Judge And Jury Part 32

"Nice to meet you, Alicia Bennett." Cavello put out his hand. "Explorer."

They shook hands. His touch was rough and scaly to her. Andie tried not to flinch. She fished in her wallet for money.

"And what about you?" Cavello smiled, keeping up the banter. "What are you you escaping?" escaping?"

"Me, I'm a desperate housewife." Andie chuckled.

"You must be very desperate, if you're here. here. But you don't look it." But you don't look it."

"I saw this ad." Andie shrugged. "It promised the end of the world. I figured it meant here in Ushuaia, but if I'm buying Cuban cigars and talking to an American about TV, I guess I haven't found it yet. So I'm heading farther south."

"Your husband must be quite a confident man to let you come down here by yourself, Alicia. Or maybe it's him him you are escaping?" you are escaping?"

Andie sighed, a little embarra.s.sed. "Actually, I lied. I'm not married. I was trying to pretend not to be some dumb woman for the store clerk here. The cigars are for the s.h.i.+p."

"Buying them so early?" Cavello looked at her. "You certainly are a prepared little girl."

s.h.i.+t. Andie flinched. Andie flinched. The first mistake. The first mistake.

The proprietor handed her the package. Andie took her change.

"You've made a wise choice to go with the Cohibas, Alicia. And as far as the end of the world, I think that's something I could show you. And you may not have to go as far as you think."

"Is that so? What do you mean?"

"My ranch. That's what it's called. This must be fate, Alicia."

"I don't believe in fate," Andie said, smiling once again. She put her package under her arm and slipped past him as he held the door. "But I believe in lunch."

Andie's heart started to quicken. Stay cool, Stay cool, she said to herself. she said to herself. Just a few seconds more. You have him-don't lose him. Just a few seconds more. You have him-don't lose him.

Cavello followed her out to the sidewalk. Down the street, Andie noticed two bodyguards milling around, not paying too much attention. Sloppy, Sloppy, just as Nick said. just as Nick said.

"I have lunch Sat.u.r.days at the Bar Ideal," Cavello said. "It's down by the port. If you care to join me."

"It all depends," Andie called, backing down the street. She could see the gleam in his eye. She had him hooked.

"On what?" Cavello followed her a few steps.

"On what you did to get yourself in the Witness Protection Program, Mr. Celletini. I only go out with a certain kind of man."

"Oh, that. that." Cavello grinned, taking one more step after her. "Mafia boss. Does that qualify?"

Chapter 117.

SAt.u.r.dAY CAME.

Andie was already sitting in the cafe when Cavello arrived. The two black Range Rovers pulled up down the square, and the door to the lead one opened. Cavello got out looking full of himself as always.

This was no game, no role, she knew. This man would gladly kill her given the chance. But she had to do this, she told herself. She had to stay calm. She had to act!

Cavello looked pleased and maybe even a little surprised as he stepped up to her table. He was wearing the same black leather topcoat and dark sungla.s.ses, the tweed cap. "I'm very happy to see you, Alicia. I see my past occupation didn't scare you off."

"Gee, and I thought we were only playing with each other." Andie looked at him over her own sungla.s.ses. "Should I be scared?"

She had let down her hair this time, and was wearing an orange T-s.h.i.+rt that read BALL B BUSTER in small type under her waist-length denim jacket. Cavello read the lettering on her s.h.i.+rt. "Maybe it's me who ought to be scared, Alicia. May I sit down?" in small type under her waist-length denim jacket. Cavello read the lettering on her s.h.i.+rt. "Maybe it's me who ought to be scared, Alicia. May I sit down?"

"Sure. Unless you like to eat standing up."

He sat down and took off his hat. Cavello's hair was slightly grayer. His face had barely changed from the one she had stared at with hatred in the courtroom, the day of the new trial.

"You don't seem too sinister to me," she said. "Anyway, how could anyone who farms sheep be so bad?"

Cavello laughed, and she knew that he could be charming when he wanted to. "You know, that's what I've been trying to tell the Justice Department for years."

Andie laughed. They both did.

A waiter came up. He seemed to recognize Cavello.

"The empanadas are like rocks here. But the margaritas are the best north of Antarctica," said Cavello.

"Margarita," Andie said, not even opening the menu. Cavello asked for an Absolut on the rocks.

"So why are are you here?" She tilted her chair. "They have sheep all over, don't they? You don't seem like much of a farmer, Frank." you here?" She tilted her chair. "They have sheep all over, don't they? You don't seem like much of a farmer, Frank."

"The weather." Cavello smiled, then went on. "Let's just say it suits me here. Desolate. Lonely. Isolated. And those are the good points."

"You know, I'm actually starting to believe that Witness Protection thing." She eyed him with a coy smile.

The waiter brought their drinks. Andie lifted her margarita. Cavello, his vodka.

"To the end of the world," he said, "and whatever hopes and expectations go along with it."

