Bingham nodded and commented: “This case is a goddamned pain in the ass. Just make sure I’m informed of any breaking news while you’re away. I don’t want any surprises.” He looked down at his desk and picked up the mail. “You people have a good trip and send me a postcard.”

Laurie and Jack went out into the hall and smiled at each other.

“Well, it looks good,” Jack said. “Bingham was the major potential stumbling block.”

“I wonder if we should have told him we’re going to Africa because of the liver issue?” Laurie asked.

“I don’t think so,” Jack said. “He might have changed his mind about letting us go. As far as he’s concerned, he wishes this case would just disappear.”

Retiring to their separate offices, Laurie phoned the Equatoguinean Embassy about the visas, while Jack called the airlines. She quickly learned that Esteban had been right about the ease of getting a visa and that it could be done that morning. Jack found Air France happy to make all the arrangements, and he agreed to stop by their office that afternoon to pick up the tickets.

Laurie appeared in Jack’s office. She was beaming. “I’m beginning to think this is really going to happen,” she said excitedly. “How’d you do?”

“Fine,” Jack said. “We leave tonight at seven-fifty.”

“I can’t believe this,” Laurie said. “I feel like a teenager going on my first trip.”

After making arrangements with the travel and immunization office at the Manhattan General Hospital, they called Warren. He agreed to get in touch with Natalie and meet them at the hospital.

The nurse practitioner gave each of them a battery of shots as well as prescriptions for antimalarial drugs. She also urged them to wait a full week before exposure. Jack explained that was impossible. The nurse’s response was to say that she was glad they were going and not she.

In the hall outside the travel office, Warren asked Jack what the woman meant.

“It takes up to a week for these shots to take effect,” Jack explained. “That is, except for the gamma globulin.”

“Are we taking a risk, then?” Warren asked.

“Life’s a risk,” Jack quipped. “Seriously, there’s some risk, but each day our immune systems will be better prepared. The main problem is the malaria, but I intend to take a hell of a lot of insect repellant.”

“So you’re not concerned?” Warren asked.

“Not enough to keep me home,” Jack said.

After leaving the hospital, they all went to a passport photo place and had snapshots taken. With those in hand, Laurie, Warren, and Natalie left to visit the Equatoguinean Embassy.

Jack caught a taxi and directed it to the University Hospital. Once there, he went directly up to Dr. Peter Malovar’s lab. As usual he found the aged pathologist bent over his microscope. Jack waited respectfully until the professor had finished studying his current slide.

“Ahhh, Dr. Stapleton,” Dr. Malovar said, catching sight of Jack. “I’m glad you came. Now, where is that slide of yours?”