“No, it would be better if you could make it unflyable so that it would crash not long after takeoff.”

“I can do that,” he said. “Where is the airplane?”

“It’s parked at Atlantic Aviation, on the ramp. Eagle always stops there.”

“I know the place. The ramp is accessible, if you know what you’re doing. How about this: they use runway 21 for takeoff and landing. Where would he be flying to?”

“Santa Fe.”

“East, good. On takeoff on 21, they fly straight out over the beach and the water, then after a minute or two they turn right. How about if the airplane is disabled right at that point? It would crash into the water, breaking into a thousand pieces.”

“So they could never be sure of recovering all the bits, could they?” she asked.

“Nope, that’s the beauty of it.”

“Do you have access to the explosives?”

“I do. And I wouldn’t need more than half a pound of plastic to do the job.”

“How would you set it off?”

“There are two good ways. The best is with an altimeter rigged to a detonator. How soon do I need to do this?”

“He’s here for the convention and he flies back to Santa Fe tomorrow. And he always takes off around nine A.M. He’s a creature of habit.”

“I can’t get everything I need for the altimeter detonator by tomorrow, but I can use a cell phone.”

“How do you mean?”

“I plug a cell phone into a detonator and the detonator into the plastic. Then I sit on the beach with a phone and wait for the airplane to take off. All I have to do is make a call and, poof! your problem, whatever it is, is solved.”

“Ideal,” she said.

“This one is going to cost you five-zero grand.”

“That’s very steep,” she said.

“I’m sure you can find somebody cheaper,” Harry said and made to get up.

“Sit down.”

He sat.

She pushed a thick envelope into his hand. “There’s twenty-five thousand in there,” she said, “and you’ll get the other twenty-five right here, tomorrow at noon, if you’ve been successful.”

“And if I’m not?”

“Then you will still be here at noon and bring me twenty back. The five is for your trouble.”

Harry took the envelope and put it into his coat pocket. “I’ll count it later,” he said. “What’s the tail number of the airplane?”

She told him. “They always park it on the ramp, west of the hangars. There’ll be a line of airplanes parked there.”

“I know the place.”

“Stay here and have some lunch,” she said. “Then get to work.” She got up and left.

Harry watched her back as she walked away from the café. “Nice ass,” he said aloud to himself.

Chapter 29