Andie met his eyes. They clinked gla.s.ses. "Sounds like a plan."

She took a sip and looked past him into the square. Somewhere out there Nick was watching. That gave her strength, and G.o.d she needed it right now.

"So, what sort of hopes and expectations do you have, Frank?" she asked, peering over her sungla.s.ses.

"Actually, I was thinking of you."

"Me?" Andie, nervous again, put down her gla.s.s. "What do you know about me?"

"I know people don't come this far because they're happy. I know you're very attractive, and apparently open to new things. I know you're here."

"You're quite the psychologist."

"I guess I just like people. How their minds work."

He asked about her, and Andie went through the story that she and Nick had fabricated. About how her first marriage had crashed, and how some Boston restaurant where she was a sous-chef had failed, how it was time for a change in her life-new adventures. So here she was.

A couple of times she touched his arm. Cavello responded by leaning closer. She knew how the game was played. Andie just prayed he hadn't already seen through her act.

Finally Cavello locked his hands in front of his face. "You know, Alicia, I'm not the kind of person who beats around the bush."

"No, Frank." She took a sip of her drink.

"No, Frank?" He paused, disappointed.

Andie smiled at him. "No, Frank, I never got the impression that you were."

Cavello grinned, too. Under the table she s.h.i.+fted her leg so that it brushed against his.

Cavello sat there staring at her. This was so pathetic-and nauseating.

"You might like to see my ranch. It's not too far away. The vistas are some of the best anywhere."

"That would be nice. I'd love it. When were you thinking?"

"Why not this afternoon? After we eat."

"We could do that." Andie shrugged. "I have another idea, though. My hotel is just a few blocks away. Frank, I'm pretty sure I can give you an equally stunning view."

Chapter 118.

I WAS WATCHING the two of them from the cover of the Land Cruiser parked across the square. As Andie and Cavello rose from the table and started toward the hotel, I felt my heart begin to pound. She had done her job. They were heading to her hotel room.

Cavello nodded toward someone in the lead Range Rover, which I was praying meant, Take the rest of the afternoon off. Take the rest of the afternoon off.

It didn't.

Two men stepped out immediately. One was squat with a shaved head and a mustache, the other tall with long black hair, wearing an Adidas warm-up top. The bodyguards fell in twenty yards behind. This wasn't good.

For the first time since Andie and I planned this, reality smashed me in the face. I knew that just the feel of Cavello's hand must be agony for her. His putting his hands all over her would be sickening, and maybe too much for her to take. And now there was the issue of the bodyguards. They were obviously accompanying Cavello to the hotel.

I touched the grip of my Glock, loaded and ready in my jacket. Then I stepped out of the Land Cruiser.

The question exploding in my brain-did I try to take them out now?

Chapter 119.

ANDIE WAS JUMPY as she turned the key to the hotel room door. Cavello barely gave her time to catch a breath. "Let me," he whispered, close to her ear.

He took the keys out of her hand and, a second later, pushed her up against the wall inside, pressing his body hard against hers. He put his tongue into her mouth.

Andie almost gagged.

Then Cavello had his hand underneath her T-s.h.i.+rt, pawing at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Oh, G.o.d. This was Dominic Cavello. He was Jarrod's killer.

Andie closed her eyes, then felt his hand slowly slide down her stomach, slipping underneath her panties.

"You're all hot." Cavello pulled away, grinning luridly.

"Yeah. Let's not rush this, though, Frank. We have all the time in the world."

He pulled her denim jacket off, tossed it on the floor. "You know the second the second I saw you I wanted this to happen. I wanted to take you right in that store." I saw you I wanted this to happen. I wanted to take you right in that store."

"Does that mean the trip to the ranch is off?" Andie said, trying to be cute.

Cavello laughed again, pulling her in to him, cupping his hands over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s again. She wanted to kill him right now.

"I need a couple of seconds." Andie gasped.

"Not right now." He pulled her T-s.h.i.+rt up, started licking her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and shoulders. He began to grind against her thigh. Then he ripped her bra off in a violent tug and started fondling her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"Please, I need a second," she said. "The bathroom."

Cavello looked into her eyes. "You don't want to back out now?"

"Who's backing out?" Andie tried to laugh, but Cavello grabbed her by the wrist and flung her onto the bed. He seemed out of control. She tried to calm herself, but she was thinking of the knife. She slid herself up to the pillow, where it was hidden. She'd cut through that melon. She could cut Cavello.

Cavello thrust himself between her legs. He was trying to get her jeans off.

"Slower," Andie said, pretending to help him, shuffling back until the pillow was under her head. She reached behind, feeling for the blade. She stretched out, pretending to enjoy Cavello undressing her. She prayed that Nick would come through the door. Where was he? Where was he?

She felt the handle of the knife under the pillow. She had to get him a little closer. She fixed her eyes on Cavello's neck-the spot where Nick taught her to plunge the blade.

"What's the name of your s.h.i.+p?" Cavello said, startling her.