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e Jack to get a nanny。 Her husband was a little too working…class in that respect。 He'd resisted the idea of hiring a part…time maid to help with the housework that was all the more crazy since Cathy knew her husband tended to be something of a slob； slow to hang up his clothing。 Getting the maid had changed that a little。 Now； nights before the maid was due in； Jack scurried around picking things up so that she wouldn't think the Ryans were a family of slovens。 Jack could be so funny。 Yes； she thought； we'll get a nanny。 After all； Jack's a knight now。 Cathy smiled at the traffic。 Pushing him in the right direction wouldn't be all that hard。 Jack was very easy to manipulate。 She changed lanes and darted past a dump truck in third gear。 The Porsche made it so easy to accelerate around things。
She turned right into the Giant Steps parking lot two minutes later。 The sports car bumped over the uneven driveway and she brought it to a stop in the usual spot。 Cathy locked the car on getting out； of course。 Her Porsche was six years old； but meticulously maintained。 It had been her present to herself on getting through her intern year at Hopkins。 There wasn't a single scratch on the British Racing Green finish； and only a Hopkins parking sticker marred the gleaming chrome bumper。
〃Mommy！〃 Sally met her at the door。
Cathy bent to pick her up。 It was getting harder to bend over； and harder still to stand up with Sally around her neck。 She hoped that their daughter would not feel threatened by the arrival of the baby。 Some kids were； she knew； but she had already explained to the little girl what was going on； and Sally seemed to like the idea of a new brother or sister。
〃So what did my big girl do today？〃 Dr。 Ryan asked。 Sally liked being called a Big Girl； and this was Cathy's subterfuge for ensuring that sibling rivalry would be minimized by the arrival of a 〃little〃 boy or girl。
Sally wriggled free to drop back to the floor； and held up a finger painting done on what looked like wide…carriage puter paper。 It was a credible abstract work of purple and orange。 Together； mother and daughter went to the back and got her coat and lunch box。 Cathy made sure that Sally's coat was zipped and the hood up it was only a few degrees above freezing outside； and they didn't want Sally to get another cold。 It took a total of five minutes from the time Cathy stopped the car until she was back out the door； walking toward it again。
She didn't really notice the routineness of her daily schedule。 Cathy unlocked the door； got Sally into her seat； and made sure the seat belt was fastened snugly before closing and locking the door and going around to the left side of the car。
She looked up briefly。 Across Ritchie Highway was a small shopping center； a 7…Eleven Store； a cleaners； a video store； and a hardware dealer。 There was a blue van parked at the 7…Eleven again。 She'd noticed it twice the previous week。 Cathy shrugged it off。 7…Eleven was a convenience store； and lots of people made it a regular stop on the way home。
〃Hello； Lady Ryan；〃 Miller said inside the van。 The two windows in the rear doors they reminded Miller of the police transport van； he smiled to himself at that were made of coated glass so that an outsider couldn't see in。 Alex was in the store getting a six…pack of Cokes； as he'd done on a fairly regular basis the previous two weeks。
Miller checked his watch： She'd arrived at 4：46 and was leaving at 4：52。 Next to him； a man with a camera was shooting away。 Miller raised binoculars。 The green Porsche would be easy to spot； plus it had a customized license plate； CR…SRGN。 Alex had explained how license plates in Maryland could be bought to individual specifications； and Scan wondered who'd be using that code next year。 Surely there was another surgeon with the initials CR。
Alex got back in and started the engine。 The van left the parking lot just as the target's Porsche did。 Alex did his own driving。 He went north on Ritchie Highway； hung a quick U…turn； and raced south to keep the Porsche in sight。 Miller joined him in the right…side seat。
〃She takes this road south to Route 50； across the Severn River bridge； then gets off 50 onto Route 2。 We want to hit her before she does that。 We'll proceed； take the same exit； and switch cars where I showed you。 Too bad；〃 Alex said。 〃I was beginning to like this here van。〃
〃You can buy another with what we're paying you。〃
A grin split the black face。 〃Yeah； I 'spect so。 Have a better interior on the next one； too。〃 He turned right； taking the exit onto Route 50。 It was a divided； multilane highway。 Traffic was moderate to heavy。 Alex explained that this was normal。
〃No problem getting the job done；〃 he assured Miller。
〃Excellent；〃 Miller agreed。 〃Good work； Alex。〃 Even if you do have a big mouth。
Cathy always drove more sedately with Sally aboard。 The little girl craned her neck to see over the dashboard； her left hand fiddling with the seat belt buckle as it usually did。 Her mother was relaxing now。 It generally took her about this length of time to settle down from a hard day there were few easy ones at the Wilmer Eye Institute。 It wasn't stress so much。 She'd had two procedures today and would have two more the next day。 She loved her work。 There were a lot of people now who could see only because of her professional skill； and the satisfaction of that was not something easily municated； even to Jack。 The price of it was that her days were rarely easy ones。 The minute precision demanded by ophthalmic surgery denied her coffee she couldn't risk the slight tremor in her hands that might e from caffeine and imposed a degree of concentration on her that few professions demanded。 There were more difficult medical skills； but not many。 This was the main reason she drove her 911。 It was as though in pushing through the air； or taking a tight corner at twenty…five in second gear； the car drained the excess energy from the driver and spread it into the environment。 She almost always got home in a good mood。 Tonight would be better still since it was Jack's turn to fix dinner。 If the car had been built with a brain； it would have noticed the reduced pressure on accelerator and brakes as they took the Route 2 exit。 It was being pampered now； like a faithful horse that had jumped all the fences properly。
〃Okay？〃 Alex asked； keeping west on Route 50 toward Washington。
The other man in the back handed Miller the clipboard with the new time notation。 There was a total of seven entries； all but the last plete with photographs。 Scan looked at the numbers。 The target was on a beautifully regular schedule。
〃Fine；〃 he said after a moment。
〃I can't give you a precise spot for the hit traffic can make things go a little funny。 I'd say we should try on the east side of the bridge。〃
〃Agreed。〃
Cathy Ryan walked into her house fifteen minutes later。 She unzipped Sally's coat and watched her little 〃big〃 girl struggle out of the sleeves； a skill she was just beginning to acquire。 Cathy took it and hung it up before getting out of her coat。 Mother and daughter then proceeded to the kitchen； where they heard the unmistakable noise of a husband trying to fix dinner and a television tuned to the MacNeil…Lehrer Report。
〃Daddy； look what I did！〃 Sally said first。
〃Oh； great！〃 Jack took the picture and examined it with great care。 〃I think we'll hang this one up。〃 All of them got hung up。 The art gallery in question was the front of the family refrigerator。 A magnetized holder gave the finger painting a semi…permanent place over the ice and cold…water dispenser。 Sally never noticed that there was a new hanging spot every day。 Nor did she know that every such painting was saved； tucked away in a box in the foyer closet。
〃Hi； babe。〃 Jack kissed his wife next。 〃How were things today？〃
〃Two cornea replacements。 Bernie assisted on the second one it was a bear。 Tomorrow； I'm scheduled for a vitrectomy。 Bernie says hi； by the way。〃
〃How's his kid？〃 Jack asked。
〃Just an appendectomy； she'll be climbing the monkey bars next week；〃 Cathy replied； surveying the kitchen。 She often wo