"Don't you think a person's taste in movies splits according to gender lines?" Louis asked me. "There are chick flicks and guy flicks."

"Personally I think it splits according to IQ points. Films that demand a brain and those that don't," I said, not giving a good G.o.dd.a.m.n about the discussion.

Louis ignored my indifference. "Let me guess. You also like Fellini, but you prefer Juliet of the Spirits Juliet of the Spirits."

I sighed. Louis and Benny were so into each other, they didn't notice I wasn't fired up about discussing film. I didn't want to be a party p.o.o.per, so I said, "Fellini's okay."

Benny chimed in, "What's your favorite movie?"

I laughed at her question. My taste runs to the quirky and offbeat in just about everything. "Cam Diario," I answered.

Louis raised his eyebrows and looked at Benny. She shrugged. He said. "I never heard of it."

"Me neither," Benny said. "Who's the director?" I noticed that the two of them were now holding hands.

"Nanni Moretti," I answered.

"The Italian Communist?" Louis squealed.

I cringed inwardly at his tinny voice, but pasted a smile on my face. "Yeah, I guess Moretti is a Communist. But it's not his politics I care about. He's funny, and I prefer comedies, that's all. Even dark ones."

"Come on, Daphy, name another one. See if we know it," Benny begged.

"An Everlasting Piece Everlasting Piece, directed by Barry Levinson," I said.

"Got me again," Louis said. "Your choices are pretty oddball, if you don't mind me saying. What made you like this one?"

"It's Irish, set in Belfast during the Troubles," I said. "It's pretty recent, and not dark. It has a great sound track. It's full of irony and very funny. Life has enough tears. I don't need more at the movies."

Benny and Louis exchanged glances. Louis rolled his eyes. Benny giggled.

"By the way," Louis said, "I've been admiring your ring all night. May I see it?"

"Sure. It's Florentine. Renaissance." I took off my leopard-head ring and gave it to him.

Louis turned on one of the car's interior lights and held the ring close to it. "Exquisite," he said. "I have a thing for rings, as you can probably tell," he said, and held up a bejeweled hand. "The design of this ring is highly unusual. I can see there's a maker's hallmark inside."

"May I see?" Benny asked, and Louis handed it over.

Benny examined the ring closely in a way only a jeweler would. I could see admiration on her face. "It's lovely. I've seen real Renaissance period rings only in museums, never up close. After all, Daphy, I'm soooo much younger than you," she said, shooting me a wicked grin. I responded very maturely by sticking my tongue out at her. When we stopped giggling, she took another look at the ring and said, "Daphy, honey, do you know one of the emerald panther eyes is loose in the setting?"

"No. Let me see." She handed it back. I couldn't see well, but I could feel that it was.

"If you don't mind my taking it, I'll have one of the jewelers fix it when I go into work on Monday. Don't worry; I won't let it out of my sight. I can return it to you Monday night."

"That would be terrific," I said. "I'd hate to lose a stone. These emeralds are as close to perfect as they ever get." I handed the ring back and Benny put it in her tiny purse, which was firmly attached to the belt of her dress by a golden chain. She might look flighty and careless, but that was just part of her "dumb blonde" persona. I had seen enough of her to know that Benny Polycarp was smart, meticulous, and shrewd.

"Thanks, Benny. I appreciate it. Not to change the subject," I said, "but you wanted to talk, and this may be the only chance we get." I wasn't worried about speaking in front of Louis. Vampires excel at betrayal-outside the vampire family. Within our race we follow unwritten rules. One of them is not to snitch or to "out" anyone to humans. We close ranks and circle the wagons to protect each other. Persecuted throughout the centuries, we know our survival has depended on close family a.s.sociations. There is us us, and there is them them. Unlike many other minorities, we can't become part of the ma.s.s culture. We can convert others to our race; we can't a.s.similate into theirs.

"Oh, yes. Daphy, I don't know if I have the nerves for the spy stuff, I really don't. They recruited me partly because I have a degree in gemology. So I'm supposed to be working for a firm in the Diamond Exchange. The place is crawling with intrigue, I tell you. And that just has to do with who's boffing who. They've been dealing with Bonaventure for years, ever since he's been insisting that certain buyers pay him in uncut diamonds. My firm regularly appraises the deliveries to make sure he's getting what he's promised. The head of my firm has been "convinced," you might call it, to cooperate with U.S. intelligence. I'm being sent up to Bonaventure's Monday night to certify a large payment in African diamonds from Sierra Leone-blood diamonds, they call them."

"Benny," I cut in, "I was wondering about how the weapons exchange for diamonds worked. Do you know?" I asked.

