Gia padded across the thick Oriental rug that lined the foyer floor and approached the front door as the bell rang again. Probably Jack and he’d forgotten his key, but just to be sure, she put her eye to the peephole—

And froze.

Gia’s heart kicked up its tempo as she recognized the two men standing on her front step—from the other day on the beach in front of Milos Dragovic’s house. No way she’d forget the obnoxious one with the bad bleach job.

What were they doing here? How had they found her? Why?

Jack. Had to be Jack. Always Jack. He’d been interested in Dragovic, and the objects of Jack’s interest tended not to be the happiest bunch after he finished with them. But now Jack—and she as well, it seemed—had attracted the attention of the city’s most notorious mobster.

Gia jumped as the bell chimed again. She looked back down the hall, hoping Vicky wouldn’t hear it and come charging in expecting to find Jack. The best thing was probably to stay quiet and hope they’d conclude no one was home. Since the town houses here all sat cheek by jowl along the sidewalk, there was no way for them to go around to the rear. Maybe they’d just give up and go away.

She heard them talking on the other side of the door. It didn’t sound like English.

Finally they walked back to the black Lincoln sedan at the curb. Gia breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled away, but they didn’t go far. They parked at the end of the cul-de-sac and lit cigarettes.

They’re watching for us. Damn them!

Gia felt a quiet anger begin to simmer beneath her uneasiness. She and Vicky were trapped in their own home. And they had Jack to thank for that.

She picked up the phone and dialed his beeper. He got us into this; he can damn well get us out.

11

“Whatsa matta?” Sal Vituolo said, giggling as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “You don’t think that’s funny?”

Sal had just run the tape of last night’s raid on the little TV-VCR set in his office.

“I think it’s perfect,” Jack said.

Ten minutes ago he would have had some good yucks watching Dragovic’s goons running and ducking as the tires chased them. That would have been before he’d spoken to Gia and learned that two of those goons were parked outside her door at this very moment.

He knew how they’d found her: had to be that hidden security camera by Dragovic’s front gate.

My fault. Should have spotted it sooner. Must have recorded a picture of the car, and they traced her from the plate.

Damn! Never should have taken them along.

The good news was that Dragovic couldn’t know that Gia had any connection to last night’s rubber rain. He was just flailing about.

Trouble was, the man might get lucky.

Jack’s first thought had been to tell Gia to call the cops and complain about two suspicious-looking guys lurking outside. That would chase them, but not far. They’d move, but they would not go away.