Alice grabbed her coat and the messenger bag, hurried down the hall to Judy’s office, and stuck her head inside. “Carrier, ready to go?”
“Yep. Did Mary and Grady leave? I got caught on the phone.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Judy glanced out of her office window, where sheets of rain streaked the glass. “Should we wait for the storm to let up?”
“We can’t.” Alice picked up Judy’s striped umbrella. “Here.”
“Okay, great.” Judy got up, grabbed her kilim purse, and came around the desk. “We’re meeting the client there, right?”
“Yes. Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s called Roux. Been there?”
“No, but I’ve heard it’s cool, trying to gentrify the neighborhood down by the waterfront, right?”
“Right.”
“I’m in favor.”
“Good.” Alice led her down the hall to reception, where Marshall was working. “You still at it, girl?”
“I still have a few things left, with all the distractions today.”
“Thanks, but go home.”
“I will, soon.”
“We’re out of here.” Alice went ahead to the elevator and pressed the button. Outside, the sky had gone dark with the storm, and cars clogged the street. She flagged down one of the Rothman guards.
“How you doin’, Ms. Rosato?” he asked, raising his voice to be heard over the downpour.
“Did you hear if they caught Alice?”
“No, I’ll keep you posted. By the way, Bob’s fine.”
Alice frowned. “Who’s Bob?”
“One of our guys, the guard your sister punched.”
Whatever. “Good. We’re going out, meeting new clients.”
“You want protection? I can spare a man.”
“No, thanks, it wouldn’t look right. I’m reasonably safe, now that the cops are looking for Alice.”
“So when should we leave here? Our contract says ten o’clock.”
“Perfect. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” The guard’s eyes shifted to the street. “Hold on, I see a cab.” He waved it down, and when it stopped, Alice opened the door and told the cabbie the address.
They lurched into stop-and-go traffic, and Judy turned to her. “I went online and researched the biotech industry in Ireland, for some background info. I learned a lot.”
“Good for you.”
“I couldn’t research this client, because you didn’t get back to me with its name.”
“I was busy, sorry.” Alice made up a name. “It is Genlynn Enterprises.”
“Gotcha.” Judy went into her purse and pulled out an iPhone. “I can look it up right now, online.”
“No, don’t.” Alice stopped her hand. “Let them tell us. Clients love to talk about their business, and we don’t want to sound like we studied.”
“Oh.” Judy blinked. “Even if we did?”
“Right. Why don’t you tell me what you found out, generally, to give us some context?”
“Sure, well, it’s really interesting. Wyeth is the big dog in Dublin, in biotech, and they have a campus south of the city…”
Judy lectured on, and Alice zoned out as the cab headed east toward the Delaware River. They reached Columbus Boulevard and turned right, passing the well-lit big-box dance clubs and party-of-twelve tourist restaurants. They took the curve, leaving the lights and excitement behind, and steered toward the more deserted section of the Boulevard. The Walt Whitman Bridge loomed ahead, and on the right, train cars that read HAPAG-LLOYD AND HAMBURG SUD stood on rusted tracks.
Alice looked for the restaurant on the left, on the riverbank. They passed old-time municipal piers, then a huge ship with a peeling black hull and three red smokestacks, like a busted Titanic. She spotted Roux dead ahead and scanned the surrounding area. Next to it was some kind of abandoned distribution center, with a rubble-strewn parking lot, empty except for a few tractor trailers without the truck cabs. It was a dark, lonely stretch, with ancient RESTRICTED AREA signs hanging on saggy concertina wire.
Alice felt satisfied. There would be plenty of places to leave a body, so that it wouldn’t be discovered until morning.
“How’d I do?” Judy asked, when the lecture was over.
“Perfect.” Alice smiled. “Just perfect.”