The Tenth Justice - Brad Meltzer [66]
Looking down his list, the maître d’ said, “Yes, Mr. Addison, we have a reservation for two at eight o’clock. Would you like to sit now, or would you rather wait for your friend?”
“If it’s okay, I’d rather sit now.”
“Of course. Right this way.” He led Ben to the table by the window. “Enjoy your meal,” he said as he placed a menu in front of him.
“I’m in,” Ben whispered into his chest. “Can you still hear me?” From his vantage point, Ben could make out a distinct nod from his friends in the restaurant across the street.
“What’s he saying?” Ober asked.
“Hold on a second,” Nathan said, focusing on the voice that came through the tiny earplug he was wearing. “He asked if we can hear him.” Nodding his head, Nathan forced a smile and said to Ober, “Now all we have to do is wait.”
At a quarter after eight, Rick still hadn’t arrived. Where the hell is he? Ben wondered, taking a thin breadstick from the basket at the center of the table. Maybe he’s not coming. Maybe he saw right through our plan. No, there’s no way. He’ll be here. The skinny bastard’s greedy. He’ll definitely be here.
“Can I get you something from the bar?” the waiter asked.
“Huh?” Ben asked, startled.
“Can I bring you a drink while you’re waiting?”
Ben looked down and saw that he had crumbled the breadstick into tiny pieces that were now dispersed across the starched white tablecloth. “No. No, thank you.”
“He looks worried,” Ober said, peering through the telescopic lens of Nathan’s camera.
“Of course he’s worried,” Nathan said. “Rick’s fifteen minutes late.”
“Do you think he’ll show?”
“How should I know?” Nathan asked. “I don’t know this guy.”
Five minutes later, the waiter approached Ben. “Are you Mr. Addison?”
“Yes,” Ben said. Without saying a word, the waiter handed Ben a folded piece of paper. Opening it, he read the handwritten note that said: “Ben, how about moving this party elsewhere? Those tourists across the street are starting to make me nervous. Follow your waiter to the back of the restaurant, and I’ll take care of the rest. Naturally, I’ll understand if you don’t want to come, but if you don’t, this will be the end of our dialogue. Rick.”
When Ben looked up, the waiter said, “You can follow me, sir.”
“Where do you think he’s going?” Ober asked as Ben left the table.
“I have no idea,” Nathan said. “He hasn’t said a word. Maybe he’s just going to the bathroom.”
As he moved toward the back of the restaurant, Ben said to the waiter, “Y’know, here I thought I was going to have a nice relaxing dinner. Then, all of a sudden, bingo, I get a note that says to step outside. Can you imagine my surprise?”
“Holy shit, he’s in trouble,” Nathan said, picking up his camera and racing to put on his coat.
“What’d he say?” Ober asked as he followed Nathan’s lead.
“Just grab your camera,” Nathan said. Dashing out the front door, the two friends ran across the street and into Two Quail. As they entered the restaurant, they were stopped by the maître d’. “Can I help you?”
“Where’s the guy who was sitting at this table?” Nathan pointed.
“I think he went to the bathroom,” he said.
Rushing past him, Nathan ran through the restaurant. “Where’s the bathroom?” he yelled as he bumped into a busboy.
“Over there,” the busboy said, pointing Nathan to the back of the restaurant.
Nathan charged into the bathroom and pulled open each of the stalls. “Shit,” he said, seeing that both were empty. Leaving the bathroom, he ran into Ober. “He’s not in there,” Nathan said, standing in a small corridor in the back of the restaurant. Looking around, he saw an emergency exit at the end of the corridor. Nathan and Ober ran toward the door, pushed it open, and found themselves in the back alley behind the restaurant. Down the block, they