"Well, the way I understand it," Benny started, "it's done under the counter. You know, illegally. The terrorists smuggle the diamonds into the country, which isn't very hard to do. They turn them over to Bonaventure in exchange for the weapons. Actually they get a key or something like that that gives them access to the weapons. And yes, he always is on the up-and-up about that, but Bonaventure isn't about to physically turn over anything anything. The terrorists take all the risks, and he keeps his hands clean. He has complete deniability."

"He must be extremely cunning and cautious," I said, feeling very uneasy about the agency's scheme. "He's going to be suspicious of anything that seems unusual. I hope J knows what he's doing."

"You and me both," Benny said, and shivered.

"So how does Bonaventure convert the diamonds into cash without the banks tipping off the U.S. government?" I wondered out loud.

"It's pretty simple, really, Daphy. My boss is the one who actually converts the diamonds into cash-at a very nice discount, so it's worth his while. The cash is in the form of a cashier's check drawn on a numbered Swiss account. The Swiss give no one, not even U.S. intelligence agencies, the ident.i.ties of account holders, nor reveal banking transactions."

"So Bonaventure sits on a fortune and there's no way to trace how he got it?" I said, sounding surprised. I was being disingenuous with Benny now; I had a Swiss account of my own, as did my mother. We've had plenty to hide over the centuries, and governments can follow a paper trail, so we've taken precautions not to leave one. The Swiss have always been very cooperative, since my mother is an extremely rich woman.

Benny was talking a mile a minute now. "Well, Daphy, that's why I'm getting so wound up. I'm supposed to show up Monday and appraise the diamonds, then give Bonaventure two cashier's checks, made out to cash, totaling two hundred and fifty million dollars two hundred and fifty million dollars. Then I transport the diamonds back to my company. Now, honey, there's no safer courier on earth than a vampire, so I'm not worried about getting mugged or anything." She stopped for a breath, then plunged ahead. "I am worried about Bonaventure smelling a rat. A new person being sent for this major deal... I mean, the head of the firm is supposed to handle this kind of exchange, not a blonde from Branson, Missouri. And the thing is, I have to be there when the diamonds are actually handed over. Bonaventure won't accept them unless I certify them. So J wants me to photo these guys on the sly and make sure the bugs you planted pick up the transaction."

I was thinking about J's scheme, and it was full of holes. "Benny," I asked, "you're sure this is happening at Bonaventure's apartment?"

"Yes. He doesn't go to his clients. They come to him."

"I have an appointment with him Monday night. I'd like to know how he's putting this all together."

"I'm supposed to get there at eight thirty," Benny clarified.

"After me." I stared out the window in silence for a few minutes.

Benny looked at Louis, who had listened without interrupting. "Benny, I think you're in a world of trouble," he said.

"Well, what do you think, Daphy? Can we pull this off?"

"Maybe," I said. "Here's the way I see it. Bonaventure is going to get out of New York City as fast as possible after the terrorists get the weapons. But he also wants my client's art. If anything catastrophic is planned for the city, he won't take the chance on its getting destroyed, so he'll want to take possession of it ASAP after the diamond exchange. My guess is he'll make a bid on the art and have it ready for me Monday night. He'll ask me to confirm it with Schneibel, the collector, while I'm right there at the apartment. If Schneibel agrees to the sale, Bonaventure will pay me on the spot-that's why there are two checks-and then arrange to pick up the art, all within the next seventy-two hours. Maybe the time pressure will make him less cautious than usual and more vulnerable to J's plan. Unfortunately, I don't think we can count on it."

"Do you really think terrorists are planning another attack on New York?"

"I don't know. I hope not. But if these guys with the key, or whatever they pick up, can be followed and they are stopped before they take possession of the weapons, we can make sure there won't be."

Louis broke in. "Let me get this straight. The safety of millions of people and the greatest city in the world rests on two female vampires. Pardon me for saying this, but we're f.u.c.ked."

"Louis!" Benny said. "That's not nice! Besides, we have lots of backup, don't we, Daphy?"

"Oh, sure we do," I said sarcastically. "Except that we've never met any of them besides J. We don't know who they are or how many of them there are. Lots of backup? Uh-uh. Benny, I think we are screwed. And I'm beginning to believe we're expendable in J's eyes. I planted the listening devices, so whatever else I do is probably a bonus. Once the terrorists show up with the diamonds at Bonaventure's, J's people can start tailing them. You're a Judas goat. The bad guys are sure to show up before eight thirty because the diamonds have to be in Bonaventure's possession before you arrive with the money. J should be keeping Bonaventure's apartment building under surveillance, and he'll take his own d.a.m.ned photos. I bet the regular diamond guy was too scared to do this deal; that's why J needed you.

"He's been blowing smoke up our a.s.ses, Benny. And from what I've seen of his agency's operations, I don't think he has a s...o...b..ll's chance in h.e.l.l of catching these terrorists before it's too late. I think we'd better plan on handling this ourselves." I felt taken in, betrayed, and d.a.m.ned mad. I wasn't going to take it anymore I wasn't going to take it anymore, I thought.

