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Although Sackett was polite, efficient, and thorough, Joshua realized that the FBI was not going to solve the case in a few days--not unless the Bruno Frye imposter walked into their office and confessed This was not an urgent ued by various crackpot terrorist groups, organized crime families, and corrupt politicians, the resources of the FBI could not be brought fully to bear on an eighteen-thousand-dollar case of this sort More likely than not, Sackett would be the only agent on it full-tiround checks on everyone involved; and then he would conduct an exhaustive survey of banks in northern California, to see if Bruno Frye had any other secret accounts Sackett wouldn’t get to St Helena for a day or two And if he didn’t coht thereafter handle the case only on a part-ti questions, Joshua turned to Ronald Preston and said, "Sir, I trust that the hteen thousand will be replaced in short order"
"Well" Preston nervously fingered his prim little mustache "We’ll have to wait until the FDIC
approves the clai the FDIC ait until you can assure them that neither I nor any beneficiary of the estate conspired to withdraw that eighteen thousand dollars?"
"They hly unusual case"
"But quite a lot of tiive them such assurances," Joshua said
"We wouldn’t th of tihed "I had hoped to settle the estate quickly"
Sackett shrugged "Maybe I won’t need three months It could all break fast You never know In a day or two, I er for Frye Then I’d be able to give the FDIC an all-clear signal"
"But you don’t expect to solve it that fast"
"The situation is so bizarre that I can’t commit myself to deadlines," Sackett said
"Damnation," Joshua said wearily
A few minutes later, as Joshua crossed the cool marble-floored lobby on his way out of the bank, Mrs Willis called to hie He went to her, and she said, "You knohat I’d do if I were you?"
"What’s that?" Joshua asked
"Dig hi him up"
"Bruno Frye?"
"You didn’t bury Mr Frye" Mrs Willis was adaether and shook her head back and forth, looking very stern "No If there’s a double for Mr Frye, he’s not the one who’s up walking around The double is the one who’s six feet under with a slab of granite for a hat The real Mr Frye was here last Thursday I’d swear to that in any court I’d stake my life on it"
"But if it wasn’t Frye as killed down in Los Angeles, then where is the real Frye now? Why did he run away? What in the na on?"
"I don’t know about that," she said "I only knohat I saw Dig him up, Mr Rhinehart I believe you’ll find that you’ve buried the wrong man"
At 3:20 Wednesday afternoon, Joshua landed at the county airport just outside the town of Napa
With a population of forty-five thousand, Napa was far fro a major city, and in fact it partook of the wine country ambiance to such an extent that it seemed smaller and cozier than it really was; but to Joshua, as long accustomed to the rural peace of tiny St Helena, Napa was as noisy and bothersoet out of the place
His car was parked in the public lot by the airfield, where he had left it that o hoht to Bruno Frye’s house in St Helena
Usually, Joshua was acutely aware of the incredible natural beauty of the valley But not today
Now he drove without seeing anything until the Frye property came into view
Part of Shade Tree Vineyards, the Frye family business, occupied fertile black flat land, butfoothills on the west side of the valley The winery, the public tasting roos--all fieldstone and redwood and oak structures that seee piece of level highland, near the westerns faced east, across the valley, toward vistas of seriated vines, and all of them were constructed with their backs to a one-hundred-sixty-foot cliff, which had been fore when earth movement had sheered the side off the last foothill at the base of theMayacamas Mountains