Manny stood up and walked around the desk. “Stand up, Joe,”
he said, “and take off your jacket. I need to take some precautions.”
Evan stood up and watched as Manny went through his coat pockets and felt along every seam.
“Unbutton your shirt and pull out your shirttail,” Manny said. Evan did as he was told.
Manny lifted his shirt and inspected his chest and back, then made sure there were no wires attached to the shirt. He patted Evan down carefully, paying particular attention to his crotch. “Drop your pants to your knees,” Manny said.
Evan did so and stood still while Manny pulled down his shorts 2 5 8
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and parted the cheeks of his ass. After Evan had pulled up his pants, Manny checked his shoes and socks.
“All right, you can get dressed,” Manny said. “You’re clean.” He picked up Evan’s briefcase and opened it.
Evan took out the envelope with the cash. “We’re not ready to get to this yet,” he said.
Manny emptied the briefcase onto his desk, then felt the inside for lumps, then he raked the detritus from the case back into it and set it on the desk.
Evan put the money back into the case.
“All right,” Manny said, “tell me what you want.”
Evan took a pad from the briefcase and wrote, “I want him dead,”
then showed it to Manny.
“I understand you. What’s the man’s name?”
Evan wrote “Michael Levy” and the address.
“Where is this?”
“North of here a couple of hours, about eight or nine miles south of Stuart, on the Intracoastal Waterway.”
“How far from I-95?”
“Six or seven miles, but your best opportunity would come from a boat, which I will provide.” Evan took the map from his pocket and spread it on Manny’s desk. “There’s a little marina up this creek, right here. It’s private and untended, and I have a Boston Whaler tied up there. It’s black and has the name Waverider on the bow. The key is in a little locker under the steering wheel, and the outboard has a push-button starter.”
“Okay, and this map gets my guy there from the interstate?”
“Right down this little road,” Evan said, pointing. “All he does is start the boat, untie it and go down the creek a hundred yards or so to the waterway, then turn north. There’s a powerful spotlight in the boat, if they go after dark, but I’d suggest starting at dusk and approaching the place after the sun is well down. The house is here, marked by an X, and there’s a dock. There’s a sign on the dock with the initials M.L.”
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“Will my guy need to go inside?”
“Maybe, but probably not. Mike has a drink or two on his back porch at sunset. Your man can approach him down the dock, as if to ask for directions, or if he’s good with a rifle, shoot from the end of the dock.”
“He’s good with everything. Is your friend armed?”
“He has a shotgun, but he keeps it locked in a cabinet in the kitchen, so it won’t be at hand. When the job’s done, your man should just take the boat back to the marina and tie it up, then drive away.”
“You understand, something like this will be expensive?”