"What?" "Just kidding," Kelly said. "Splitting up is a great idea. It's almost a plan, isn't it?" "Kelly-" "It's certainly been interesting knowing you, Mrs. Stevens." Diane said curtly,

"Let's check out of here."

THE LOBBY was crowded with a convention of women checking in and half a dozen guests checking out. Kelly and Diane waited in line.

Out on the street, looking into the lobby, Harry Flint saw them and moved out of sight. He picked up his cellular phone. "They just came down to the lobby." "Good. Did Carballo get there, Mr. Flint?" "Yes." "Do exactly as I told you. Cover the entrance to the hotel from both corners, so that no matter which way they go, they're trapped. I want them to disappear without a trace."

KELLY AND DIANE had finally reached the cashier's desk. The cashier smiled. "I hope you've had a pleasant stay here." "Very pleasant, thank you," Diane said. We're still alive.

AS THEY WALKED to the lobby door, Kelly asked, "Do you know where you're going now, Mrs. Stevens?" "No. I just want to get away from Manhattan. What about you?" I just want to get away from you. "Back to Paris." The two of them stepped outside and carefully looked around. There was the usual pedestrian traffic and everything seemed normal.

"Good-bye, Mrs. Stevens," Kelly said, a note of relief in her voice.

"Good-bye, Kelly." Kelly turned to the left and started walking toward the corner. Diane looked after her a moment, then turned to the right and began walking in the other direction. They had taken no more than half a dozen steps when Harry Flint and Vince Carballo suddenly appeared at opposite ends of the block. The expression on Carballo's face was vicious. Flint's lips were turned up in a half-smile.

The two men began closing in on the women, pushing their way through the pedestrians. Diane and Kelly turned to look at each other, panicky. They had been ambushed. They both hurried back toward the entrance of the hotel, but the doorway was so crowded that there was no way for them to get back inside. There was nowhere to go. The two men were getting closer.

Kelly turned to Diane, and as she watched, stunned, Diane smiled and waved cheerily at Flint and then at Carballo.

"Have you gone crazy?" Kelly whispered.

Diane, still smiling, took out her cell phone and spoke into it rapidly. "We're in front of the hotel now… Oh, good. You're around the corner?" She grinned and gave a victory sign to Kelly.

"They'll be here in a minute," she said loudly. She looked at Flint and Carballo and said into the phone, "No, there are only two of them." Diane listened and then laughed. "Right… They're here? Okay." As Kelly and the two men looked on, Diane stepped off the curb into the street, scanning the oncoming cars. Diane started signaling to an approaching car in the distance and excitedly waved it over. Flint and Carballo had stopped, puzzled by what was happening.

Diane pointed to the two men. "Over here," she shouted into the oncoming traffic, waving wildly.

"Over here." Flint and Carballo looked at each other and made a quick decision. They turned back to where they had come from and disappeared around the corners.

Kelly was staring at Diane, her heart pounding wildly. "They're gone," she said.

"Who-who were you talking to?" Diane took a deep breath to steady herself. "Nobody. My battery is dead."

CHAPTER 28

KELLY WAS staring at Diane, dumbfounded. "That was great. I wish I had thought of that." Diane said dryly, "You will." "What are you going to do now?" "Get out of Manhattan." "How?" Kelly asked. "They're going to be watching all the train stations-airports, bus stations, car rental-" Diane thought for a moment. "We can go to Brooklyn. They won't be looking there." "Fine," Kelly said. "Go ahead." "What?" "I'm not going with you." Diane started to say something and then changed her mind. "Are you sure?" "Yes, Mrs. Stevens." Diane said, "Well, then, we— Good-bye." "Good-bye." Kelly watched as Diane hailed a taxi and started to enter it. Kelly stood there, hesitant, trying to make a decision. She was standing alone on an unfamiliar street, with nowhere to go, and no one to go to.

The taxi door closed, and the cab started to move.

"Wait!" Kelly shouted.

The taxi stopped. Kelly hurried up to it.

Diane opened the door, and Kelly stepped in and settled back in her seat.

"What made you change your mind?" "I just realized I've never seen Brooklyn." Diane looked at Kelly a moment and shook her head.

The driver asked, "Where to?" "Take us to Brooklyn, please," Diane said.

The taxi started. "Anyplace special?"

"Just drive around." Kelly looked at Diane incredulously. "You don't know where we're going?" "I'll know when we get there." Why did I come back? Kelly was asking herself.

During the ride, the two of them sat silent, side by side. In twenty minutes, they were crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.

"We're looking for a hotel," Diane told the driver. "I'm not sure which-" "You want a nice hotel, lady? I know just the one. It's called the Adams. You'll like it."

THE ADAMS HOTEL was a five-story brick building with a canopy in front and a doorman in attendance.

When the taxi pulled up at the curb, the driver asked, "Does this look okay?" Diane said, "This looks fine." Kelly said nothing.

They got out of the taxi, and the doorman greeted them. "Good day, ladies. Are you checking in?" Diane nodded. "Yes." "Do you have luggage?" Diane said glibly, "The airline lost our bags. Is there anyplace around here where we can shop and pick up some clothes?" "There's a very nice ladies' shop at the end of the block. Perhaps you would like to check in here first. Then we can have your things sent directly to your room." "Fine. Are you sure they'll have a room for us here?" "This time of the year, there's no problem."

THE CLERK BEHIND the hotel desk proffered registration forms. As Kelly signed hers, she said aloud, "Emily Bronte." Diane glanced at the clerk to see if there was any recognition on his face.

Nothing.

Diane wrote: Mary Cassatt.

The clerk took their registration cards. "And do you wish to pay by credit card?" "Yes, we-" "No," Diane interrupted quickly.

Kelly looked at her and reluctantly nodded.

"Luggage?"

"It's coming. We'll be back."

"You'll have suite 515." The clerk watched them walk out the door. Two real beauties. And alone. What a waste.

THE FOR MADAME shop was a cornucopia. There were women's clothes of every description, and a leather section with handbags and suitcases.

Kelly looked around and said, "It looks like we've lucked out." A saleslady walked up to them. "May I help you?" "We're just browsing," Diane told her.

The saleslady watched as they started walking through the store.

"Look!" said Kelly. "Stockings." She grabbed half a dozen pairs. Diane followed suit.

"Panty hose…" Bras, blips.

Soon their arms were laden with lingerie.

The saleslady hurried over. "Let me help you." "Thank you." The saleswoman relieved them of their burdens.

Diane and Kelly began to move down the aisles.

Kelly was examining a rack of slacks. She selected four pairs and turned to Diane. "No telling when we're going to be able to shop again." Diane picked out some slacks and a striped summer dress.