Page 6 (1/2)

"That’s fine"

I directedmy name, the fact that I worked for California Fidelity, the date and ti to Lance Wood in his capacity as president and CEO of Wood/Warren, the address of the com-pany, and the nature of the loss

"Mr Wood, you do understand that this is being taped," I said for the benefit of the record

"Yes"

"And do I have your per of the conversation we’re about to have?"

"Yes, yes," he said, es-ture that lanced down at the file "Can you tell me the cir-cumstances of the fire that occurred at the Wood/Warren warehouse at 606 Fairweather on December nineteenth of this year?"

He shifted impatiently "Actually, I was out of town, but from what I’m told…" The telephone interco at it like a dog "Yes?"

There was a pause "Well, goddaave me a quick look "No, wait a minute, I’ll take it out there" He put the phone down, excused him-self brusquely, and left the roo the brief i heavy in the waist and his gabar-dine pants rode up unbeco to the center of his back He smelled harshly of sweat-not that clean anient, faintly repellant odor of stress His couely unhealthy

I waited for fifteen minutes and then tiptoed to the door The reception area was deserted No sign of Lance Wood No sign of Heather I ht a gli who looked very much like Ebony, but I couldn’t be sure A woman looked up at herty, the office er She was in her late forties, with a sically talossy patina of hair spray She was un-happy about so, possibly the fact that she’d just cracked one of her bright-red acrylic fingernails

"I’ with Lance Wood, but he’s disappeared Do you knohere he went?"

"He left the plant" She was licking the cracked nail experiht serve as adhesive

"He left?"

"That’s what I said"