Chapter 28 Chapter Twenty Seven

When Diana woke up in the morning, Kelly was sitting in a chair facing the wall. "Morning," said Diana, "how did you sleep?" no response. "We have to plan our next steps. We can't stay here forever." no response. Out of breath, Diana said loudly, "Kelly, did you hear what I said?" Kelly spun around in his chair. "You don't mind, do you? I'm meditating." "Oh, sorry. I didn't—" "Forget it." Kelly stood up. "Has anyone told you that you snore?" Diana was slightly shocked.She could hear Richard's voice saying, the first time they slept together, honey, do you know you snore?Let me put it another way.Not a real snore.Your nose hums a little melody like angelic music all night long.He immediately took her into his arms and—

"Well, you snore," Kelly said.She walked to the TV and turned it on. "Let's see what's going on in the world." She started flicking through channels and stopped suddenly.The news is on and the host is Ben Roberts. "It's Ben!" Kelly exclaimed. "Who is Ben?" Diana asked impassively. "Ben Roberts. He hosts news and talk shows. He's an interviewer I really like. He and Mark became good friends. One day—" She stopped suddenly. Ben Roberts is saying: "...According to the briefing just received, Anthony Altieri, the acknowledged leader of the Mafia, who was recently acquitted of a murder trial, died this morning of cancer. He ..."

Kelly turned to Diana: "Did you hear that? Altieri is dead." Diana felt nothing.It was as if it was news from another world, another era. Diana looked at Kelly and said, "I think it's best for you and me to separate. We're too easy to spot together." "That's right," Kelly said dryly, "we're the same height." "I mean--" "I know what you mean. But I can draw a white face and—" Diana watched in confusion: "What?" "Just kidding," Kelly said. "It's a brilliant idea to go our separate ways. Almost a scheme, right?"

"Kelly—" "It has been very interesting getting to know you, Mrs. Stevens." Diana said curtly, "Let's go check out." The lobby was packed, a group of women who had come to a conference were checking in, and five or six other guests were waiting to check out.Kelly and Diana waited in line. Looking into the lobby from the road outside, Flint saw them and immediately averted their eyes.He picked up his phone, "They just arrived in the lobby downstairs." "Good. Is Caballo here, Mr. Flint?" "Arrived." "According to my instructions. Block the entrance to the hotel from both corners. No matter which way they go, there is no way for them to escape. I want them to disappear without a trace."

Kelly and Diana finally made it to the cash register. The cashier smiled: "I hope you have a good time here." "Very pleasant, thank you," said Diana.We are still alive at last. As they walked toward the lobby door, Kelly said, "Do you know where you're going now, Mrs. Stevens?" "I don't know. I just want to get out of Manhattan. How about you?" I just want to leave you. "Back to Paris." The two stepped out of the gate and looked around carefully.Just the usual passersby and everything seems normal. "Goodbye, Mrs. Stevens," Kelly said, with a hint of relief in his tone.

"Goodbye, Kelly." Kelly turned left and walked around the corner. Diana watched her back for a moment, then turned right and started walking in the opposite direction. They hadn't gone five or six paces when suddenly Harry Flint and Vince Caballo appeared at either end of the street.The look on Caballo's face was ferocious.Flint's mouth turned up in a smile. The two men began to weave through the bustling pedestrians, outflanking the two women. Diana and Kelly turned and looked at each other, terrified.They were ambushed.The two hurried back to the entrance of the hotel, but the entrance was so crowded that they couldn't even get in.There is nowhere to hide.The two men pressed forward at every step.

Kelly turned to Diana, stunned, who smiled and waved cheerfully first to Flint and then to Caballo. "Are you out of your mind?" Kelly whispered. Diana, still smiling, took out her phone and said quickly, "We're at the hotel gate now... oh well. Are you at the corner?" She grinned and gave Kelly a triumphant gesture, "They'll be here in a minute," she said aloud.She looked at Flint and Caballo and said into the phone, "No, there's only two of them." Diana listened for a while, then laughed out loud. "Yeah...they're here? Good."

While Kelly and the two men watched, Diana stepped off the sidewalk and onto the road, peering carefully into the passing traffic. Immediately, he began to gesture to a car approaching in the distance, beckoning it excitedly to come over.Flint and Caballo stopped, confused by the situation before them. Diana pointed to two people. "Here," she called to the approaching car, waving her arms wildly. "Here." Flint and Caballo looked at each other and made a quick decision.They returned to their original positions and disappeared around the corner. Kelly stared at Diana with wide eyes, her heart racing.

"They're gone," she said. "You—who are you talking to?" Diana took a deep breath to steady herself: "No one. The battery is dead."