There was a pause.

“I trust you are still there, Doctor,” Vinnie said.

“Yes, of course,” Raymond said. A raucous buzzing sounded. Vinnie pushed open the heavy door and entered. His minions followed.

“I don’t think the good doctor is terribly excited to see us,” Vinnie quipped as they rode up in the small elevator. The three men were pressed together like cigars in a triple pack.

Raymond met his visitors as they exited the lift. He was obviously nervous as he shook hands with all three after the introductions. He gestured for them to enter his apartment and then showed them into a small, mahogany-paneled study.

“Coffee anyone?” Raymond asked.

Franco and Angelo looked at Vinnie.

“I wouldn’t turn down an expresso if it’s not too much trouble,” Vinnie said. Franco and Angelo said they’d have the same.

Raymond used his desk phone to place the order.

Raymond’s worst fears had materialized the moment he’d caught sight of his uninvited guests. From his perspective they appeared like stereotypes from a grade-B movie. Vinnie was about five-ten, darkly complected and handsome, with full features and slicked-back hair. He was obviously the boss. The other two men were both over six feet and gaunt. Their noses and lips were thin and their eyes were beady and deeply set. They could have been brothers. The main difference in their appearance was the condition of Angelo’s skin. Raymond thought it looked like the far side of the moon.

“Can I take your coats?” Raymond asked.

“We don’t intend on staying too long,” Vinnie said.

“At least sit down,” Raymond said.

Vinnie relaxed into a leather armchair. Franco and Angelo sat stiffly on a velvet-covered settee. Raymond sat behind his desk.

“What can I do for you gentlemen?” Raymond said, trying to assume a confident air.

“The favor we did for you last night was not easy to pull off,” Vinnie said. “We thought you’d like to know how it was arranged.”

Raymond let out a little, mirthless laugh through a weak smile. He held up his hands as if to ward off something coming his way. “That’s not necessary. I’m certain you…”

“We insist,” Vinnie interrupted. “It makes good business sense. You see, we wouldn’t like you to think that we didn’t make a significant effort on your behalf.”

“I wouldn’t think that for a moment,” Raymond said.

“Well, just to be sure,” Vinnie said. “You see, getting a body out of the morgue is no easy task, since they are open for business twenty-four hours a day, and they have a uniformed security man on duty at all times.”

“This isn’t necessary,” Raymond said. “I’d rather not be privy to the details, but I’m very appreciative of your efforts.”

“Be quiet, Dr. Lyons, and listen!” Vinnie said. He paused for a moment to organize his thoughts. “We were lucky because Angelo here knows a kid named Vinnie Amendola, who works in the morgue. This kid was beholden to Pauli Cerino, a guy Angelo used to work for but who is currently in jail. Angelo now works for me, and knowing what he knows, he was able to convince the kid to tell us exactly where Mr. Franconi’s remains were stored. The kid was also able to tell us some other information so we’d have some reason to be there in the middle of the night.”

At that moment the expresses arrived. They were brought in by Darlene Poison, whom Raymond introduced as his assistant. As soon as the coffees were distributed, Darlene left.

“Good-looking assistant,” Vinnie said.

“She’s very efficient,” Raymond commented. Unconsciously, he wiped his brow.

“I hope we’re not making you feel uncomfortable,” Vinnie said.

“No, not at all,” Raymond said a bit too quickly.

“So we got the body out okay,” Vinnie said. “And we disposed of it so it is gone. But as you can understand, it was not a walk in the park. In fact it was one big pain in the ass since we had so little time to plan it.”

“Well, if there is ever some favor I can do for you,” Raymond commented after an uncomfortable pause in the conversation.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Vinnie said. He polished off his expresso like he was drinking a shot. He put the cup and saucer on the corner of the desk. “You’ve said exactly what I was hoping you’d say, which brings me to why I’m here. Now, you probably know I’m a client just like Franconi was. More important, my eleven-year-old son, Vinnie Junior, is also a client. In fact, he’s more apt to need your services than I am. So we’re facing two tuitions, as you people call it. What I’d like to propose is that I don’t pay anything this year. What do you say?”

Raymond’s eyes dropped to his desk surface.

“What we’re talking about is a favor for a favor,” Vinnie said. “It’s only fair.”

Raymond cleared his throat. “I’ll have to talk to the powers that be,” he said.

“Now, that’s the first unfriendly thing you’ve said,” Vinnie added. “My information is that you are the so-called “powers that be.” So I find this foot-dragging insulting. I’ll change my offer. I won’t pay any tuition this year or next year. I hope you comprehend the direction this conversation is taking.”

“I understand,” Raymond said. He swallowed with obvious effort. “I’ll take care of it.”

Vinnie stood up. Franco and Angelo did likewise. “That’s the spirit,” Vinnie said. “So I’ll count on your talking with Dr. Daniel Levitz and let him know about our understanding.”

“Of course,” Raymond said. He got to his feet.

“Thank you for the coffee,” Vinnie said. “It hit the spot. My compliments to your assistant.”

Raymond closed the apartment door after the hoodlums had left and leaned against it. His pulse was racing. Darlene appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen.

“Was it as bad as you feared?” she asked.

“Worse!” Raymond said. “They behaved perfectly in character. Now I’ve got to deal with petty mobsters demanding a free ride. I tell you, what else can go wrong?”

Raymond pushed off the door and started toward his study. After only two steps he wobbled. Darlene reached out and supported his arm.

“Are you okay?” she demanded.

Raymond waited for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I’m all right,” he said. “Just a bit dizzy. Thanks to this Franconi flap, I didn’t sleep a wink last night.”

“Maybe you should put off the meeting you’ve planned with the new prospective doctor,” Darlene suggested.

“I think you’re right,” Raymond said. “In this state, I probably couldn’t convince anyone to join our group even if they were on their way to bankruptcy court.”

MARCH 4, 1997

7:00 P.M.

NEW YORK CITY

LAURIE finished preparing the salad greens, put a paper towel over the bowl, and slipped it into the refrigerator. Then she mixed the dressing, a simple combination of olive oil, fresh garlic, and white vinegar, with just a touch of balsamic. She put that in the refrigerator as well. Turning her attention to the lamb loin, she trimmed off the small amount of fat the butcher had left, put the meat into a marinade she’d made earlier, and then stuck it into the refrigerator with the other makings. The last chore was preparing the artichokes. It took only a moment to cut off the excess base and a few of the large, stringy leaves.

Wiping her hands on the dish towel, Laurie glanced up at the wall clock. Familiar with Jack’s schedule, she thought it was exactly the time to call. She used the wall phone next to the sink.

As the connection went through, she could imagine Jack coming up the cluttered stairwell in his dilapidated building. Although she thought she understood why he’d originally rented his apartment, she had trouble comprehending why he stayed. The building was so depressing. On the other hand, as she glanced around at her own flat, she had to admit, there wasn’t a lot of difference once Jack got inside his unit except he had almost double the space.