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“Bulfert’s outside He’s being shown in,” he informed him

“Good” Dyson closed the report he’d been reading and sat back in his custoars ready for him” Stricklin walked to a side cupboard and re them on the Texas-

sized desk

The doors to the executive office of Dy-Corp were opened and a statuesque blonde stepped aside to aded his ent ways He mopped at his florid face with an expensive linen handkerchief Dyson ca to the pu handshake

“Welcouess I shouldn’t be calling you Senator anyoing to find difficult to break I hope you don’t mind—Senator”

“Not at all Not at all,” Bulfert replied with his usual show of aggressive joviality

“Have a cigar” Dyson gestured to the box of the senator’s favorite brand “May I pour you a drink? How about soood Texas branch water?”

“Too early for me” He waved aside the offer of a drink “But I will have a cigar” Stricklin offered him his pick from the box “Thank you, Stricklin” He smiled at the darkly tanned man with sun-bleached hair, never completely comfortable with those steel-blue eyes on him

“I try, Senator” Stricklin sar the politician rolled between his lips

“Sit down, Senator,” Dyson invited and returned to his chair behind the desk “We’ve had an opportunity to go over thisconfidential file you left with us, and our findings concur with yours” His words were couched in polite ter what both had known from the start “It would seem that the title to those ten thousand acres of land Calder supposedly purchased froovernment was obtained by fraudulent means It appears that this recently deceased”—Dyson paused to check the report for the naood had no authorization to make the sale His bank records show there was a sizable cash deposit made at approximately the same time the transaction occurred And a similar amount ithdrawn from Calder’s bank account soovernment official”

“A terrible thing—violating the public trust,” the senator agreed, sly “So well documented, too”

“The governrounds to declare the sale of that land null and void,” Dyson agreed

“Exactly ar was clenched in his teeth as he responded to the assertion

“As I proone no farther than this room However, now that you aren’t in office, I can think of no reason why it couldn’t be arranged for this information to come to the attention of the proper official Discreetly, of course”

“Of course” Bulfert nodded, the bagging jowls bunching out with the movement “I’m sure, with your connections, you would have no difficulty obtaining the hts on that particular portion of federal land”