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’You’re a real friend, Abel I swear I’ll never coain’ Henry plucked a Romeo y Julliyta from the humidor on the table in front of Abel and lit it ’Thanks, Abel, you’ll never regret your decision’

Henry left, puffing away at the cigar, as George cae waited for the door to be closed - ’What happened with Henry?’

’I gave in for the last time,’ said Abel ’I don’t knohy - it cost me ten thousand’

’Jesus, I feel like the brother of the prodigal ;on,’ said George

’Because he’ll be back again I’d be willing to put money on that’

’He’d better not,’ said Abel, ’because I’h with him Whatever he has done for me in the past, it’s now quits What’s the latest news on Florentyna?’

’Florentyna’s fine, but you were right about Zaphia : she’s been ular monthly trips to the coast to see them both’

’Bloody woman,’said Abel

Wrs Kane has been out a couple of tie

’And Kane?’

’No sign of hi we have in common,’ said Abel

’I’ve set up a facility for her with the Crocker National Bank of San Francisco,’ continued George ’She o The agreement will appear to her as if it’s one of the bank’s ordinary loan transactions, with no special favours In fact they’re charging her half a per cent more than usualso there can be no reason for her to be suspicious What she will never know is that the loan is covered by your guarantee!

"Ilanks, George, that’s perfect I’ll bet you ten dollars she pays off the loan within two years and never needs to go back for another’

’I’d want odds of five to one on that,’ said George ’Why don’t you try Henry; he’s hed ’Keep !

35

Willia as he studied T’haddeus Cohen’s quarterly report, and only one thing noorried hi with his vast shareholding in Lester’s? Willia that he still owned six per cent of the bank and with two more per cent he could invoke Article Seven of Lester’s by - laws It was hard to believe that Rosnovski still feared SEC