Udal felt sick to his stomach when he got up to leave his comfortable chair in the Crown Room. Maybe he'd gone too high. He wished Elias had been a little more specific. He hoped to hell the casinos wouldn't balk.

Udal spent the forty-minute drive back to the city hitting his speed dial and talking to one after the other of the casino executives. A few complained but in the end agreed to his outrageous demand.

He felt a little better when he spoke to the owner of the Crystal Palace, who said, "Jesus, Pete, I'd agree to double if you can guarantee to get rid of Hank Owens and his gang. Count me in. If you need me to talk it up with some of the other execs, be glad to do it."

"Thanks, Jerry, I got it covered."

"Is it a guarantee, Pete? Are they that good?"

Udal forced a laugh. "Money-back guarantee."

"Hey, Pete, heard your main guy had a little fender bender." He started to laugh and couldn't stop. "You guys are paying Cricket way too much. Moreover, he was over the white line."

"Yeah, I'm buying him a moped for Christmas."

"Damn, I'd pay to see that guy riding one of those. See you around, Pete. Call me if you need help."

"Thanks, Jerry. I'll stop by when we have this all locked up, and we can have a drink and shoot the breeze."

"I'll look forward to it."

Udal looked at his watch. Right on time. He wondered if Lizzie Fox was one of those women who liked to make an entrance or to be fashionably late or whatever the hell it was women did to keep men on their toes.

He pulled up in front of the Rabbit Hole, double-parked, stuck a bright blue NGC sticker on his windshield, and got out of the car. No one looked at him. No one even glanced his way. For the first time he noticed that the day was bright and shiny. He hoped it was a good omen.

The Rabbit Hole was a dismal place with cracked linoleum on the floor. The tables listed and had cardboard under the legs to keep them steady. The vinyl on the chairs was covered with strips of gray electrical tape. He wasn't sure, but he thought the vinyl might have once been turquoise in color. Dark green pull-down shades graced the windows. There were nine tables in all and a counter where lone customers sat so as not to take up an entire table. With all the stainless steel and mirrors it looked like a diner.

The Rabbit Hole had four things on their menu. Beef stew, chicken noodle soup that was loaded with actual chicken, fresh bread, and honest-to-God homemade apple pie that was served with ice cream whether you wanted it or not.