“Where'd Flash get the clothes?”
“I don't know. Didn't ask.”
“And you shaved. What's the occasion?”
“It's Valentine's Day. I wanted to be ready in case you got all romantic on me.”
Valentine's Day. How could I forget! I dragged myself out of bed and looked at the clock. Nine. I did a sigh.
“Have a tough night?” Diesel asked.
“I don't want to talk about it.”
“I could have made it a good night.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I said I don't want to talk about it. I'm feeling cranky. Give me some room. And stop smiling at me with those damn dimples.”
He handed me a mug of hot coffee. “I'm just trying to get your blood circulating. We have a man in motion. Lou Delvina left his house ten minutes ago. Flash is a beat behind him. I'm heading out. Do you want to be in on this?”
“No. Yes.”
Diesel was hands on hips, looking down at me.
“Yes,” I said. “Give me a minute.”
“Forty seconds would be better.”
I picked some clothes off the floor and ran into the bathroom with them. I was dressed and out in record time with a hairbrush in my hand. I grabbed a ball cap off the dresser and rammed my feet into boots. Diesel stuffed me into my jacket and handed me a new mug of coffee, and we were out of the apartment, down the hall to the elevator.
“Bob!” I said. “What about Bob?”
“I walked him and fed him. He'll be fine. He's sleeping in a patch of sun in the dining room.”
We took the 'vette with Diesel driving. He peeled out of the lot and headed west on Hamilton Avenue to Route 1. He took the Route 1 bridge into Pennsylvania, and I looked across to the Warren Street bridge, trenton makes — the WORLD TAKES was the message on the bridge. I hadn't a clue what it meant.
“How do you know where you're going?” I asked him.
“I can feel Flash in front of me. There are a couple people I connect to, and Flash is one of them. I can't always connect, but it's strong today. Probably because he's excited to be on the chase.”
“Can you connect to me?”
“Sometimes.”
“So you didn't bug my car?”
“No, I didn't bug your car. I dropped the bug into your purse. GPS is more reliable than this hocus-pocus crap. Unless it's raining. I have real problems in the rain. Nothing works in the rain.”
We were off Route 1 and heading north toward Yardley Traffic was moderate. Diesel drove into Yardley and pulled to the side of the road.
“What's up?” I asked him.
“Lost Flash. It feels like he's behind me.”
Diesel punched a number into his cell phone. “Lost you,” he said. He turned in his seat and looked out the back window. “Yeah,” he said, “I see the sign. Get me a couple of those glazed sticks and coffee.” Diesel looked over at me. “Everyone stopped to get doughnuts. Do you want anything?”
“Double your order.”
“Make that four glazed sticks and two coffees,” Diesel told Flash.