"About you or Annie?"

Rheyna felt her cheeks redden. "Both."

Caroline grinned. "Yes, both of you, silly. Besides, Mom will want to show you the pictures she chose and ... she loves dogs."

Rheyna opened the door and walked Caroline to her car. "In that case, how can I possibly refuse an offer like that?" she said, closing Caroline's car door.

Caroline started the engine and rolled the window down. "Dinner's at seven. I'll see you then," she said and then backed out of the driveway.

Rheyna waited for her to disappear from sight and then headed back inside to make her phone call to Laura. She hit the speed dial and slid the patio door pen.

"Well, good evening, Ms. Forrest," she said happily into the phone when Laura answered.

"You sure sound chipper," Laura said.

Rheyna was bubbling with excitement. She told herself it was because her plan was working so well. If she were honest, she would admit that her excitement had more to do with seeing Caroline again. "I'm having dinner tomorrow night at seven with Caroline and her mother."

"Excellent. You've really outdone yourself this time and Edwards wanted me to tell you that he was impressed."

"Really? Edwards said that?" Rheyna asked, a little shocked.

"Yep, and you know as well as I do that impressing him isn't an easy feat."

"I hear you, but we can't get too excited yet."

"You're being modest, but okay. I'll try to contain myself."

Laura was silent for several seconds, and Rheyna could tell that she was digesting the information. Rheyna also sensed that Laura was thinking along the same lines. This was the opening they were looking for and hoped they would get. They just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

Rheyna was the first to speak. "Caroline said her father left for New Jersey. You know anything about that?"

"Yeah, just a few minutes ago, Stevens told me Artie picked up the tail at Newark's Liberty International Airport."

"Any idea what's going on?"

"Edwards thinks Castrucci's gathering support from the Commission, just as we suspected."

"There's a real surprise. How are we doing on the warrant?"

"Ron is working on it as we speak."

"Okay, I was just thinking that I might be able to get something in place before Castrucci gets back."

"I'll call you as soon as I get word. Talk with you soon."

Rheyna hung up the phone and went inside. She walked back to the camera room, grabbed her bag of toys, and took them into the living room. She knew that if the electronic gadgets in the bag were anything like her camera equipment, she was in for a treat. Thanks to modern-day technology and the creation of microchips, covert surveillance was on a completely different level, and because of this new technology, she didn't have to worry about anyone searching her house. If they did, they wouldn't find anything suspicious.

She emptied the duffel bag on the counter and sorted the items into two piles. She placed the cameras on one side and the listening devices on the other. "Not sure what they thought I'd do with this," she said as she picked up a smoke detector and popped open the lid. She had to look real close to see the infrared camera lens. She thought it would look a little bit out of place on Castrucci's ceiling or walls. She picked up a digital camera, masquerading as a matchbook. It was designed to take a picture each time the flap was squeezed. She looked at several items and decided that the ballpoint pen was the least likely to be discovered. She had no idea where she would leave the listening device. She would just have to wait and see what opportunities arose.

Big Tony and Sonny stood just outside the airport entrance and waited for the limousine to come to a stop. The driver jumped out, came around, and opened the rear door. Sonny took his seat across from Big Tony. He grabbed two gla.s.ses and a bottle of scotch from the mini-bar and poured them a drink.

Big Tony lifted the phone off the receiver and punched in a number. "Yeah, we just arrived and should be there within the hour," he said into the phone. "Okay ... Got it." He placed the phone back in the cradle and took the gla.s.s from Sonny. A smile formed on his lips as he watched the liquid swirl around in the gla.s.s. He tilted his head back and emptied the contents in one gulp.

Sonny refilled the gla.s.s before taking a drink of his own. "If Carlos catches word of this, we'll both be floatin' in the bay."

Big Tony dismissed his concern with a flick of his hand. "Who's gonna tell him? Not Don Vitto, they all want him out, too." He reached over and patted Sonny on the side of his cheek. "You worry too f.u.c.kin' much."

Chapter 9.

Rheyna glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly six P.M. She had risen early as usual, and to kill time, she and Annie had spent a couple hours sitting out on the deck, her with a book and Annie barking at anything that moved.

Afterward, they sat on the couch, watching TV. In all honesty, she had spent most of the time watching the clock slowly tick the hours away. She didn't think the day was ever going to end. Now that it was time to get ready, she felt a nervous energy.

