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The levity passed quickly as Patrick grew quiet。 Huskey wasn't about to lose the moment。 〃So where's the money？〃
〃I can't tell you； Karl。〃
〃How much is left？〃
〃A ton。〃
〃More than you stole？〃
〃More than I took； yes。〃
〃How'd you do it？〃
Patrick swung his feet from the other side of the bed； and walked to the door。 It was closed。 He stretched his back and legs； and took a drink from a bottle of water。 Then he sat on the edge of the bed； looking down at KarL
〃I got lucky；〃 he said； almost in a whisper。 But Karl heard every syllable。
〃I was leaving； Karl； with or without the money。 I knew the money was ing to the firm； and I had a plan to get it。 But if that had fallen through； I was still leaving。 I couldn't take another day with Trudy。 I hated my job； and I was about to get my throat cut at the firm anyway。 Bogan and those boys were in the midst of a gigantic fraud； and I was the only person outside the firm who knew it。〃
〃What fraud？〃
〃Aricia's claim。 We'll talk about that later。 So I slowly planned my escape； and I got lucky and got away。 The luck followed me until two weeks ago。 Incredible luck。〃
〃We got as far as the burial。〃
〃Right。 I went back to the litde condo I had rented at Orange Beach。 I stayed there a couple of days； indoors； listening to language tapes and memorizing Portuguese vocabulary。 I also spent hours editing the conversations I had recorded around the office。 There were a lot of documents to organize。 I actually worked quite hard。 At night； I walked the beach for hours； working up a sweat； trying to melt the pounds off as quickly as possible。 I pletely disassociated myself from food。〃
〃What kind of documents？〃
〃The Aricia file。 I ventured out in the sailboat。 I knew the basics； and suddenly I was motivated to bee a good sailor。 The boat was big enough to live on for days at a time； and soon I was hiding out there on the water。〃
〃Here？〃
〃Yes。 I'd anchor close to Ship Island； and watch the shoreline of Biloxi。〃
〃Why did you want to do that？〃
〃I had the office wired； Karl。 Every phone； every desk； except for Bogan's。 I even had a mike in the men's room on the first floor between Bogan's office and Vitrano's。 The mikes transmitted to a hub I had hidden in the attic。 It's an old firm in an old building with a million old files stashed away in the attic。 Nobody ever went up there。 There was an old TV antenna attached to the chimney on top of the building； and I ran my wires through it。 The receiver then transmitted to a ten…inch dish I had on the sailboat。 This was high…tech； state…of…the…art stuff； Karl。 I bought it on the black market in Rome； cost me a ton of money。 With binoculars； I could see the chimney； and the signals were easy to collect。 Every conversation within earshot of a mike was beamed to me on the sailboat。 I recorded all of them； and did my editing at night。 I knew where they were eating lunch and what moods their wives were in。 I knew everything。〃
〃That's incredible。〃
〃You should've heard them trying to sound serious after my funeral。 On the phone； they took all these calls； all these condolences； and sounded so grave and proper。 But among themselves； they joked about my death。 It saved a nasty confrontation。 Bogan had been elected to deliver the news to me that I was being booted from the firm。 The day after the funeral he and Havarac drank Scotch in the conference room and laughed about how lucky I was to have died at such an opportune time。〃
〃Do you have these tapes？〃
〃Of course。 Get this。 I have the tape of the conversation between Trudy and Doug Vitrano； in my old office； just hours before my funeral； when they open my lockbox and find the surprise life insurance policy for two million dollars。 It's hilarious。 It took Trudy about twenty seconds before she asked； 〃When do I get the money？〃
〃When can I hear it？〃
〃I don't know。 Soon。 There were hundreds of tapes。 The editing took twelve hours a day for several weeks。 Imagine all the phone calls I had to wade through。〃
〃Were they ever suspicious？〃
〃Not really。 Rapley once made the remark to Vitrano that my timing was incredible； since I had purchased the two…million…dollar policy only eight months before my death。 And there was a ment or two about how strange I had been acting； but it was harmless。 They were so thrilled that I was gone and out of the way。〃
〃Did you tap Trudy's phones？〃
〃I thought about it； but then why bother？ Her behavior was predictable。 She couldn't help me。〃
〃But Aricia could。〃
〃Certainly。 I knew every move they made for Aricia。 I knew the money was going offshore。 I knew which bank； and when it would get there。〃
〃So how'd you steal it？〃
〃Again； lots of luck。 Though Bogan was calling the shots； Vitrano was doing most of the talking with the bankers。 I flew to Miami 。with a fresh set of papers declaring me to be Doug Vitrano。 I had his Social Security number and other vitals。 This guy in Miami has a puter catalog with a million faces in it； and you simply point to the one you want； and presto； that face is on your driver's license。 I picked a face that was somewhere between mine and Vitrano's。 From Miami I flew to Nassau； and that's where it got sticky。 I presented myself to the bank； the United Bank of Wales。 The main guy Vitrano had been talking to was a chap named Graham Dunlap。 I presented all my fake papers； including a forged partnership resolution； on firm stationery of course； which directed me to wire the money out as fast as it came in。 Dunlap had not expected Mr。 Vitrano； and he was quite surprised； even flattered； that someone from the firm would make the journey for such a routine matter。 He fixed me coffee and sent a secretary out for croissants。 I was eating one in his office when the wire came in。〃
〃He never thought about calling the firm？〃
〃No。 And listen； Karl； I was prepared to bolt。 If Dunlap had been the least bit suspicious； I would have slugged him； run from the building； grabbed a cab； and raced to the airport。 I had three different tickets for three different flights。〃
〃Where would you have gone？〃
〃Well； I was still dead； remember。 Probably to Brazil。 I would've； found a job as a bartender and spent the rest of my days on the beach。 In retrospect； I might have been better off without the money。 I had it； and they had to e after it。 That's why I'm here now。
Anyway； Dunlap asked the right questions and my answers came out beautifully。 He confirmed the wire was in； and I immediately authorized the wire out； to a bank in Malta。〃
〃All of it？〃
〃Almost all of it。 Dunlap hesitated for a moment when he realized all the money was leaving his bank。 I almost swallowed my tongue。 He mentioned something about an administrative fee for his services； and I asked him what was customary。 He turned into a slimy little twerp； said fifty thousand would be appropriate； and I said fine。 Fifty thousand stayed in the account and was later transferred to Dunlap。 The bank is in downtown Nassau…〃
〃Was in downtown Nassau。 It folded six months after you robbed it。〃
〃Yeah； so I heard。 Too bad。 When I left through the front door； my feet hit the sidewalk； and it was difficult to keep from sprinting like a madm