"It's unusual for a client to give his actual name, especially when he's being so mysterious."

"I subst.i.tute myself for these men because I want to look like them. But I have never wanted to be anyone other than myself. They are a mere vessel-a means, if you will, to living a small portion of my life vicariously."

"Are you impotent?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"No disappointment is worse than that of yourself. I like to be surrounded by perfection. Everything in my life is ordered to give me exactly that. I can pay anyone as much as they want to give me that flawlessness, but no amount of money can make me perfect.

This is why I need vessels."

"No one is perfect. No one has to be."

"That's why you're so different. Beautiful women insist on being surrounded by everything attractive."

"What kind of business are you in?"

"The purchase and distribution of furniture, worldwide."

"What do you have to do in China?"

"Pay and make...arrangements with a most irritating seller."

"What would I have to do as your escort?"

"Accompany me to business dinners and perhaps a few other formal appearances."

"s.e.x?"

"Maybe, but not necessarily. I would make your company worth your while, Heather. Come with me and you won't have to worry about your brother's bills for a while."

* 184 *

"Then why would I continue to see to your needs?" she asked sarcastically.

"If we both agree to maintain these and future travel arrangements, you will never have to worry about your brother's expenses."

"You would own me."

"Think of it as a mutually profitable arrangement, Heather. You will have plenty of time to pursue your goals, and your brother will have a very comfortable life."

"My goals?" What could he possibly know about those?

"I'm sure a smart woman like you cannot be content with creating someone else's art instead of her own."

"I can manage my ambitions without your help."

"But I can make it happen a lot faster. Think about it. I don't expect you to answer right now. I'm going to leave a number with your money. Call me when you decide."

"I already gave you my answer," she replied firmly.

"You have until tomorrow night to reconsider. Have a nice evening, Heather."

Chase leaned back in her chair and smiled at the monitor. "We can scratch Heather off the list of suspects. She clearly has no idea who Dario is or what he does."

"Do you think the irritating seller in China is Rozsa?" Jack asked."It's very possible. Dario's obviously the guy who made the money transfer to him from the brownstone. And he said he has a furniture company, which matches what Reno said about the other account he's been tracking."

"About the money Rozsa kept receiving for organs back in Hungary being made from an untraceable New York furniture company," Jack said.

"Which all means that Dario's furniture business is a front for his organ trade."

"We can't scare him now or he'll alert Rozsa. If he is in China and Dario is headed that way, he can lead us right to him and...

Ca.s.s." The news had obviously given Jack a burst of renewed * 185 *

hope. She was suddenly all nervous energy and antic.i.p.ation, sitting forward, one knee restlessly pumping up and down.

"Agreed," Chase replied. "We're going to find out where Dario lives and take it from there."

"He should be coming out any moment," Jack said as they stared at the monitor. "We're about to beat Reno at IDing our guy." Chase grinned. "It could crush him."

"About time someone rained on Little Miss Sunshine's parade." Jack tapped her foot. "He's taking his sweet time getting out, though."

Just then a big man in a suit appeared at the rear exit. He propped open the door and disappeared back inside.

"I saw him yesterday, he was escorting a-" The man in the suit pushed a wheelchair out the door. It was the same guy from the previous night they'd summarily dismissed as a possibility, and they still couldn't get a view of his face because of the camera angle."Dario is in a wheelchair?" Jack asked.

"Unless the other guy is the one who's being escorted."

"Fat chance."

"Exactly."

"Explains why he considers himself flawed and all he wants is to watch," Jack said.

They waited until Dario was helped into the waiting cab, then both scrambled to get in the front of the van. Chase stayed a few cars behind Dario.

"You think Heather will take the offer?" Jack asked.

"I doubt it."

"Sounds like a lot of money."

"She may be a call girl, but she's not for sale," Chase said.

"You sound pretty confident."

"I haven't been wrong about her yet."

"You didn't seem too sure after we got a look at Gigi's cell," Jack pointed out.

