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‘Well, the odds of being hit by lightning in one’s lifetime is millions to one and yet there are people who have been hit by lightning more than once and survived to tell the tale I think there is a guy in the US who has been hit six times’ I smile ‘We live in a weird and wonderful world, Inspector’

He looks pained

I affect a concerned expression ‘Surely you don’t thinkto do with my father’s disappearance?’

He ignores my question ‘Aren’t you the sole heir of your father’s estate?’

‘I have no idea, and since I don’t believe , on’t know the contents of his will until either his body turns up, or the seven statutory years to get a declaration of presumed death is up’

He leans forward ‘Why are you so eager to believe your father isand not dead?’

‘I ahter I prefer to believe that he is still alive and well somewhere Is that so hard to understand, Mr Stone?’

His Coke arrives He grabs the straeen his lips and sips at it in a desultory fashion It makes me almost feel sorry for him

I gather , but you will letat all, won’t you, Inspector?’

He smiles cynically ‘You betcha’

‘Well, I’ll wish you a good day then’

‘And you’ll letat all, won’t you, Miss Evanoff?’

‘Of course I’er to find my father as you are’

He smiles ‘One day, Miss Evanoff One day you’ll make a mistake’

I stand and smile slowly He has no dead body and never will He has nothing ‘I believe in kar, then I will pay the full price’

‘Good luck’

‘Thank you, and the sa his eyes are onno fear in my heart

Forty-five

Tasha Abramovich

Ten Months Later

My First My Last My Everything