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“So what is it?” the small man pressed. “Two thousand total or four thousand total?”
Fortunately, the man wasn’t perturbed, responding in a polite tone.
“The two thousand for Ms. Evanescence is in addition to the two thousand we’ll be forwarding the Flamingo. In fact, I have it all here,” he said, pulling out two bulging envelopes. “If you’re ready, ma’am, I’m happy to escort you to the location.”
Mickey’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
“Oh sure, I’m sure this is all fine,” he said, waving his arm airily. “Isn’t this fine Pearl? Come on, it’s almost seven. Your date is about to start!” he exclaimed, greed in those beady eyes.
And slowly, I took a deep breath before looking at Harry.
“I want you to know I’m a law-abiding citizen,” were my slow words. “Whatever your boss thinks is gonna happen, probably isn’t going to happen. And there are no refunds, no matter what.”
Harry nodded respectfully.
“Of course, ma’am,” he said. “We absolutely recognize that, and value your input. We understand that, and I can assure you that my boss has much more at stake than you.”
I squinted at him. What did those words mean? But with a slow nod of my head, I agreed.
“Okay,” was my curt reply. “I’ll do it then.”
And damn if Mickey didn’t bounce out of his chair and do a little jig then.
“Perfect!” he squealed, grabbing one of the envelopes. “You’ll have a great time Pearl. See you when you’re back!”
And slowly, I followed Harry out of the office with the two thousand dollars burning a hole in my purse. Because nothing good could come out of this, right? I was literally going to parts unknown with a strange man who wasn’t even the man I was supposed to meet. Instead, I was going for a rendezvous with his boss, who could be a gang member, a movie star, or more likely, just some married guy who didn’t want his wife to know. That made me sad, the energy draining from my limbs. But again, there was no choice. If I wanted to survive, I had to go on this date or be fired. So with a heavy heart, I got into the black SUV waiting at the curb and sped off to destination unknown.
CHAPTER SIX
Susie
Surprisingly, the drive took about two minutes. We literally went around the corner before pulling up in front of a no-name Midtown apartment block.
“This is it?” I asked skeptically, eyeing the gray building. It was completely non-descript. Not fancy, not shabby, just … not anything. You could walk past it on any given day and never notice what you’d just gone by.
Harry nodded.
“Yes ma’am,” he said respectfully. “Just go straight to the concierge and they’ll direct you.”
I opened the door, cinching my coat tighter while looking around. It was the same Manhattan scene that populated most of the town. Gray sidewalks, gray buildings, and even people who looked slightly gray with their sallow skin tone and inoffensive business suits.
But there was something different about the building. As I went through the revolving door, inside was a rectangle metal detector, the kind that buzzes if you’re carrying anything suspicious on your body.
“Really?” I asked the security guard, puzzled. “Don’t they usually reserve these for airports?”
The elderly man laughed.
“In fact, we got this-a-one from JFK,” he chortled. “They’re putting in those new-fangled body scanners at the airport, so their cast-offs came to us.”
But still, why? This was a residential building, and not a high profile target like the Federal Reserve or Department of Justice. Nor were we in a heavily trafficked area like Times Square or Madison Park. So why did this faceless skyscraper deserve its own metal detector?
But sometimes, it’s easier just to give in. And within seconds, I was through. Not surprising, given that I only had lingerie underneath my coat. Nor did my bra have an underwire, which would have triggered the alarm.
“You’re good to go!” the elderly security guard said cheerily. “Right up thataways,” he said, gesturing to the front desk. I sidled up to the woman behind a huge slab of marble.
“Um, I’m Pearl,” I managed on a murmur. “Or Susie?”
She didn’t even blink.
