"It's being repaired."'ll call your insurance company.", no, Nadine, please don't.' Kendall saw the surprised look in Nadine's eyes.
It was two days later that the first letter came: Dear Mrs. Ren=4 rm the chairman of the Wild Animal Protection Association, which is in desperate need, I'm sure that you would like to help us out. The organization needs money to preserve wild animals. We are especially interested in deer. You can wire $50,000 to "count number 804072-A at the Credit Suisse bank in Zurich. I would strongly suggest that the money be there within the nextfive days. 226 It was unsigned. All the Es in the letter were broken. Enclosed in the envelope was a newspaper clipping about the accident. Kendall read the letter twice. The threat was unmistakable. She agonized over what to do. Marc was right, she thought. I should have gone to the police. But now everything was worse.
She was a fugitive. If they found her now, it would mean prison and disgrace, as well as the end of her business. At lunchtime, she went to her bank. ' want to wire fifty thousand dollars to Switzerland.' When Kendall got home that evening, she showed the letter to Marc. He was stunned. ' God!' he said. ' could have sent thist ' ... nobody knows.' She was trembling. ', someone knows.' Her body was twitching. '"here was no one around, Marc! I ' a minute. Let's try to figure this out. Exactly what happened when you returned to townr "Nothing. I ... I put the car in the garage, and She stopped. ' got a bad dent here, Mrs. Renaud. Looks like there's blood on it.' Marc saw the expression on her face. '?' She said slowly, ' owner of the garage and his mechanic were there. They saw the blood on the fender. I told them I hit a deer, and they said there 227 should have been a lot more damage.'She remembered something else. '.. CYCST "Nadine, my secretary. I told her the same thing. I could see that she didn't believe me either. So it had to be one of the three of them." "No,' Marc said slowly. She stared at him. ' do you meanr ' down, Kendall, and listen to me. If any of them was suspicious of you, they could have told your story to a dozen people. The report of the accident has been in all the newspapers. Someone has put two and two together. I think the letter was a bluff, testing you. It was a terrible mistake to send that money." whyt ' now they know you're guilty, don't you see? You've given them the proof they needed.", God! What should I dot Kendall asked. Marc Renaud was thoughtful for a moment. ' have an idea how we can find out who these bastards are.' At ten o'clock the following morning, Kendall and Marc were seated in the office of Russell Gibbons, vice president of the Manhattan First Security Bank. ' what can I do for you, todayt Mr. Gibbons asked. Marc said, ' would like to check on a numbered bank account in Zurich.' GYest 228 Ve want to know whose account it is.' - Gibbons rubbed his hands across his chin. ' there a crime involvedt Marc said quickly, '! Why do you ask?", unless there's some kind of criminal activity, such as laundering money or breaking the laws of Switzerland or the United States, Switzerland will not violate the secrecy of its numbered bank accounts. Their reputation is built on [email protected]: ', there's some way to ... T gilm sorry. I'm afraid not.' Kendall and Marc looked at each other.
Kendall's face was filled with despair. Marc rose. ' you for your time.' [email protected] sorry I couldn't help you.' He ushered them out of his office. % When Kendall drove into the garage that evening, neither Sam nor Red was around. Kendall parked her car, and as she passed the little office, through the window she saw a typewriter on a stand. She stopped, staring at it, wondering if it had a broken letter E. I have to find out, she thought. She walked over to the office, hesitated a moment, then opened the door and stepped inside. As she moved toward the typewriter, Sam suddenly appeared out of nowhere. 4 "Evenin', Mrs. Renaud,' he said. ' I help you?' She spun around, startled. '. I ... I just left my 229 [email protected] car. Good night.'- She hurried toward the door. ' night, Mrs. Renaud.' In the morning, when Kendall passed the garage office, the typewriter was gone. In its place was a personal computer. Sam saw her staring at. it. ', huh? I decided to bring this place into the twentieth century.' Now that he could afford it? When Kendall told Marc about it that evening, he said thoughtfully, ''s a possibility, but we need proof.' Monday morning, when Kendall went to her office, Nadine was waiting for her. ' you feeling better, Mrs. Renaudt '. Thank you.' - ' was my birthday. Look what my husband got me!' She walked over -to, a closet and pulled out a luxurious mink coat. ''t it beautiful?"
Chapter Nineteen
Julia Stanford enjoyed having Sally as a roommate. She was always upbeat and fun and @heerful. She had had a bad marriage and had sworn never to get involved with a man again. Julia wasn't sure what Sally's definition of never was, because she seemed to be out with a different man every week. ' men are the best,' Sally philosophized. ' feel guilty, so they're always buying you presents. With a single man, you have to-ask yourself, why is he still singlet She said to Julia, ' aren't dating anyone, are YOUT '.' Julia thought of the men who had wanted to take her out. ' don't want to go out just for the sake of going out, Sally. I have to be with someone I really care about.", have I got a man for you!' Sally'said. ''re going to love him! His name is Tony Vinetti. I told him all about you, and he's dying to meet you." really don't think -"'ll pick you up tomorrow night at eight o'clock.' 231 Tony Vinetti was tall, very tall, in an appealing, ungainly way. His hair was thick and dark, and his smile exploded disarmingly as he looked at Julia. ' wasn't exaggerating. You're a knockout!" you,' Julia said. She felt a little shiver of pleasure. ' you ever been to Houston'st - It was one of the finest restaurants in Kansas City. '.' The truth was that she could not afford to eat at Houston's. Not even with the raise she had been given.