"Can we handle it?" Benny said, her doubt evident and her big eyes like saucers.

"Transformed into vampire form we can," I said as if putting down my trump card.

"Oh, s.h.i.t!" she and Louis said in unison.

"Well, yeah, it's a radical idea-vampires to the rescue of humanity." My fists were clenched, and my voice was strong. I meant every word. "d.a.m.n it, Benny, if we can't do this, n.o.body can."

"Wait a minute," Louis said. "I'll probably regret saying this, but count me in."

As it turned out, he was all too right.

Benny, a small-town girl in the big city, went all starry-eyed on the way up the steep, tall escalator that rose from street level to the Hudson's hotel lobby. At the top of the escalator she stood there openmouthed, staring at the mammoth chandelier, and I had to drag her past the huge dis...o...b..r with its illuminated floor and queue of hip young singles waiting to get in. The rest of the Hudson's main floor sits in a cozy gloom, with walls and ceilings painted black and the lighting very dim. It was perfect for illicit a.s.signations and intrigue. My high comfort level here no doubt relates to its cavelike ambience.

The Library Bar, quiet and cla.s.sy, sits in the rear of the hotel to the right of the bank of elevators. We walked in, and I spotted Darius waiting for us. He had commandeered the sofa by the fireplace, and since the place was packed, I figured he'd given a good tip to the bartender, a tall, thin Rasta with dreadlocks.

"Ohhh, yummy," Benny said when she spotted him waving at us. "He looks just like Brad Pitt. Don't worry, Daphy; Louis and I will have just one drink," she whispered to me as walked. "Then we'll split. Let's you and I talk again late tonight."

"Sure, Benny-why don't you drop by my apartment?" I whispered back.

"Cool. I'll give you a jingle when I'm on my way," she said sotto voce; then she was walking toward Darius, her accent dripping with honey, saying, "Why, sugar, it's so nice to meet a friend of Daphne's. I'm Benny from Branson, Missouri, and this is Louis. He's from N'awlins. We're just two out-of-towners in the big, bad city."

Darius grinned at her, and I caught him eyeing her cleavage. It would have been hard to miss. Benny didn't react, and I figured she was probably used to it. "My pleasure, I'm sure," Darius said to her, and shook hands with both of them. He held up his gla.s.s. It looked like Scotch. "What are you drinking?"

"Stoli martini, straight up, olive," Louis said.

"The same," Benny agreed.

"And you?" he asked me.

"Pellegrino, no ice, slice of lemon. Thanks." I was sticking to my no-alcohol rule, especially around Darius. My control slipped dangerously whenever he was near me. I had almost bitten him last night, and I felt a jolt of fear every time I remembered that.

Darius disappeared in the direction of the bar, and we vampires three sat down in front of the fire. Darius was back quicker than I expected. He took a seat on the arm of the sofa next to me, and a waitress showed up shortly afterward with the drinks.

"Are you in town on vacation?" Darius asked Benny and Louis. It occurred to me that not one person here could answer anything about themselves with truth. The normal social exchanges between strangers would be a fabrication created of lies and misinformation.

Louis said he was visiting his mother, which was a stretch, since according to Mar-Mar he was now living with her in Scarsdale. Benny said she was in New York for a job interview, and I said we three were friends from way back. Darius told them he was in the import-export business, bringing in electronics from China. We suffered through this farce for about ten minutes, until I said, "Benny, I know you and Louis would really rather be back at the Hudson's main bar with the music and dancing. Darius and I have some things to talk about, so it's okay, really."

Relief was obvious on both their faces. They grabbed their coats and said their good-byes. Darius went and sat at the opposite end of the sofa and we just stared at the fire for a few minutes. I fiddled with the lemon in my mineral water; he sloshed the Scotch around in the gla.s.s. With Darius right here next to me, I thought again that J's accusation that he was a vampire hunter came from spite, and maybe jealousy. Yet I felt cautious and closed. I was watching every word I said.

"So how are you feeling?" I asked stiffly.

"I'm fine, a little tired. It was a long day. How are you?" he said.

"I'm fine." I looked at him, wondering what was going on in his head. As if he read my thoughts, he said, "Look, Daphy, I would have phoned you this morning, I really meant to, but I was ordered in for a conference first thing."

I looked at him without reacting and said flatly, "Okay, you don't have to explain. But I have to be honest; I thought it was s.h.i.tty that you didn't call."

