Sahlberg recognized them both.
They were the men who had entered his home.
Thinking fast, he turned toward the ticket counter to see who was working that day. He was pleased to see a familiar face smiling back at him.
‘Darla, my sweetheart, I didn’t notice it was you.’
‘Well, you would have if you weren’t so preoccupied with that window.’ She eyed him curiously, her smile still beaming. ‘What’choo lookin’ at anyhow?’
‘I’m supposed to meet a lady friend of mine,’ he lied, not wanting to reveal the true nature of the threat, ‘and I—’
‘Is she younger than you?’ Darla pried.
‘She’d have to be, wouldn’t she? Any older and she’d be dead.’
Darla burst out laughing, so hard she almost fell off her stool.
‘Anyway,’ he continued, ‘I’m supposed to meet her here, but I think I just spotted her husband’s car outside. Needless to say, I’m slightly concerned.’
‘You horny old dog,’ she said with affection. ‘I should be disgusted by your cheating, but I’m glad to hear that a man your age still has some lead in his pencil.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Some blood in your bone. Some pop in your tart.’ She stood and unlocked the door to the ticket booth. ‘There’s an office in back. I’ll let you know when the coast is clear.’
Sahlberg thanked her profusely as he made his way through the booth. Darla closed the door and turned back toward the ticket counter just as Masseri and his partner entered the station.
Masseri scanned left, then right. The space was small, with nowhere to hide. He approached the ticket booth and pressed a picture against the glass. ‘Have you seen this man?’
Darla pretended to study the picture for a moment, even going so far as to adjust her glasses for a better look. All the while, it was clear the man in the photo was Sahlberg. ‘Yeah, he looks familiar. He walked by about ten minutes ago. Headed down toward the city.’
‘Two tickets,’ Masseri demanded. He slid his money under the Plexiglas that separated him from Darla. In return, she handed him two passes and his change.
‘Enjoy the ride,’ she said as Masseri and his partner made their way toward the waiting cable car. A minute later, they were on their way to the lower station.
Sahlberg watched it all unfold on the small video monitors in the office. From there, he could see the outside of the upper station, the ticket booth, the cable car entryway, and the exit at the lower station. All were covered by closed-circuit video cameras. After the cable car left the upper station, Darla knocked on the door. He opened it sheepishly, not completely sure how to explain his actions, but nevertheless thankful for what she had done.
‘Honey,’ she said, ‘you need to get yourself a new girlfriend, because her husband looked as angry as Ike Turner.’
Payne sprinted the two blocks from his building to the Monongahela Incline, but he was still behind schedule for his meeting with Sahlberg. The last thing he wanted was to miss this opportunity. If Sahlberg had already left, he would have to wait for him to make contact again … if he made contact again. Who knew when that would happen?
Payne slowed to a jog as he approached the station, hoping to spot the older man. In many ways, the physical exertion helped to control the adrenalin he had been fighting since he had left McCormick’s office. It wasn’t just the excitement of meeting someone who had known his father — although that certainly had piqued his interest — it was the possibility of danger.
The rush was something he missed.
It made him feel alive.
10
As he neared the entrance to the incline’s upper station, Payne passed two men in business suits who immediately grabbed his attention. They weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary, and yet he noticed a few minor details that most people would miss.
The first thing was their positioning. They were standing next to a platform that looked over the city and the river below, yet they were facing in the opposite direction. This might have been understandable if they were waiting for a bus or trying to hail a cab, but they were focused on the front of the station, not the traffic on Grandview Avenue.
Next was their posture. Both men were rigid and alert, as if they were standing at attention on guard duty. They kept their heads raised and backs straight as they subtly scanned the area — like hungry wolves looking for prey.
The last and most important thing was their clothes. Those gave the duo away. Though their linen suits were appropriate for the season, they didn’t drape as well as wool. Given his background, it was easy for Payne to spot the telltale bulges of shoulder holsters.
Both of these men were armed.
Payne’s suspicions were confirmed as he made his way to the entrance. He was close enough to overhear a snippet of their conversation. It was more than damning.
‘Is this our backup?’ the first man asked.
‘No,’ the second man replied. ‘He’s sending four guys, not one.’
‘All of this for an old man?’
Masseri was finished with the cat-and-mouse approach. He had a cadre of personnel at his disposal, and it was time to use it. Why hunt with only two pairs of dogs when he could unleash the whole pack?
He ordered four more men to the incline’s upper station. Once they arrived, the two men already in position had instructions to join Masseri in the lower station. He also put a third team on standby. They were to wait in a separate SUV — fully armed — until Masseri could give them Sahlberg’s location. Once his whereabouts were known, all three teams would spring into action. With several men in pursuit, Masseri knew it was only a matter of time before they caught up to their target.
Masseri stared at the delayed satellite feed on his phone.
He watched as the image of Sahlberg entered the upper station.
They were getting closer.
Payne burst through the station’s door like a late commuter rushing to catch his train. The first thing he saw was Darla. She had a half-terrified, half-exhilarated look on her face. Before she could react further, Payne was already standing at her ticket booth.
Her heartbeat pounded, as she wondered what else this day might bring.
‘I’m looking for my neighbor,’ Payne lied. ‘Mid eighties, wearing a blue shirt and khaki pants. He wandered away from home, and we’re worried sick. Any chance you’ve seen him?’
‘Your neighbor?’ she challenged. She looked Payne up and down. He seemed awfully familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him. ‘Um, let me think …’
Payne sensed she was stalling. ‘I know you don’t know me, but if you could just point me in the right direction, you’d be helping us out more than you know.’
Before she could respond to Payne’s plea, Sahlberg emerged from the back room. He had been watching the front entrance on the monitors. He smiled at Payne, grateful that he had finally arrived. ‘Allow me to introduce you. Darla, this is my neighbor, Jonathon.’
‘Jon is fine. Nice to meet you, Darla.’
She turned her back to Payne and focused on Sahlberg instead. ‘What’s really going on? Are you sure you’re all right?’
He patted her on her shoulder as he exited the booth. ‘I appreciate all you’ve done, my dear, but I believe we can take it from here.’
Darla shrugged and nodded.
‘To your car, then?’ Sahlberg asked Payne.