"I was angry and frustrated because I don't like being wrong.

Turns out I wasn't."

* 186 *

"Gotta hand it to Dario, he definitely did his homework on her." Chase frowned. "He's a manipulative b.a.s.t.a.r.d." The cab led them to Long Island's "Gold Coast" of luxurious mansions and elite private homes, where it turned into a fortress-like compound surrounded by a high wall. Security cameras were strategically placed near the ma.s.sive iron gate and at intervals atop the wall. They paused in front of the driveway, but the cab disappeared around the side of the enormous brick home, preventing them once again from getting a look at Dario. Thanks to the ma.s.sive security lights on the exterior, however, they did spot two additional goons working for the guy-one positioned by the front door and another on an upstairs balcony.

"I'm going to start thinking the guy doesn't have a face," Jack said."We need to update Pierce and get Reno working on IDing this guy." Chase pulled to the curb a short distance farther on and dialed headquarters. Once she had both of them on a conference call, she engaged the speakerphone. "Reno, we have Dario's address," she said, and rattled off the house number and street. "We need the full works on this guy ASAP. We also need you to run a check on all flights out of the New York metro area the day after tomorrow bound for China to see if he has a booking under his name."

"Running it now," Reno replied. "Should have it momentarily."

"Give me everything you've got," Pierce said.

Chase briefed him on all they'd learned.

Reno jumped in when she'd finished. "Okay, got it. The house ownership doesn't give us Dario's last name. The address is registered to Dragon Imports Unlimited, which at least confirms your suspicions that it's his bogus company. And unfortunately, I'm not finding any airline reservations to China with a Dario in the name."

"He could be traveling under an alias, if he has a fake pa.s.sport," Chase mused. "Or maybe he lied to Heather, and Dario is his cover name."

"From the looks of this place, he could have his own plane," Jack said.

* 187 *

"Any way you can get inside?" Pierce asked.

"Doubtful," Chase replied. "High security, and we know he has at least three bodyguards. Probably more, from the size of the place."

"At least you have a good lead on Rozsa, finally," Pierce said.

"Keep me apprised. I know you two will find a way to nail down where he's going. I'll have our people here ready to make your arrangements to follow him."

"Roger that." Chase disconnected.

"Looks like we're off to China," Jack said as Chase started the van and headed back toward Manhattan.

"The question is, where in China?"

"I have an idea."

"I was afraid you would," Chase said.

"Just hear me out and save your s.h.i.t fit for the end."

"I do enjoy a grand finale."

"Dario plans to leave soon and we can't find him booked on any flight. We still don't have his last name and no clue what he looks like."

"So far, so good."

"But we do know someone we can plant inside. Someone who can get close to Dario and lead us to Rozsa. a.s.suming, of course, she cooperates," Jack said.

"If you're implying we use a civilian, you're crazier than I thought."

"Landis, she's our only in."

"There's got to be another way."

"Yeah, if we wait around long enough, I'm sure something will come up," Jack said. "Problem is, we don't have the luxury of time."

"She's a civilian," Chase repeated. "And this guy probably has hundreds of homicidal idiots working for him. China is the cesspool of the organ trade, and he's headed there to likely off Rozsa. Do you really think Heather needs to get caught in the middle of that?"

"We'll have her back the whole time. Send her in wired."

"What happens when she has to...perform for Dario?" Chase asked.

* 188 *

"Wouldn't be the first time and, besides, the room will be bugged. We'll hear if she's in trouble."

"Have you seen his entourage and security? It's only going to get worse when he's surrounded by the likes of himself."

"Heather can help us get in," Jack said.

"What makes you think she'll even agree to your master plan?"

"Hey, we got nothing to lose by asking. Think about it, Landis.

She's our best shot at finding Ca.s.s."

Chase tiredly rubbed her face.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

"You're not the only one getting too old for this s.h.i.t. I don't think she'll agree and I don't know if I want her to."

"Let me talk to her."

"We'll do it together."

* 189 *

* 190 *