where?â
âBaker Beach at noon.â
âIn what kind of container, did he say?â
âA beach bag.â
âAnd then what?â
âWait for him. Thatâs all.â
âWait where exactly?â
âBy the rocks at the north end,â she said. Then she said, âThe secluded part of the beach beyond is clothing optional ⦠you can sunbathe there in the nude. Did you know that?â
Runyon ignored the question. âIs that where he wants you to wait, on that side?â
âNo. By the HAZARDOUS SURF sign on the main section.â
Extortionists were usually wary of meeting their victims in daylight hours in a public place. Their normal MO was a night drop somewhere private, nobody else around to witness the exchange. Baker Beach was liable to be moderately crowded at noon, given the good late September weather, which meant more risk on his part. Why, when heâd been careful to remain anonymous so far? Either he was none too bright, or he had what he considered a good reason for making such an arrangement.
âJake ⦠I should keep the rendezvous, shouldnât I?â
âYes.â
âWith the money?â
âThatâs up to you. But if you bring at least a small amount and he takes possession, it constitutes proof of extortion.â
âAnd youâll be there to arrest him?â
âDepends on the circumstances.â
âWhat do you mean?â
Runyon said, âHe may send somebody to get the money for him, to avoid showing himself to you. Weâll talk more about that when we meet.â
âMeet? You mean before noon tomorrow?â
âYes. For a couple of reasons. Thereâs a café on the Embarcadero near your place, the Bayside Java House, Pier Fourteen. Iâll be there at nine oâclock.â
âDoes it have to be in the morning? Couldnât you come over tonight?â
âNot at this hour.â
âIt isnât that late.â Pause. âIâm scared, Jake. Really scared.â
Trying to make it personal again. He said, âThe Bayside, nine oâclock. Good night, Ms. Daniels.â
No response, just a sharp click in his ear.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
She was no longer annoyed with him on Thursday morning, and she didnât seem particularly scared or anxious, either, when she came into the Bayside Java House. Smiling. Heavily made up. And not dressed for the beach yet, unless she was planning on keeping the date with her tormentor in an expensive summer dress and high heels. The outfit was for his benefit, he thought. She couldnât even keep a simple business meeting impersonal.
The café was crowded, not a good place for the kind of conversation they were about to have. He steered her to the counter, ordered containers of coffee to go, and when they were ready, led her outside and down the Embarcadero to a bench near one of a bunch of massive public art sculptures that the city fathers seemed to think had aesthetic merit. Her smile by then had given way to a puzzled frown.
It was in his mind to say something to her about the lies sheâd told, ask her to explain herself, but he didnât do it. This wasnât the time or place. And unless it had something to do with the shakedown, her moral integrity was of no real importance anyhow.
He gave her the Q-Phone. The frown deepened as she turned it over in her hand. âI already have a cell phone.â
âNot like this one. It operates like a regular cell, but it has a special program that lets me call the number and open the line without any ring or message on the display screen.â
â⦠I donât understand.â
âIt also has sensitive built-in microphones thatâll pick up any sound within a reasonable distance. Designed for listening in on cell-phone conversations, short- or long-distance. But it works just as well for picking up face-to-face conversations when the