The October List

Which meant, Kepler guessed, that the party was over with.
    ‘Post-coital bliss,’ whispered Surani. ‘About time. I’m ready to get the hell off the roof. It’s freezing up here.’ He rose from his squat.
    Kepler said, ‘When she leaves, you better be ready for it. We stick on her like glue.’
    ‘I’m ready,’ Surani said. ‘Do I look like I’m not ready? And “stick on her like glue”? Could you pick a worse cliché?’
    Kepler ignored him.
    But the pursuit didn’t happen just then. From inside Gabriela’s apartment, whispers arose. And the game began again.
    Uhn, uhn, uhn …
    ‘Fuck,’ Surani muttered, sitting down once more.
    Kepler stared. His partner rarely swore. The Charles Prescott Op was bringing out the worst in everybody.

CHAPTER
12
     

Noon, Saturday
30 minutes earlier
     

 

 
     
    Gabriela pressed a tissue to her eyes as she and Daniel were back on the sidewalk, heading for Central Park, silent and digesting the stark news they’d received in the lobby of her building. They were on a sidewalk crosshatched by sharp shadows from the trees overhead. The September sun continued to radiate fierce power, though little heat, like a distant spotlight. Occasionally Daniel’s arm brushed hers and she wondered if he would embrace her for solace.
    He didn’t.
    ‘We’ll go to the office,’ she said, desperation in her voice. ‘Maybe the police are finished with it now. I can try to find this October List.’
    She caught a glimpse of herself reflected in a window. How like everyone else she looked, how normal – tan stretch pants, tight burgundy sweater, leather jacket, the purse over her shoulder, the Tiffany bag dangling from her hand, a handsome man at her side. On their way to a movie or a health club or brunch with friends.
    How like everyone else.
    Yet how different.
    ‘That guy, Joseph,’ Daniel replied. ‘Jesus. You know, his giddiness was the most scary. His joking. It’s just sick.’
    ‘Part of me thinks I should go to the police anyway,’ she said. Then looked at him. ‘What do you think?’
    Daniel considered this. ‘Honestly, I think the consequences could be disastrous if he found out.’
    ‘But they know how to handle these things!’ Gabriela said fervently. ‘They have kidnap specialists. I’m sure they do. Hostage negotiators.’
    ‘This is different. It’s not like Joseph’s asking for money that you can agree to pay him – and the police’d back you up on that. If you go to them – even assuming Joseph doesn’t find out about it – the October List is going to come up. And the cops’re going to want it.’
    After a moment she said, ‘True.’ Another dab of tissue to her eye.
    ‘And we have to assume that Joseph’s doing what he threatened: having somebody watch you to make sure you don’t go near the police.’
    ‘You don’t deserve this, Daniel. You shouldn’t have anything to do with it, with me. I didn’t even know you twenty-four hours ago. You should just go home and forget all about me.’
    Gabriela sensed his head swiveling.
    He said, ‘Not really interested in that.’
    ‘In what?’
    ‘Forgetting about you.’ She gripped his arm and briefly rested her head against his solid biceps. She’d seen a movie starring the actor whom Daniel resembled, in which the man had removed his shirt, to the thrill of most women in the audience. Not only were their faces similar but their builds closely matched.
    ‘My office is in Midtown, east. Let’s get a cab. We should move fast. The deadline … six p.m. We have so much to do.’ She turned to look for a taxi.
    ‘Wait,’ he said in a sharp whisper.
    ‘What?’
    ‘We’re being followed,’ Daniel said.
    ‘Are you sure?’ She sounded doubtful. But she looked behind and saw a van easing to the curb. ‘Joseph?’
    ‘I didn’t see any vans before.’
    ‘If it’s police,’ she said, panic in her voice, ‘and Joseph sees, he’ll think we called them! He’ll kill Sarah!’
    ‘We’re not sure it’s the cops. Maybe it’s a coincidence.’
    But the van wasn’t happenstance; it was in fact occupied by the police. This was confirmed when they noticed a blue-and-white NYPD patrol car start toward them from Columbus Circle, then brake suddenly and make a U-turn.
    She said, ‘Somebody in the van just radioed the squadcar and told them to get the hell out of here. Yep, it’s cops. They’re hoping I’ll lead them to Charles.’
    ‘And look,’ Daniel muttered.
    She followed