"It's like a piece of land that juts out into the ocean."
"Then what's a peninsula?" he asked next, flipping the textbook page.
Andie shrugged."I guess it's a larger piece of land that juts out into the ocean."
That day, for the first time in a week, she had picked him up from school. The judge had excused them all before noon, and the rumor mills were buzzing. The newspapers and TV commentators were saying threats had been made. Maybe against some of the jurors.
Andie had asked for some time with the judge and finally mentioned how she had found her windshield smashed in two nights before. Judge Seiderman told her it probably wasn't related. But that wasn't exactly making her feel safe and secure right now.
"So, then isn't every piece of land in the world kind of a peninsula?" Jarrod shrugged."I mean, look at Florida. Or Africa and South America. Doesn't everything stick out into the ocean at some point, Mom?"
"I guess." Andie tucked in his blanket and sat brushing back his soft, light-brown hair.
"Hey," he said, squirming,"I'm not a baby."
"You're my baby, always will be. Sorry, but that's the deal."
Andie's hand stopped abruptly at the sound of the doorbell.
Jarrod sat back up. They both looked at the clock. It was after ten."Who could that be, Mom?"
"I don't know. But one thing I do know, Einstein." She took the book from him."It's lights out." She bent and gave him a kiss.
"'Night, Mom."
Andie went into the hall to answer the bell. She turned the lock and cracked open the front door slightly.
She did a double take.
It was that FBI guy she'd noticed in the courtroom, the nice-looking one. And there was a uniformed police officer with him. No-twopolice officers, a man and a woman.
What were they doing here at ten o'clock?
Chapter 26
HE HELD UP his FBI shield for her to see."I'm sorry to surprise you, Ms. DeGrasse. May I come in? It's important."
Andie opened the door. The FBI guy was dressed nicely, in an olive raincoat over a brown sports jacket, with a deep-blue shirt and a tie. Her mind flashed to how she must look-in a bright-pink DKNY sweatshirt, with a towel draped over her shoulder."I wasn't expecting anyone."
"We're sorry to bust in on you like this. I'm Nicholas Pellisante. I'm a special agent in charge of the FBI's Organized Crime Unit. I'm heading up the Cavello investigation."
"I've seen you in court," Andie said. Then, warily,"Isn't there some kind of rule that we're not supposed to be talking to each other?"
"Under normal circumstances, yes." The FBI guy nodded.
"Normal circumstances? I'm not following you. What's happening?"
"The trial procedures are being changed. As a matter of safety, the judge feels-and I agree-it may be prudent for the members of the jury to be removed from their daily lives."
"Our daily lives?" Andie blinked. What did that mean? She ran a hand through her messy hair.
"The judge would like the jury sequestered. I don't want you to be alarmed. There's no specific threat. It's just for your protection."
"Myprotection? "
"Yours and your son's," the agent said.
Now Andiewas alarmed."You're saying there have been threats?" Her mind flashed to the windshield of her car."This is about what happened the other night."
"I'm not saying that," the agent said."There's an officer outside who can assist you."
"Assist us with what, Agent Pellisante?" A tremor galloped down her spine."I have a nine-year-old in here. What do I do with him while I'm being protected? Pack him off to boarding school?"
"Look, I know how this sounds, and I know how short notice it is. We'll make provisions that you get to see your son regularly, for the balance of the trial."
"The balance of the trial!" Suddenly the magnitude of this smacked Andie face-on."We're only in the first week. This isn't exactly what I signed up for, Agent Pellisante."
The FBI guy looked sympathetic, but also helpless to do anything."I'm afraid it's not a matter of choice."
Her blood was pulsing. She could have gotten off this trial just the other day."When?" Andie looked up at him. Then she realized what he had meant by theofficer waiting outside.
"I'm afraid, right now. What I have to ask you to do now is to go pack some things."
"You're kidding!" Andie stared at him, glassy-eyed."My son's in bed in the other room. What am I supposed to do with him? This is crazy."
"Is there someone who can take him for tonight? Somebody nearby?"
"I have a sister in Queens. It's after ten o'clock. What do you want me to do, put him in a cab?"
"You can bring him along," the FBI guy finally said."Just for this evening, though. You'll have to make provisions for him tomorrow."
"Bring him along." Andie smirked sardonically.“Where?"
"I can't tell you that, Ms. DeGrasse. Not far. And you will be able to see him from time to time. I promise you that."
"You're serious." Andie ran a hand through her hair again.
At that moment, she saw Jarrod standing in the hall in his pj's."What's goin' on, Mom?"
Andie went to him and put an arm around his shoulders."This man is from the trial. He's with the FBI. He's telling me we have to leave. We have to go someplace. Now. Tonight."
"Why?" Jarrod asked, not understanding."Tonight? Where?"
The FBI guy kneeled down."We have to do this in order to let your mom do a brave thing. You'd want her to do that, wouldn't you? You'd do something brave, wouldn't you, to protect your mom?"
"Yeah." Jarrod nodded."Sure I would."
"Good." He squeezed the boy's shoulder."I'm Nick. What's your name?"
"Jarrod."
"It won't be so bad." He smiled. He winked back at Andie."You ever ridden in a police car, Jarrod?"
Chapter 27
WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT home, it was after two.
It wasn't easy rousting people out of their homes late at night, scaring the living shit out of them, being unable to level with them. The jurors were all taken in unmarked cars to a motel across the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City. Eight U.S. marshals had them under guard there for the night.
I was exhausted, and I felt like crap for disrupting their lives. But as I turned the key to my apartment at that predawn hour I knewI'd sleep a whole lot sounder for having done it, having moved them.
Stepping into the apartment, I was surprised to find the lights on. At first I figured Ellen was on call.What else was new?
Then, Popeye didn't come to greet me like he always did. And he wasn't on the couch where he usually slept.
Something was wrong, wasn't it?
It took a second. Then I flashed to the threat Cavello had made against me in the courtroom earlier. I drew my gun.
Holy shit! Jesus, no. I started toward the bedroom."Ellen! Are you in there? Ellen?"
The hall closet was wide open, and I noticed a few coats were missing.Hers. And two suitcases that we usually had stuffed on the top shelf were gone, too. A couple of photos were missing from the console. Her family and stuff.
"Ellen!"
The bedroom lights were on, shining brightly and hard on my eyes. The bed hadn't been slept in. A tray of her scents and body sprays had been cleared out too.
I had this sinking, helpless feeling, like everything was spiraling out of control. I couldn't believe this was happening."Ellen… Ellen?" I called for her again.