"Look, I'm sorry, I really am. The whole day has been nuts." He moved closer so we wouldn't be overheard. In a low voice close to my ear, he said, "There's a lot of intelligence chatter being picked up; things are moving very quickly. We are pretty sure Bonaventure's weapons are in Port Newark. On a container ship. But there are dozens of ships and thousands of containers. We could find the right one, but not quickly enough. We need to spot the terrorists when they go to pick them up. It's the only sure way. I a.s.sume J's people have the same information and a similar plan."

My heart was beating fast, partly from what Darius was telling me and partly because his breath was caressing my ear as he talked, and it was exciting me. I tried to block my rising desire and concentrate on the spying operation. I said in all honesty, "I don't know what J's plans are, but it sounds as if we might be duplicating efforts."

Darius nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but this time it's a good idea. It means at least one team should be successful."

I turned my face to look at him. Our lips were very close. Neither of us could resist, and he kissed me lightly before I said to him, "How does this new information affect your your plans?" plans?"

"It makes breaking into Bonaventure's apartment Monday night even more urgent."

"Darius, if I'm going to help you do it, I want to know what you're planning to do once you get in."

He moved away from me and looked toward the fire as he said, "I have something to take care of."

I leaned toward him and turned his face toward me. "Darius, I want to know. What's going to happen?"

He took my hand in his and looked at me intently. "Daphne, I'm sorry, but I told you before: It's safer if I tell you nothing. What you don't know, you can't be forced to tell or accidentally give away. Believe me on this. And all I need you to do is to open the service entrance door. From the inside."

I left my hand in his and moved my body closer until we touched. "Is that it? Why do you need me at all? I thought you people knew how to pick locks."

"We do," he answered, putting his lips on my hair and stirring the fires banked inside me. "Unfortunately, the service door is the only other way into the apartment besides the front door, and it has one of those safety bars you see in older apartments, the ones that hook into the floor then lever against the door. There's no way to get in without using an ax, and I don't think that would be quiet enough."

I put my head on his shoulder. I felt so comfortable and content. I mused that what we were talking could wait a couple of hours. Maybe Darius and I could book a room here and go upstairs. I had lost interest in spying for the moment. "Darius," I said, "maybe we can find a more private place to carry on this conversation."

To my dismay, Darius said, "Can you sit up? I want to show you something." I sighed and moved away from him. The chance of any hot s.e.x tonight was fading fast. The mood was broken, and I was beginning to feel frustrated and edgy.

"I brought you a drawing," he said as he took a folded piece of paper from his pocket, opened it up, and put it down on the coffee table in front of us. It was a layout of the apartment. I wondered why J hadn't provided me with one. I guess he didn't have it. I wondered what agency Darius actually worked for. They certainly had excellent resources. I decided right then that I needed to find out. I'd start by asking J, and I tucked the idea away in the recesses of my mind.

"Here is where you come in," he said, taking one of my hands in his as he pointed with the other. He touched me as if it had become second nature to him, and I liked it. He went on showing me the map. "The living room is straight ahead; the dining room is off to the left."

I pointed to the library. "This is where we had our meeting," I said.

"Okay. You can see it's toward the rear of the apartment, where the bedrooms and some other rooms are. The kitchen is here, closer to the front entrance, on the far side of the dining room. Behind the kitchen is the maid's room with her bathroom. There's another small room on the other side of the bathroom, which is basically a corridor between the rooms. And here"-he pointed to a pa.s.sageway marked in red-"is a hall running off the kitchen to the service entrance. Your biggest problem is going to be the maid. Make sure she's busy somewhere else. If anyone sees you in the kitchen or servants' quarters, you can always say you got lost on the way to the bathroom or decided to get a drink of water on the way back from a potty break."

"What about the cameras? Do you have any idea how I can avoid being spotted?"

"I'll take care of that. Those cameras will be having technical difficulties for a while that night. Don't worry about them."

I pulled back and disengaged my hand. "Well, I am worried about them and how I'm going to pull this off. Look, Darius, I can't screw up my dealings with Bonaventure. I'm not thrilled about doing this. Say I do succeed. How will you even know the door's open?"

"I just have to trust you," he said, and looked into my eyes. His sincerity looked forced as he added, "I do trust you. I'm counting on you, Daphne. I don't think you'll let me down."

"I don't buy a word of what you just said, Darius," I said, glaring into his face. "I may not know you well, but I think I know you better than that. You don't leave much to chance. Level with me here. How do you know I'm going to get an opportunity to open that door?"

He hesitated a minute, then said, "Because your girlfriend Benny, the one you just introduced me to, is going to show up at eight thirty to appraise the diamonds, and n.o.body will be paying much attention to you."

My mouth dropped open. I was taken aback completely. "How do you know that?" I asked.

"That's cla.s.sified," he said brusquely.

"No, that's bulls.h.i.t," I countered. "How do I know you're not spying on me? How do I know you didn't plant a listening device in my apartment the other night? I warn you, Darius, I'm ready to call it quits right now."