one else will have me.”

  “And you have no idea what causes that?”

  “Gee, not a clue.” He snorted a laugh. “Anyway, what’s the favor?”

  Harry stalled by taking another bite of his burger, chewed it long past the time necessary to swallow it. “I need your help and I don’t know exactly how and what to ask for.”

  “This has got to be a first—you being tongue-tied. “

  “It’s complicated,” Harry said.

  “Everything’s complicated. Just lay it on me.”

  Harry thought about it, but there was no easy way to do it. “Gina’s got a problem and we need to find someone who knows how to hack computers.”

  Paul’s mouth dropped open. “You need to hack into someone’s computer?”

  “Exactly,” Harry said.

  Paul sat back in the chair and laughed. “Well, that sounds like the Gina I know. Always getting you into some kind of shit.”

  Harry gave his brother the barest outline of the situation. “And we need to get into the bookkeeping files of this doctor we think is cooking the books.”

  “Frankly, I don’t give a rat’s ass,” Paul said.

  “Come on, Paul. Think about it. The guy’s not only cheating his patients, he’s putting their lives at risk.”

  Paul leaned over the table, brought his voice just above a whisper, “You know we could end up in jail if we go down that road.”

  “But we’re damn sure that this doc is responsible for the murders of two people, maybe even a third.”

  “Harry—”

  “—not only that, he’s probably responsible for the rape and knifing of a nurse—a friend of Gina’s. We just can’t let people get away with things like that.”

  “Whoa, little brother. This is serious. Shouldn’t the police be called in? ”

  “Realistically, yes. But in this circumstance, no.”

  “Oh, it’s like that is it?”

  “Yeah, it’s like that. Anyway, you know computers, Paul, and I’d bet a bundle that you know someone who can get this kind of job done. Thing is, we need proof or the police will just bury it.”

  Paul leaned over the table, brought his voice down to just above a whisper, “Do I need to repeat this: We could all end up in the slammer if we go down that road.”

  “Yeah, I know, bro. But this is important. Gina’s trying to keep people from dying.”

  There was a long pause. Paul took a bite of his steak, chewed it slowly. “Tell you what, I do know a couple of computer nerds down at the docks. Let me ask around, see what I can find out.” He cut into his steak again “It’ll be up to one of them whether to jump in or not.”

  “We really need your help, Paulo.”

  “Alright, alright already. You know I’m always here for you, little brother.”

  “Thanks. I owe you, man.”

  “Not yet. But if this works out, you will. Big time.” He shoved his empty plate away, burped, and said, “I’ll give you a call after I check with some guys, okay?”

  “Thanks, man.”

  Chapter 32

  Gina was spooked. She went through the apartment double-checking the latch on every window. Along the way, she opened the front door to the extent of the chain, peeked out, and relocked it at least three times. She was scared and that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t go away.

  Harry was still out with Paul. She wanted to call him, tell him about the man outside, how she’d seen him at Ridgewood staring at her in the cafeteria when Harry was rushing back to ICU. How after that she’d sort of forgotten about it ... until she got home and he was standing there right across the street from their building.

  She knew if she called Harry, he would come straight home, whether he was finished talking to Paul or not. That would leave them in limbo with the plan to hack into Tallent’s computer—they needed help from Paul. She didn’t know anyone with those offbeat skills, didn’t even know where to begin looking.

  She slipped out of her clothes, carried her pajamas and slippers to the bathroom, and turned on the water to take a hot, hot shower. Tuva the cat trailed after her with a constant meow for her dinner.

  After speaking to Lolly, Gina finally realized just how much things had once again gotten out of hand. She was scared, knew she wasn’t safe. The shower scene from Psycho flashed in her mind. She locked the bathroom door before stepping into the shower. No one was going to surprise her in the shower stall with a knife.

  Stop it, you idiot!

  She was probably as safe in her locked apartment as anyone could be. But she still couldn’t stop worrying.

  The bathroom was steaming and the mirror was fogged over. Gina looked down at Tuva. “Why aren’t you a big German Sheppard?”

  Gina could swear the cat crossed its eyes at her.

  “Comedian.”

  She stayed under the water, allowing it to beat down on her back for a long time. After she toweled off, she slipped into the warm pair of pajamas and her slippers, padded out to the kitchen—Tuva on her heels again, still meowing.

  “All right! I’m getting your dinner.”

  She’d just finished feeding the cat when the phone rang. She hurried into the living room and picked up. “Hello.”

  Someone was breathing heavily at the other end.

  “Hello!”

  The screen said unidentified caller.

  “I don’t like these kinds of games.” She slammed down the phone.

  Gina stood there, chilled all over, knowing it was going to ring again.

  But it didn’t.

  Thoughts of Lolly and what had happened to her kept rioting in her head. Lolly! All of it had to be related to their night excursion into Mort Tallent’s office.

  And that man she’d seen earlier was probably the one who hurt Lolly and
sent her flying back home to the Bronx.

  * * *

  It was dark by the time Vlad came back again to scope out the nurse’s apartment building. The lights were on in every window he could see. He watched residents take their keys and go inside. Everyone carefully waited for the door to click shut behind them.

  He could see security cameras over the entrance, positioned to cover every angle. And it was obvious that all the trees were kept pruned so there were no limbs near the windows.

  Too bad! That would have been an easy way in.

  He walked up to the entrance as though he belonged there and tried the door. Locked, as he’d assumed it would be. He was focusing on the entryway behind the large glass panel in the solid wood door when he felt a presence near him. He twisted his head around and looked up at a huge bear of a man.

  “Can I help you?” the man said gruffly.

  “Oh, I was going to visit with a cousin of mine who’s supposed to live here.”

  “What’s the name?”

  Vlad did something he rarely did: he backed away from the scowling man. He quickly looked up at the stone-carved number above the entryway.

  “Now that’s a bummer. I got the wrong building.”

  “What number were you looking for?” the man demanded.

  Vlad pretended he hadn’t heard the question, turned quickly, and started walking away.

  * * *

  Vlad was irritated that he’d had to park several blocks away from Mazzio’s building. And it took extreme concentration not to look back over his shoulder to see if the giant was following him.

  Should never have been caught off guard like that.

  Something small and hard was jammed into the small of his back.

  “You feel that?” a voice said behind him.

  Before Vlad could respond, he was faced by a second man, who thrust a large hand in the middle of his chest and shoved.

  He was about Vlad’s height, maybe a little taller, and much heavier. Vlad kept trying to get a better look at the man, but the street light kept dimming and blinking, like it was about to blow out. Then for a long moment he could see clearly—it was one of the bouncers from a place where he liked to play Pai Gow. Last time he’d lost―big time.