“Don’t be stupid,” he said shortly. “Of course it will. Why do you think I’m here? I didn’t want to deal with you. Kevin wouldn’t listen to anyone else after he brought you into the project. I knew it was going to cause trouble. Now it’s happening again. Doane came to me and offered us the nukes. Then, all of a sudden, he said that you had to be bought off. Well, I’ve done it. You have what you want. Now prove that you’ll give us what we want.”

“I’m not stupid, Cartland,” she said coldly. “You’ve obviously been associating too closely with your Middle Eastern cohorts who think that ‘woman’ is a synonym for ‘feeblemindedness.’ And you’ve not bought me off, you’ve only made the first installment.” She was heading for the safe-deposit-box section. “I’ve decided that I have job for you to do that will make my departure from these shores a little safer. Now be quiet until we get this business over with. Then we’ll talk, and you’ll find out the price for being touted as the next Bin Laden.”

*   *   *

“SHE TOOK HIM TO THE BANK of America on State Street,” Caleb said when Jane picked up the phone. “I’m e-mailing you a photo of Cartland. He’s in his forties, well dressed, dark hair. Very much the American businessman.”

“You didn’t expect him to look like he just stepped off the plane from Tehran,” Jane said. “Did you hear anything? Could you plant any listening bugs?”

“No time. And it would take a hell of a lot more sophisticated mobile equipment than I could pick up at a mall or on the street.” He added dryly, “So even if I could get close enough, the only way I could get anything would be to read their lips. Maybe your friend, Margaret, might have that kind of skill, I don’t. I’m outside the bank, and I’ll wait until they come out and follow them.” He paused. “It may come down to me protecting that bitch if Cartland decides to try to take her down.”

“She’s into power. I can’t see her not being able to manipulate him.”

“He’s a terrorist.”

“Same answer. Be careful, Caleb. We’re on our way to Wrigley Field. Call me as soon as they leave the bank.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” He hung up and leaned back against the door of the bakery across the street from the bank. This wasn’t the kind of stalking of which he was fond. He had done it before during the years when he was hunting down his sister’s murderer, and he had learned all the tricks. But it was more detective work than seeking out prey.

It would have been so simple if Jane had permitted him to go after Harriet and make her talk to him. Simple and completely efficient.

Don’t think about it. Do what Jane wanted him to do. Keep the flame burning low.

His time would come.

*   *   *

CARTLAND FROWNED AS HE gazed down at the sheaf of papers in the open safe-deposit box. “What the hell is this crap? I thought you might be going to give me the detonator.”

“I never said that. I just said you’d find it valuable.” She picked up the papers and handed them to him. “And interesting. Kevin wasn’t sure that you wouldn’t cause him trouble with Tehran when he moved those nukes. He set about getting insurance.” She watched his face as he scanned the documents. “You weren’t always hard-line al-Qaeda. You made deals that Iran would find not only disloyal but offensive to their religious creed.” She listened to him cursing for a moment. “If they knew about those transactions, you’d be on their hit list. And you know how deadly it can be for those on that hit list.”

His angry gaze swooped up to her face. “Blackmail, you bitch.”

“Yes,” she said. “I had to be certain that you understood that I’m not anyone you can discount or try to manipulate. We can work together, or you can go on the run and hope you have a week before they butcher you.” She stared him in the eye. “Until this is over, I’m in charge. Do we understand each other?”

He didn’t speak for a moment, and she could read the struggle in his expression. “Maybe,” he muttered.

No maybe, she thought triumphantly. He had caved. He might try to save his pride, but she had him. “Then I’m willing to show you this.” She lifted the black cloth in the bottom of the box on which she’d placed the documents. “Since we’re going to be such good partners in the battle for Islam.”

Cartland’s brow furrowed as he looked down into the box. “A cell phone? What the hell?”

“Why are you surprised?” Harriet said. “You set off bombs all the time using a cell phone as a detonator.”

“But this is an antique.” He gazed skeptically at the large, clumsy-looking cell phone. He took out his own sleek, thin iPhone. “Technology has left it in the dust.”

“It was the last thing in technology five years ago,” Harriet said. “And once the phone is charged it will still work beautifully. I consulted with an electronics expert just six months ago.” She looked him in the eye. “Believe me, all I’ll have to do is put in the code. Boom. There goes Chicago and Seattle.”

“Both cities?”

“My Kevin was brilliant. You never appreciated him. We were going to get on a plane to Samoa, and as the door closed, he was going to press in the code.”

“That’s still your plan?”

“With certain modifications.”

His voice was suddenly eager. “You said you weren’t going to give me the detonator.”

“Do you see me handing it over to you?” She took the cell phone out of the box and slipped it into her handbag. “But now that you understand who makes the rules, I don’t object to proving that I have it.”

“I want that cell phone, Harriet.”

“Forget it. It would do you absolutely no good without the code. Surely you don’t think I’d give that to you?”

“I believe you could be persuaded,” he said softly.

“How nasty. Are you threatening me, Cartland? Remember those documents? On my death, my lawyer will FedEx a copy to Iran. And do you think I brought you here to flaunt this detonator in your face? I know you have no problems with torture. Kevin told me all about you and your friends. He said you were amateurs. That’s why he took the devices away from you.”

“He was a traitor.” His cheeks flushed. “I was glad when I heard he’d been killed.”

“And you all ran for cover.” She smothered the rage she was feeling. Cartland still had his uses. “Think what you like. I know what my son could do.” She took a deep breath. “You’re thinking that you don’t have to know where the nukes are located if you have that detonator. You’re quite right. That’s why you have to deal with me and not my ex-husband. I have the detonator, and I have the code. That gives me all the cards, Cartland. And it puts me in the driver’s seat.” She added, “You’ll like the way I drive. I’m waiting for James to give me the death of the man who butchered my son. Then I’ll personally set off those nukes. You won’t have to do a thing but accept the responsibility. You’ll have no risk. You and your little group can take credit and become big men in Tehran. And I’ll have a red herring that will give me time to go underground. Interested?”

“Maybe,” he said cautiously.

“You’re very interested.”

“You want more money.”

“Yes, one more payment would make me happy. It should be sent to the same bank a week after the explosions take place. I’m taking a chance on you, of course. But I still will have those documents, and I’m sure that you won’t want those politicians in Tehran to know that I’m the one who will be responsible for the explosions. It would be humiliating for you to have them know that you took credit for the work of a lowly woman. I’ll just disappear into the sunset.”

“That would be best,” he said slowly.

“I thought so.”

He was silent. “Just one more payment?”

“And perhaps a favor or two.”

He stiffened. “Favor?”

“Kevin told me that you were a very clever man. You trained at a camp outside Berlin that specialized not only in bomb making but assassination. I’m sure you’ve just gotten better over the years.”