As they pulled out into Lorillard Place, heading quickly toward East Fordham Road, Prek filled Neri in on the afternoon’s operation. What they had in mind to pull off was a pair of Albanian specialties: a blindingly fast hit and snatch, in broad daylight if necessary. In the Albanian mind-set, it didn’t matter. Neri was excited; this would be his first official hit. They checked that their automatic pistols were loaded. Duct tape, blankets, balaclavas, two Columbia University Medical Center police uniforms, and a can of Ultane, a volatile, rapid-induction anesthetic, were piled into the back of the van.

The white van pulled into a garage and Genti got out and climbed into a blue van. Starting it up, he followed Prek in the white van. They parked the blue van near the George Washington Bridge and set out again in the white van toward Columbia University Medical Center.

Chapter 46.

46.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
NEW YORK CITY
MARCH 25, 2011, 3:54 P.M.

Unbeknownst to George Wilson, at the same time he was thinking about contacting the police, Pia was too. Not seriously, but it had crossed her mind. It was certainly true that if an investigation needed to be done, they were far more capable and could turn over rocks she couldn’t even approach. But then there was the issue of what she would tell them. Would she say that she’d picked up a few lonely alpha particles in a coffee cup and thought it was evidence of a grand conspiracy? Of course not. There was no doubt in her mind that she would not be taken seriously, which ultimately would increase her vulnerability rather than decrease it. The police would think she was crazy and probably call the dean, believing they were acting in her best interest. Of course, going to the police had another downside. They might be tempted to look her up in their computer, and even though bad stuff about her teenage years was not supposed to be there, it might be. No, she would not go to the police. Instead, as planned, she’d go to the OCME in a final attempt to figure out the affair. If that didn’t yield overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing, she’d give up, just as she’d told George.

When Pia had reached the street coming from the hospital cafeteria, her intention had been to head down to Broadway to take the subway downtown. But feeling the temperature and noticing that the rain had increased, she decided to take a quick detour back to the dorm for a better coat and an umbrella. She knew the subway would get her only so close to the OCME and that she’d end up walking. How far, she had no idea.