She replayed that afternoon in her mind, walking through the glass doors on the twenty-first floor with Leo Weinstein, sitting in the reception area, then being led down a hall to Haffner’s office. She remembered looking out the window and seeing the blue canopy of the Chemists’ Club across the street below.

“He overlooks Forty-fifth Street.”

“That’s a start. But I need to know exactly. Is it a corner office?”

“No. But it’s right next to a corner office—the east corner.”

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely. I remember thinking that Thomas might not have the top man in the firm, but he seems to have someone close to the top.”

“The office next to the east corner overlooking Forty-fifth,” Jack said. “Got it.”

“What’s up?” she said.

“You’re going to have a meeting with Mr. Haffner Monday morning. You’re going to tell him you’re ready to sell the place.”

She almost choked on a mouthful of turkey. She coughed and swallowed.

“Like hell, I am!”

“Easy. Just listen. You’re going to ask an absurd amount, say, ten million.”

“They’ll never go for that.”

“Of course not. The offer isn’t the point. It’s the meeting we want. I’ll explain all the details later. Right now you should be freeing up Monday morning so you can be there. A guy named Sean O’Neill will be calling you this afternoon. He’ll be your lawyer on Monday.”

“My lawyer? But he doesn’t know a thing about—”

“He doesn’t need to, and believe me, he doesn’t want to. Sean’s greatest pleasure in life is driving other lawyers crazy. He’ll set up the meeting for you.”

She checked her calendar. Monday morning… she’d have to excuse herself from the monthly meeting of the infectious disease department… but nothing else was pressing.

“Okay. Can do it. But the earlier the better.”

“Good. That makes two of us.”

“This is all very weird, Jack. I’d like to know what’s going on.”

“I’ll explain everything Sunday night when we have our rehearsal.”

“Rehearsal?”

“Yeah. You, me, and Sean. But the important thing for you to know right now is that setting up this meeting with the lawyers gives us a breather. No one’s going to be making another grab for you or threaten you if they think an agreement might be reached on Monday. That means you can stop looking over your shoulder—at least for the weekend.”

“That’s a relief.”

“For both of us. Gotta run. Talk to you later.”

And then he was gone.

Alicia hung up and attacked her sandwich with new gusto. She felt as if a lead weight had been removed from the pit of her stomach. She wouldn’t have to live like a fugitive for the next couple of days.