Barely Legal

57

Chico And gus were parked outside the entrance of Cornell Hospital. Chico had found out when Melanie ended her shift, and brought in reinforcements. They’d come in a car in case she took a taxi home. Chico would follow her if she left on foot.

When the attractive blonde emerged from the hospital, Chico jabbed Gus in the ribs and pointed. “There she is.”

Melanie was still in scrubs, but with a light jacket and carrying a purse. Instead of walking toward York Avenue, she headed for the circular driveway out front.

“She’s going for the taxi line. You’re up.”

Gus started the engine.

There was one man ahead of Melanie waiting for a cab, and a woman was paying off a taxi by the curb. After he got that one, she’d be next.

Gus was revving the engine.

“You wanna tone it down? It’s not a drag race.”

Gus eased off the gas.

While they were watching, a sleek sedan squeezed past the taxi and slid to a stop in front of the hospital. The driver hopped out, came around, and ushered Melanie into the backseat.

“What the hell?” Chico murmured.

“Who is that?” Gus said.

“I don’t know, but follow that car.”

The Bentley took a surprisingly short trip, ending at a town house in Turtle Bay. Gus found it odd.

“Why pick her up in a private car to bring her a distance she could have walked?”

They watched as the Bentley pulled into an underground garage.

Chico pulled out his cell phone and called Mookie. “We couldn’t get her.”

“Why not?”

“A driver in a Bentley picked her up at the door and took her to a house in Turtle Bay.”

“What’s the address?”

Chico gave it. Mookie hung up the phone and cursed his luck. When things went bad, they went really bad. He had to hold it together. He couldn’t afford to lose it, not on a job for a guy like Tommy Taperelli.

Mookie went to the computer and traced the ownership of the property. The town house was owned by a Mr. Stone Barrington. Wasn’t that the lawyer who’d just showed up in court?

Mookie Googled him. Stone Barrington was indeed a lawyer. And not just any lawyer. Stone appeared to be one of the wealthiest, most well-connected men in America. He was reputed to cruise around in custom-made cars of his own specifications. If that was his car and driver, the girl would be impossible to abduct while she was under his protection. They’d have to wait until she went home and roust her out of her apartment.

Mookie bit the bullet and called Taperelli.