Page 81 of Tightrope

“I find the atmosphere in this place electrifying,” Vincent said. “And the food is excellent.”

The actor sounded just like he did in the movies, Eugene thought. As if he had spoken from somewhere inside a crypt.

“Can I have your autograph, Mr. Hyde?” a woman asked. She rummaged around in her purse. “I have a matchbook you could sign.”

“Please, Mr. Hyde,” a young man pleaded. “If you could sign a napkin or something I could give to my girlfriend, she’d think I was a real hero.”

Everyone in the tour group was now clamoring for Hyde’s autograph. Eugene searched his jacket, trying to find a scrap of paper. It wasn’t every day you got this close to a Hollywood star. His fingers brushed against the black necklace that was coiled like a snake in oneof his pockets. The feel of the glass beads jolted him back to reality. He was on a mission today. Priorities.

Vincent Hyde raised one long-fingered hand. The crowd on the stairs immediately fell silent, awestruck by the simple gesture of command. Eugene thought Hyde looked amused.

“Enough,” Hyde intoned. “I’m going downstairs to read the paper and have a cup of tea in the very elegant lobby of this fine establishment. When you finish the tour I will be happy to sign autographs for everyone who wants one.”

There was a chorus of grateful thank-yous. Hyde and the tattooed guy in leather continued on down the stairs. The tour group watched breathlessly as the star descended into the lobby and lowered himself into a big chair near the hearth.

An older woman wearing a turban appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea things and a folded newspaper. She set the tray on an end table next to Hyde’s chair. Hyde thanked her with a gracious smile. Then he looked at the crowd gazing at him from the foot of the staircase.

“Enjoy the tour,” he said. “I think you will find that Madam Zolanda’s room is haunted. There is no mistaking the ghostly energy in there.”

Chapter 42

Luther studied the putting green with the steely-eyed expression of a general assessing the ground on which the battle would be fought.

“We need to move fast,” he said. “If Smith decides that he can’t get his hands on those rotors, he’ll cut his losses and disappear. If he leaves the country, we might never get another shot at him.”

“The Ares machine has got to be the biggest deal he’s ever done,” Matthias said. “He won’t abandon the project unless he’s absolutely sure it’s a total failure. It’s not just about the money, not this time.”

And it wasn’t a round of golf that had brought them to the golf course, Matthias thought, although it was a perfect afternoon and the greens were as smooth as velvet. The appeal of a golf course was that two men could talk openly about matters of national security and murder without fear of being overheard. He and Luther needed a plan, and they needed it immediately.

Luther tapped the ball very gently, sending it into the cup. Straightening, he looked at Matthias. “Delivering the cipher machine into thehands of the enemy is Smith’s idea of revenge, his way of telling the men running his old agency back in D.C. to go to hell. I’m sure he’s willing to take risks, but he’s not suicidal. If he decides he can’t get those rotors, he’ll fade back into the shadows.”

Matthias thought about that while they walked toward the next tee.

“If we chase him, we’ll lose him,” he said. “We need to make him come to us. The only way to do that is to use the rotors as bait.”

“Can’t exactly put an ad in theHerald.Need cipher machine rotors? Call now for free estimate.”

“Huh.”

Luther glanced at him. “What?”

“We’re a couple of mob guys, remember? We steal stuff. Why wouldn’t Smith believe that we’d be happy to do a deal for the rotors with whoever will meet our price?”

Luther gazed into the distance. He looked like he was contemplating his next shot but Matthias knew he was focused on the kernel of a plan.

“I can use the Broker to put the word out on the street,” he said. “If Smith is as desperate as we think he is, he just might take the bait.”

“If he does, we’ll be dealing with the same problem that got Pickwell killed. The most dangerous part of the operation will be the moment when the transaction takes place.”

Luther smiled. “We’re mobsters. We know how to do deals like this one.”

Chapter 43

Amalie waited until the tour group had disappeared into the conservatory for tea and cookies before she emerged from behind the front desk. Nearly overwhelmed with gratitude, she approached Vincent Hyde.

Vincent looked up. “Miss Vaughn. Congratulations on the success of your new tour program. It appears to have been a stroke of publicity genius.”

“Thanks in large part to you, Mr. Hyde. It was very gracious of you to offer to give everyone on the tour an autograph when they came back downstairs.”

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