The Brotherhood of the Rose Read Online Free PDF Page B

lights in the greenhouse, he felt a moment's hesitation. Standing in the dark, he thought that Saul was so superior he regretted having to terminate him. But then again, Eliot had many superior men. One less wouldn't matter, given the stakes.
    But something else troubled him. The way Saul had avoided the trap in Atlantic City. What if Saul was even better than Eliot thought?
    The bowling alley rumbled from strikes and gutterballs. Only a third of the lanes had players. Ricky's Auto Parts was beating First-rate Mufflers.
    Saul sat with his swivel chair turned so his back was to the luncheon counter. He tried to look preoccupied by the games, but actually he studied the entrance to the bowling alley.
    Stay off the streets-too great a risk of being seen. Choose a public place-the cops won't bother you. Pick a spot that isn't crowded-you've got to have room to maneuver. And an exit-the service door behind the counter. "Refill?" the waitress said behind him.
    He turned to the tired woman in the wrinkled uniform. She held a pot of coffee. "No, thanks. I guess my friend won't be coming."
    "Closing time." She glanced at the clock above the milk dispenser. "In five minutes."
    "What do I owe you?"
    "Eighty cents." He gave her a dollar. "Keep the change. I'd better call and find out what happened to him."
    "Over there." She pointed to a pay phone near a glassedin display of bowling balls for sale.
    Distressed, he hoped his smile looked convincing as he walked to the phone. He'd told Eliot he'd call back in thirty minutes.-On schedule, he shoved a coin in the slot and pressed the button for the operator. He told her the number Eliot had given him, A Virginia area code. The corresponding pay phone would have to be near Falls Church, where Eliot lived. Eliot didn't have time to drive far.
    The operator told Saul the charges for three minutes. He inserted the coins, listened to the different tones as they dropped through the slots, and heard a buzz.
    Eliot answered quickly. "Yes?" Though these phones weren't tapped, the operator might overhear the conversation. Saul used indirect references, quickly explaining what had happened. "Our friends from Israel," he concluded. "I recognized their style. They don't want me working for the magazine. Why?"
    "I'll ask the editor. Their accounting office must be confused. "It's something to do with the last article I wrote. One of my researchers wanted to stop me from writing another one."
    "Maybe he thought you were working for a rival magazine."
    "Or maybe he was."
    "Possibly. It's a competitive business," Eliot said. "It's cutthroat. I need job security."
    "And health benefits. I agree. I know where you can go to relax. An executive retreat."
    "Not far, I hope. It's late. On foot, I might get mugged."
    "There's a hotel in your neighborhood." Using code, Eliot told Saul the address. "I'll make a reservation for you. Naturally I'm upset. You have my sympathy. I'll find out why they're angry."
    "Please. I knew I could count on you."
    "That's what fathers are for."
    Saul put the phone back on its hook. He'd been watching the entrance to the bowling alley. He heard the rumble of another gutterball. An opposing player laughed. Beyond an open door marked Office, a bald man flicked some switches on a wall. The lights went dim. "Closing time!" the waitress said.
    Saul glanced through the glass door toward the parking lot. Arc lights gleamed. Behind them, shadows loomed. No other choice. Skin prickling, he crossed the lot.
    From the dark at the end of the deserted block, he saw his destination. A hotel. Eliot had said he'd make a reservation, but Saul hadn't guessed he was being literal. A kind of joke. Saul almost smiled.
    The only light on the street was the glowing neon sign above the dirty concrete steps leading up to the dilapidated wooden structure.
    AYFARE HOTEL Saul decided the burnt-out letter on the sign was either an m or a w. Mayfare. Wayfare. It didn't matter which. The important thing was one of