She decided to take a quick shower and get dressed. Although she had shopped for more than two hours and spent over six-hundred dollars on new clothes, she couldn't make up her mind on what to wear. She stood in front of the closet for at least thirty-minutes, finally choosing a black pair of slacks, and a silk emerald green blouse. She completed the outfit with a pair of ankle-high, black boots that zipped up the side.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and was pleased with what she saw. The California sun was already working its magic on her skin. She had turned a golden brown, which served to enhance the grayness of her eyes. She ran a comb through her hair and added a little eyeliner. What am I doing? It's not as if this is a date or anything, she told herself after deciding to add mascara.

Her cell ringing in the other room prevented her from probing the motive behind her actions any further. She laid the tube of mascara on the sink and ran to answer it.

"I just wanted to let you know that we got the warrant," Laura said on the other end.

"Great. I'll let you know how it goes."

"Don't take any unnecessary risks, okay?"

Rheyna could hear the concern in Laura's voice. "I won't," she said as a way of rea.s.suring her. "If I get the chance, I'll try to get something in place."

"All right, and you call me as soon as you get home."

"I will," she said, and hung up the phone.

She was feeling a little on edge and decided to have a gla.s.s of wine. After she drank the last drop, she put the harness around Annie's little body. It had taken her several tries at first to figure out how the contraption worked, but she was now a pro at it.

She snapped the leash on and led Annie out to the Jeep. She settled Annie into the seat beside her, pulled the seat belt through Annie's harness, and buckled her in before securing her own belt.

Within a few minutes, she and Annie had safely arrived at the Castrucci estate. They were immediately granted entry through the gate. When she got to the top of the driveway, she frowned. The same two heavily armed men from her first visit approached the car. She stood there while the same man did his body search. This time, however, she didn't give it a second thought as she watched her Jeep go though the same treatment.

Caroline greeted the two of them at the door. "Hi, you two." She looked Rheyna up and down without any reservation whatsoever. "You look great," she said to Rheyna with a brilliant smile that made Rheyna's heart skip an all-too-familiar beat.

She thinks I look great, Rheyna thought as her senses were a.s.saulted with the smell of Caroline's perfume. She also noticed the smell of something else-food. "Mmm ...something smells good."

"That would be Mom's cooking," Caroline said, grinning. "When I told her you were coming, she insisted on giving Rosa the night off and cooking you a traditional Italian dinner."

Rheyna and Annie followed her through the foyer and past the room where Rheyna had taken their photos. They entered the second room off to the right.

The walls in the dining room were painted a deep burgundy color three-fourths of the way down. White Wains Coating covered the remainder. It was gorgeous, and Rheyna wouldn't have expected anything less. At the far end of the room, Terasa Castrucci was busy laying out tableware on a Henry the Eighth table that stretched almost the entire length of the wall.

Rheyna counted fourteen chairs and then turned toward the marble-encased gas fireplace. She thought it added a homey feeling to the room. Her eyes fell to the feast lying on the table and her mouth watered. Terasa finished what she was doing and smiled. Now I know where Caroline gets it from, she thought as she looked at the older woman.

Terasa walked over to them and took Rheyna's hands in hers. She surprised Rheyna by kissing her on the cheek and then she knelt down to Annie's level, just as Caroline had done. She held her hand out for Annie to smell. "And who do we have here?" she asked, smiling at Annie.

"Mom, this is Annie."

Terasa took Annie's head in both hands and planted a kiss on top of her head. The act of kindness caught Rheyna off guard. It was obvious that Annie was enamored as well. She kissed the older woman back before she had a chance to get out of the way. Terasa laughed and kissed Annie on top of the head again. It thrilled Annie so much, that if she wagged her tail any faster, she was certain to dislocate something.

"Caroline said you were a cutie, and I can see that she's right." She turned to face Rheyna. "I'm glad you decided to come for dinner, Rheyna. I hope you're hungry."

"I'm starving," she said, and she wasn't lying. The smell was killing her.

"I'm glad to hear that. Do you like Italian?"

"It's my favorite."

Terasa walked around the table and took a seat at the far end. She motioned for Rheyna to take the seat to her right. "Caroline, will you please pour us something to drink?"

They waited for Caroline to fill their wine gla.s.ses and then Terasa spooned a huge slice of lasagna on each of their plates.

