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He got into the cab, telling the driver, “Two stops, please First, City Hall And then SFO, international departure”

The driver said, “Okay, boss,” and flipped the meter

Thethe blue cap leaned back and enjoyed the ride His plans were vivid in his mind

He wanted his good-bye kiss to be incendiary and unforgettable City Hall was an architectural masterpiece Inaccessible, of course, but he had scoped out a vulnerable spot There was a short ra area just below street level

There would be no valet there at night, and as he saw it, he could sih above the clouds

The driver’s name was Minnie

She was a careful driver and he liked that She didn’t speed, wasn’t aggressive, and even used turn signals They drove along McAllister, lit up and with athe intersection at Polk, they approached City Hall, and Grant leaned forward and spoke to the driver

“Just pull in over there”

“Valet parking, you mean?” Minnie asked “I can’t That’s not allowed”

“It’s okay Co for half a minute”

She looked into the rearview ly She put on her directional signal, crossed McAllister, and stopped at the top of the short ramp

“Okay, this is good,” Grant said He could walk his duffel down to the entrance “Just open the trunk latch for me”

“Why?” she asked “We’re still going to the airport, aren’t we?”

“Yes I’ out of the trunk”

“No, sir I can’t do that Please understand, I’ve had people run off without paying the fare You owe me thirteen dollars fifty cents”