Mr. Shan watched in quiet relief as the two ladies boarded the idling yellow taxi with their heavy suitcases. Jenny had firmly insisted on accompanying Jillyanna to stay at the private apartment for the next few days, determined to keep her company and assist her while they waited for her upcoming international flight.
As the taxi pulled away from the suburban curb and merged into the smooth flow of late-night traffic, Jillyanna retrieved her secondary, unregistered phone from her handbag and dialed Cielo's private number.
The call connected almost instantly. "You finally remembered to call me!" Cielo's voice exploded through the receiver in a sharp, theatrical shriek, making Jillyanna wince slightly and quickly pull the phone a few inches away from her ear.
