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"Do you intend to investigate the teller?" Joshua asked

"An investigation has already begun"

"I’m pleased to hear it"

"But I’m quite sure it won’t lead anywhere," Preston said "She’s been with us for more than sixteen years"

"Is she the saet to the safe deposit box?" Joshua asked

"No That’s another e her as well"

"This is a damned serious matter"

"You don’t have to tell , I’ve never had it happen to me Before I phoned you, I notified the authorities, the state and federal banking officials, and First Pacific United’s attorneys"

"I believe I should come down there tomorrow and have a chat with your people"

"I wish you would"

"Shall we say ten o’clock?"

"Whenever it’s convenient for you," Preston said "I’ll be at your disposal all day"

"Then let’s make it ten o’clock"

"I’m terribly sorry about this But of course, the loss is covered by federal insurance"

"Except for the contents of the safe deposit box," Joshua said "No insurance covers that loss"

That was the part of it that was giving Preston a bad case of the jitters, and they both knew it

"The boxaccounts coot to it," Preston said quickly

"I’ll see you in theup and stared at the telephone

Finally he sipped his whiskey

A double for Bruno Frye? A dead ringer?

Suddenly, he reht he’d seen in Bruno’s house at three o’clock MondayHe’d spotted it on his way back to bed frolasses, there had been no light He’d figured that his eyes had played a trick on hiht had been real Perhaps the man who had looted those Pacific United accounts had been in Bruno’s house, looking for so

Joshua had been to the house yesterday, had taken a brisk five- was as it should be, and he had not noticed anything awry

Why had Bruno kept secret bank accounts in San Francisco?

Was there a dead ringer, a double?

Who? And why?

Da the co to be as short and easy a job as he had thought

At six o’clock Tuesday evening, as Tony swung the Jeep into the street that ran past his apart, Hilary felt more awake than she had all day She had entered that peculiar second-wind state of grainy-eyed alertness that ca awake for a day and a half Suddenly, the body and the mind seemed to decide to made the best of this forced consciousness; and, by some chemical trick, the flesh and the spirit were renewed She stopped yawning Her vision, which had been blurry at the edges, grew clear again The grinding weariness receded But she kneould be only a short-lived reprieval froh would end in an abrupt and inevitable crash, not unlike the sudden descent froy peak, and then she would be too drained even to stay on her feet

She and Tony had successfully dealt with all of their business that needed tending to--the insurance adjuster, the house cleaning service,the police reports, and all the rest The only thing that hadn’t gone smoothly was the stop at the Wyant Stevens Gallery in Beverly Hills

Neither Wyant nor his assistant, Betty, was there, and the plue was reluctant to take possession of Tony’s paintings She didn’t want the responsibility, but Hilary finally convinced her that she would not be sued if one of the canvases was marked or torn accidentally Hilary had written a note to Wyant, explaining the artist’s background, and then she and Tony had gone to the offices of Topelis & Associates to ask Wally to make excuses to Warner Brothers Now the slate was clean Tomorrow, after Frank Howard’s funeral, they would catch the 11:55 PSA flight that would take the commuter air shuttle to Napa

And then a rented car to St Helena

And then they would be on Bruno Frye’s horound

And then--what?

Tony parked the Jeep and switched off the engine

Hilary said, "I forgot to ask if you ed to find a hotel room"

"Wally’s secretaryin his office"

"At the airport"

"Yes"

"Not twin beds, I hope"

"One kingsize"

"Good," she said, "I want you to hold me while I drift off to sleep"

He leaned over and kissed her

They took twenty minutes to pack a pair of suitcases for hi that ti Frye to leap out of a shadow or step around a corner, grinning

He didn’t

They drove to the airport by a roundabout route that was full of twists and turns Hilary watched the cars behind them