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g like a madman through the traffic。 I wanted to scream and leap from street to street； but I controlled myself。 I jumped into the first empty cab； told the driver I was late for a flight； and off we went。 The plane to Atlanta left in an hour。 The one to Miami was an hour and a half。 The one to La Guardia was boarding； so I flew to New York。〃
〃With ninety million bucks。〃
〃Minus fifty thousand for old Dunlap。 It was the longest flight of my life； Karl。 I knocked down three martinis and was still nothing but nerves。 I would close my eyes and see customs agents with machine guns waiting on me at the gate。 I just knew Dunlap had gotten suspicious and called the firm； and that somehow they had tracked me to the airport and onto the flight。 I have never wanted to get off a plane so badly in my life。 We landed； taxied to the terminal； got off the plane。 A camera flashed as we stepped into the gate area； and I thought； This is it！ They've got me！ It was some kid with a Kodak。 I practically ran to the men's room； where I sat on the toilet for twenty minutes。 Next to my feet was a canvas overnight bag with all my worldly possessions。〃
〃Don't forget the ninety million。〃
〃Oh yeah。〃
〃How'd the money get to Panama？〃
〃How do you know it went to Panama？〃
〃I'm the Judge； Patrick。 The cops talk to me。 It's a small town。〃
〃It was in the wiring instructions from Nassau。 The money went into a new account in Malta； then quickly on to Panama。〃
〃How'd you bee such a wizard at wiring money？〃
〃Just took a little research。 I worked on it for a year。 Tell me； Karl； when did you hear that the money was missing？〃
Karl laughed and reclined even farther。 He clasped his hands behind his head。 〃Well； your pals at the firm did a poor job of keeping their little settlement quiet。〃
〃I'm shocked。〃
〃In fact； the whole town knew they were about to be filthy rich。 They acted so serious about the secrecy； yet they were spending money like crazy。 Havarac bought the biggest； blackest Mercedes ever made。 Vitrano's architect was in the final stage of designing their new home…eleven thousand square feet。 Rapley signed a contract to buy an eighty…foot sailboat； said he was contemplating retirement。 I heard the private jet talk a few times。 Thirty million in legal fees would be hard to hide around here； but they didn't really try。 They wanted people to know。〃
〃Sounds like a bunch of lawyers。〃
〃You struck on a Thursday； right？〃
〃Right。 March twenty…sixth。〃
〃The next day； I was preparing to proceed with a civil trial when one of the lawyers got a call from the office。 The news was that there were problems with the big settlement over at Bogan； Rapley； Vitrano； Havarac； and Lanigan。 The money vanished。 All of it。 Stolen by someone offshore。〃
〃Was my name mentioned？〃
〃Not the first day。 It didn't take long； though。 Word got out that the bank's security cameras had captured someone vaguely resembling you。 Other pieces fell into place； and the gossip roared around town。〃
〃Did you believe I did it？〃
〃At first； I was too shocked to believe anything。 All of us were。 We had buried you； put you to rest； said our prayers。 It was impossible to believe。 But； as the days passed； the shock wore off and the puzzle came together。 The new will； the life insurance； the cremated corpse…we started getting suspicious。 Then they found the office crawling with bugs。 The FBI was questioning everyone around here。 A week after it happened； it was pretty well accepted that you had pulled it off。〃
〃Were you proud of me？〃
〃I wouldn't say I was proud。 Astonished maybe。
Perhaps stunned。 There was； after all； a dead body。 Then； I was intrigued。〃
〃Not the slightest hint of admiration？〃
〃I don't remember it that way； Patrick。 No； an innocent person had been murdered so you could steal the money。 Plus； you left behind a wife and daughter。〃
〃The wife got a bundle。 The child isn't mine。〃
〃I didn't know that at the time。 No one did。 No； I don't think you were admired around here。〃
〃What about my pals at the firm？〃
〃No one saw them for months。 They got sued by Aricia。 Other litigation followed。 They had grossly overspent； so bankruptcy got them。 Divorces； booze； it was awful。 They self…destructed in textbook fashion。〃
Patrick crawled onto his bed and gently folded his legs。 He savored this with a nasty smile。 Huskey stood and walked to the window。 〃How long did you stay in New York？〃 he asked； peeking through the shades。
〃About a week。 I didn't want any of the money ing back into the States； so I arranged to have it wired to a bank in Toronto。 The bank hi Panama was a branch of the Bank of Ontario； so it was easy to wire in as much as I needed。〃
〃You started spending？〃
〃Not much。 I was a Canadian now； with good papers； a transplant from Vancouver； and the money allowed me to purchase a small apartment and obtain credit cards。 I found a Portuguese instructor and studied the language six hours a day。 I went to Europe several times so my passport would get used and scrutinized。 Everything worked perfectly。 After three months； I put the apartment on the market and went to Lisbon； where I studied the language for a couple of months。 Then； on August 5； 1992； I flew to Sao Paulo。〃
〃Your independence day。〃
〃Absolute freedom； Karl。 I landed in that city with two small bags。 I got in a cab and I was soon lost in a sea of twenty million people。 It was dark and raining； traffic was standing still； and I was in the back of a cab thinking to myself that no one in the world knew where I was。 And no one would ever find me。 I almost cried； Karl。 It was sheer； unbridled freedom。 I looked at the faces of the people racing down the sidewalks； and I thought to myself； I'm now one of them。 I'm a Brazilian named Danilo； and I'll never be anybody else。〃
Twenty…nine
SANDY SLEPT THREE HOURS on a hard mattress in a loft somewhere above the den； far away from her； and awoke with the early sun beaming through slits beneath the blinds。 It was six…thirty。 They had said good night at three； after seven hours of intensely scouring documents and listening to dozens of surreptitious talks Patrick had amazingly captured。
He showered and dressed； and found his way down to the kitchen； where Leah sat in the breakfast nook with fresh coffee and a surprisingly alert face。 She fixed him wheat toast with jam as he glanced at the newspapers。 Sandy was ready to leave； to return to his office with the Aricia mess and sort it out on his own turf。
〃Any word from your father？〃 he asked。 The early voices were quiet； the words scarce。
〃No。 But I can't call from here。 I'll go to the market later and use a pay phone。〃
〃I'll say a prayer for him。〃
〃Thanks。〃
They loaded the entire Aricia file into the trunk of his car； and said good…bye。 She promised to call him within twenty…four hours。 She would not be leaving anytime soon。 Their client's problems had gone from serious to urgent。
The early air was cool。 It was October after all； and even the Coast felt a hint of autumn。 She put on a parka and went for a walk on the beach； barefoot and bare…legged； with one hand in a pocket and the other holding her coffee。 She hid behind sunglasses； whic