“Funny.” I did note that Father Alonzo was laughing in the backseat. “You just said it had been a dozen years since you saw the building.”
Seamus said, “I meant it had been a dozen years since I saw the front of the building, by the river. I saw the rest last Friday when I watched them film a scene with Jules. She was fantastic. She’s really talented.”
Then I saw two women come out of the building’s door about fifty yards from us. It took me a moment to realize that one of them was my daughter.
Seamus said, “Who’s that with Jules?”
I didn’t recognize the striking woman with the long dark hair. She was chatting casually with Juliana, but there was something about her that seemed familiar.
I started to get an uneasy feeling. I pulled to the curb.
Chapter 82
Alex Martinez smiled as she listened to this captivating young woman speak. She was very poised for an eighteen-year-old. She was also very excited that an agent was interested in talking to her about representation. Alex was sorry the girl’s dreams were about to come crashing down.
Getting her to leave the building had been remarkably easy. Even the timing was good. She was on a break, so Alex didn’t have to stand around and chat with someone who might know she didn’t work for the Grossman talent agency.
They were just coming to the heavy security door that led to the outside. Her plan was simple from there. Get the girl to her car, then make her call her father.
Alex had no intention of killing an innocent girl—unless she found herself in a situation where there was no other choice.
Just as they stepped out the door, the sun caused Alex to raise her hand and let her eyes adjust. Juliana said, “Would you mind if I called my dad real quick?”
“Not at all. In fact, if you’d be more comfortable, invite him to lunch with us.” Could she be this lucky?
As Juliana reached into her purse for her phone, Alex reached into her own to make sure her stiletto and pistol were within easy reach.
Juliana pulled an iPhone from her purse and paused. She looked across the front courtya
rd and said, “I think that’s my dad’s car right there.”
Alex saw the Impala and kicked herself for not noticing it immediately. It wasn’t like she’d never seen it. She’d followed Bennett around most of yesterday.
This plan was so much less complicated than the original one. She slipped her hand into her purse and wrapped her fingers around the grip of her 9mm pistol. She’d wait until he was so close there was nothing he could do.
As soon as she was done, Alex intended to hop in her car and be back in Manhattan before the first patrol car arrived.
Chapter 83
I followed my instinct and left the car idling by the sidewalk. I started to walk quickly toward Juliana and the other woman. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary as I cut across the grass and looked straight ahead. Still, I picked up my pace.
Juliana smiled and waved. The woman stood next to her and made no overtly threatening movements. Maybe I’d let my paranoia get the best of me again. I felt like an idiot.
I stepped onto the walkway that led to the door where the two women were standing. I looked over my shoulder quickly to make sure my grandfather and Father Alonzo were still in the car.
They had both stepped onto the sidewalk.
Now I relaxed slightly, as it appeared that Juliana was just coming out the door with someone from the production company. Most of the people working on the set looked like electricians or plumbers.
When I was about twenty feet from Juliana, she said, “What are you doing here during a workday?”
“I’m never too busy to see one of my kids.” I was waiting for an introduction to the other woman as I walked toward them.
The woman reached in her purse casually. When she pulled out her hand, I could clearly see the small semiautomatic pistol in it.
Right at that moment, I knew exactly who this woman was.
Chapter 84