Queens, New York
LaGuardia was busy enough without this delay. Today of all days, Ben Berman had to let a jumbo jet empty all its other passengers before he disembarked? What was the point of his obsession with never checking a bag, even when traveling internationally, if the time he saved by not having to wait at baggage claim was devoured this way?
And why would Nicole send someone for him he didn’t even know? It made sense she didn’t want to leave her mother, and he wouldn’t have asked her to. But no one at the foundation was available? Oh yeah. It was Saturday. Still, send a car. He would find the driver displaying his name at the airport exit, and off they’d go. How hard could that be?
But no. A flight attendant told him to wait, and Nicole was just as mysterious. Good thing she got back to him, though, because his mind had leapt to the worst scenario—something had gone terribly wrong and he’d lost the love of his life. “Thank You,” he said silently, “Lord my God, King of the universe.”
Was it just him or were people taking twice as long as usual to gather their belongings and get off the plane? Emptying first class alone seemed to take forever, but coach looked like the Triboro Bridge at five p.m.
Ben stopped the flight attendant who had given him the message as she rushed by. “I have to be last off, is that it?”
“Matter of fact, someone’s coming on to get you.”
“What, I don’t look able to walk or—?”
“That’s all I was told, Dr. Berman. Sorry. Police procedure, I guess.”
“Police?”
“A detective with a long, funny name.” She pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket and showed him.
“And you have no idea what this is about?”
“Sorry, I don’t.”
Enough of this. Ben dialed Nicole. The call went to her voice mail. “Nic, why am I being picked up by a cop? You said your mom was stable. I want to know what’s going on. Call me as soon as you get this.”