The waitress came up to take their dinner order, providing additional screen for Bernadette. By the time they finished ordering, Mary and her two escorts had moved farther into the pub. Peter got up and went in search of the men’s room. He found it halfway down a hallway in the very back of the club. There was a door at the end of the hall that looked to Peter like it was a door to the outside. O’Hara must have a key to the outside door and the only other door, halfway down the hall, must be the door to his headquarters.

He could see no cameras or sensor systems. The lock seemed similar to the outside door lock, which was a deadbolt type lock. When O’Hara’s in residence, there would probably be a guard in the hallway, watching both doors. A real problem, he thought. If we go in while he is in the office, there is bound to be a gunfight. We would win but the consequences may be bad. Cops would be here quickly and take everyone who might have been involved into custody.

He had seen all he needed and made his way through the crowd to their booth. He saw Mary and her group at a table near to the hallway corner he had just cased. If Bernadette comes this way, Mary will see her for sure.

Back at the table, Peter said, “Okay. Here’s the way it is going down.” He explained the layout he had seen and compared it to the blueprint Frank gave him. It all checked out. The end door was an outside door and the other door led to a two-room suite. When Terry and Bernadette were familiar with the layout, Peter said, “I’ll call the waitress over and pay the bill, leaving a big enough tip to let Terry keep the booth and order a dessert. Bernadette and I will go out and down the alley to the outside door.

“Bernadette will cover me while I open the lock. We’ll go inside and I’ll open the door to O’Hara’s office. Terry gives us five minutes and then goes back to the men’s room. By that time, Bernadette and I should be in O’Hara’s office. If anyone comes in and heads for the office door, follow them and push in behind them. We will hear the door bang against a chair I put there and come to the door with guns out. Kill anyone who looks like they are going to be a problem. We’ll use our cop credentials if we have to. Anyone who surrenders, we can tie up and leave. But we can’t leave anyone alive who’s recognized Bernadette.

“Your friend Mary and her crowd would see you for sure if you walked to the back of the bar. Okay, here comes our waitress. The clock is ticking.”

Peter and Bernadette were out the door before Terry’s dessert arrived. They were outside the alley door to O’Keefe’s forty-five seconds later. Bernadette stood with her back to the wall beside the door, partially screening a crouching Peter from anyone looking down the alley from State Street. He said, “A few more seconds.”

“You don’t have any more time. Here comes trouble. Three young men think we’re an easy mugging. They’ll be here in five seconds. Pin me against the wall like you’re fucking me. I’ll pull up my skirt. The sight will put them off guard. When they get up close, I’ll moan as the signal for you to show them they had a bad idea.”

The leader of the three stopped and said, “Will you look at the legs on that bitch? Bet her tits are world class. Let’s have a closer look.”