Caroline came around and took the seat next to Rheyna and as she did, her leg slightly brushed against Rheyna's outer thigh. Terasa was speaking, but Rheyna found it hard to concentrate. Thank G.o.d for Annie. She wiggled her way in between their legs.

"Caroline tells me that you've only lived here for a couple months," Terasa was saying.

Rheyna nodded, taking a sip of the wine. "I just couldn't take the cold." She took a bite of the lasagna and thought she had died and gone to heaven-it was fabulous.

"What about your family?" Terasa asked.

"I don't have any," she managed to say between mouthfuls of lasagna. "At least none that I'm close to, my parents were killed in a car wreck when I was twenty two," she lied. She felt bad about deceiving this wonderful woman and her daughter, but she had no choice.

"I'm so sorry, you poor dear," Terasa said with sincerity, making Rheyna feel worse, if that was possible.

"Thank you. It's not as bad as it used to be," she lied again. She wanted to change the subject. "This lasagna is delicious, Mrs. Castrucci."

"Please, Rheyna, call me Terasa."

"Are you an only child?" Caroline asked.

Rheyna nodded her head. "Yes, I am."

Caroline's face flushed with embarra.s.sment. "I'm sorry, Rheyna. I invite you for dinner and Mom and I give you the third degree."

"It's all right, I don't mind," she said, although she wanted to talk about something else besides her life. She knew when it came to telling lies, less said was the route to go. Otherwise, the risk increased of adding too much-or worse, leaving something out.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters, Caroline?" Rheyna asked the question, although she knew the answer.

"Nope, I'm an only child, " Caroline answered, then added, "but I'm sure my Dad wishes that I had been a boy. You know, to carry on the family name and all." There was no mistaking the sarcasm in her voice.

"Caroline, you know that your father loves you just the way you are," her mother interjected.

"Loving me and wis.h.i.+ng I were his son are two different things."

For the next half hour, they chitchatted about the weather and the new stores that had opened in Palo Alto. Rheyna learned that the Palo Alto stores were Terasa's favorite shopping grounds. Terasa stood and gathered up the dishes. Rheyna stood to help.

"Oh, no you don't, you sit there and relax," Terasa scolded as she continued to clear the table. "Did you two save room for dessert?" she asked.

Caroline's eyebrows shot up. "Did you make what I think you did?"

Terasa nodded her head. "Of course I did."

Caroline grinned. "Oh ... my ... gosh ... her tiramisu is to die for."

"If it's going to kill me, I probably shouldn't have any," Rheyna said half joking, half-serious.

Caroline laughed. "You know what I mean."

"In that case, I guess I have no choice, then," Rheyna said as her thoughts turned to Caroline's comments regarding her dad. "Do you really think your dad wishes you were a boy?" she asked.

Caroline laid her fork down and picked up her wine gla.s.s. She thought about the question for a minute before answering. "Yes, especially where the business is concerned."

Rheyna could see the hurt in Caroline's eyes, and it made her dislike Castrucci all that much more. "What does your father do for a living?" she asked, just to see what Caroline would say.

"A little bit of everything." Caroline paused to take a sip of wine. "You know where Palo Alto is, right?"

Rheyna nodded her head.

"He owns a little eatery downtown called Pal Joey's plus several import and export warehouses down by the docks." She was silent for a moment. "I'm sure there are others, some that I don't know about."

Rheyna found it hard to believe that Caroline would be so ignorant as to not know the extent of her father's business dealings. However, it made all the sense in the world to her that Caroline wouldn't be inclined to share that information with a stranger and although Rheyna was having dinner with Caroline and her mother, she was, in effect, still a stranger.

"He sounds like a very busy man. Is that why he's out of town?" she asked.

Before Caroline could answer, Terasa walked in carrying a tray with the most delectable dessert Rheyna had ever seen. Terasa placed a huge plateful in front of her.

"Wow ... I think I'm about to put on an extra ten-pounds," she laughed.

Clarence leaned back and stretched his legs lengthwise across the front seat. He skimmed through the pages of the Playboy magazine. The men had been inside the house for almost two hours. It's a good thing I get paid by the hour, he thought as he flipped to centerfold layout.

If he were more observant, he would have noticed Artie and another FBI agent sitting in a black sedan parked less than a hundred-yards away. The sedan was the same one that had followed them from the airport to Commission member, Don Vitto Lucchese's lavish estate.