“I do.” It was a good point, one she could respect. She’d tell Doug about it when they met for sushi tonight. “And I promise you Douglas Gleason will not be seen in this department again.”

Dr. Monnet turned and walked back toward the door. He left without a good-bye. She heard only a sigh and thought he said, “Yes, I know,” but she couldn’t be sure.

14

“Oh, no,” Jack muttered as he followed Monnet onto the ramp off Glen Cove Road. “Don’t tell me he’s heading for Monroe.”

This little jaunt had started in midtown after he’d returned from delivering a special party favor to the Ashe brothers on Long Island.

He rubbed his jaw from where the beard glue had irritated his skin. Had to admit he’d pulled a pretty damn efficient maneuver this afternoon with Sal’s truck, leaving Dragovic’s men stranded on the Queensboro Bridge.

He’d been in frequent contact with Gia since then and so far Dragovic’s men hadn’t returned.

He’d met Nadia in front of the Duane Reade across the street from her office as she’d suggested. He was just pressing a manila envelope containing the sample of inert Berzerk into her hand when he saw Monnet step out the door and start walking.

Jack had pointed him out and said, “There’s your boss man. I’m going to see where he’s off to.”

Nadia was glancing nervously about as she stuffed the envelope into her shoulder bag. “Isn’t this an illegal drug?” she whispered. “Can I get arrested?”

“No,” he said, moving off. “It’s not Berzerk anymore. Every so often the stuff turns inert—all at once. This stuff turned the other day.”

Her eyes widened so much he thought they were going to bulge out of her head. “What?”

“I said—”

“I know what you said; it’s just…”

Jack had figured she thought he was nuts. “Hey, that’s what I was told.” Other people were coming between them now, and he’d moved far enough away so that he had to raise his voice. “Sorry I couldn’t get you the active stuff. Maybe tomorrow or the next day.”

Nadia had only stared.

He’d waved and hurried off to catch up with Monnet. But even now, almost an hour later, he was still puzzled by her expression. He’d expected disbelief, but hers had looked more like… anguish.

He’d followed Monnet to an Avis rental garage. As soon as he’d seen Monnet step through the door, Jack caught a cab back to the garage where he kept the Buick, then raced back to Avis just in time to see Monnet pull out and head toward the East Side. Jack had followed him through the Midtown Tunnel, along the LIE to Glen Cove Road. And now… toward Monroe.

After his near-death experience there last month, he’d hoped never to see that overly quaint little town again. But here he was, heading down the road toward Long Island’s Gold Coast and the Incorporated Village of Monroe.

He took heart from the fact that Monnet was a scientist, a feet-solidly-on-the ground type, not the sort to be involved in the weirdness that seemed to gravitate toward Monroe. But what the hell was he doing out here?