"Which was?"

"I went to Chief Inspector Kramer-one cop to another-and asked him. He said he didn't think she would have any problems, the mayor was never going to find that out, but he was worried about Ali Abd Ar-Raziq, aka Detective Jack Britton."

"Oh, yeah," Charley said.

"He said there was a very good chance the AALs would try to whack him-and that was before you stole the airplane back, which is really going to piss those people off. Whack him or his family. And could I offer him a job somewhere-anywhere-out of Philadelphia?"

"And you did?"

"I actually had to sell him on the Secret Service, but yeah. And I put a couple of guys in the Philadelphia office on the AALs until we get him and his family out of town. I wonder if he'll spot them?"

"Probably. That guy is one hell of a cop. I'm really glad to hear that, Joel. Thank you."

"He'll earn his keep," Isaacson said.

"I'm sure he will."

"And I figured what the hell, since I was already there, and I know the boss was really impressed with her, I asked Sergeant Schneider if she was interested in moving up in the world of law enforcement."

"And was she?" Charley asked.

His heart jumped.

"Yeah, sure. Once I told her how much a special agent makes. You know how little the cops get paid?"

"That's very interesting," Charley said. "I'm sure she'll be an asset."

"Who the hell do you think you're kidding, Gringo?" Fernando Lopez asked, laughing. "Your nostrils are flaring."