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frantic whispers. John turned as he reached his own office.
 If you have anything to say, John told him,  this is your last chance.
Dawes gnawed his lower lip until he tasted blood. For a banker, Hawthorn had a very
intimidating demeanor. He meant what he said. And with Calverson gone, there was no one left to face
the blame except the bookkeeper.
 Calverson& made some& withdrawals and then falsified entries to explain them, Dawes said in
a whisper.  He threatened to& that is, he threatened me& if I didn t cooperate. It s something to do
with the reason he wanted to merge the bank with Whitfield s investment firm so quickly. I don t know
why. He didn t trust me enough to say.
John had seen men blackmailed while he was in the service. Dawes looked like a person with
dark secrets. The threat of exposure had forced better men than Dawes into a life of crime.
 I ll do what I can for you, when the time comes. If you cooperate, John added meaningfully.
Dawes let out the breath he d been holding.  I ll do whatever you say, Mr. Hawthorn.
John nodded.  Go back to work, for now.
 Yes, sir.
Dawes ambled back the way he d come; John stood with his hands in his pockets, scowling. He
hadn t seen the president of the bank again this morning not even a glimpse of him after
Calverson had unlocked the doors promptly at nine.
His first stop was Calverson s office, where his secretary, Henderson, was sorting mail.
 Has Eli come in?
Henderson looked up and blinked.  No, sir. He went back home right after he unlocked the
doors. You remember& ? I believe he was unwell.
 Yes, he said so. I think I ll go over to his home and check on him, John said, so as not to
arouse suspicion.  I ll be there if I m needed urgently.
 Yes, sir.
He got his hat and overcoat and cane, went out into the nippy air, and hailed a carriage. All the
way to Eli Calverson s palatial home, he was thinking about Whitfield and this merger. Eli hadn t
been honest with him about a lot of things. Something was going on, and he meant to find out what.
He only wished he knew where Claire was. No one had heard from her or seen her since she left
on the train. He d even been to see Evelyn Paine, but Evelyn was as worried as he was and equally in
the dark as to Claire s destination.
When he got to the Calverson home, he was still brooding about Claire. He tapped on the front
door and waited for the maid to admit him.
 I want to see Eli Calverson, John told her.
 Mr. Calverson isn t& available, sir. Shall I ask Mrs. Calverson to come down?
He was surprised.  Yes, please.
He waited until Diane appeared from a room in the back of the house. Her eyes were red, but she
forced a wide smile at the sight of him.  John! How wonderful to see you! She held out her hands for
him to take and pulled him with her.  Do come into the parlor.
She led him out of the hall and closed the sliding doors behind them.
 I m so glad you ve come, she said worriedly.  I m so upset. I don t really know what I should
do. She tugged a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes.  Oh, John. It s such a
frightful mess.
He d never seen her quite so genuinely upset.  What s wrong?
 Eli s& very ill, she said.  I ve just had the doctor. He s in& what is it called? Oh, yes.
Quarantine. She dabbed at her eyes and nose and peered up at John over the lacy handkerchief with
faint calculation.  He s ever so sick. I m quite sure that he won t be able to come back to work at all
this week&  Her voice trailed off.
 Diane, do you know about any unusual activity at the bank? he asked.
 Why, no, John, she said, with wide eyes.  I do know about the riot, of course, because I was
there. Eli was very upset. She made a gesture.  That s what caused him to be sick, all the worry about
those investors making such silly accusations. As if anyone would embezzle money at our bank! The
very idea! You don t think Eli would steal from the bank, do you, John?
And John thought, You little schemer. Something was afoot and Diane was up to her pretty
neck in it. She couldn t know about the bookkeeper s accusations, thank God. He d make sure she
didn t find out. Whatever Eli was up to, he wasn t going to get away with it. John wasn t about to be
left holding the bag.
Diane moved close to him, smiling sweetly.  How I ve missed you, John, she said.  I should
never have married him, you know.
How sugary sweet she sounded. But she looked nervous. She looked frightened, as well.
 Won t you stay for a little while? she said, wringing her handkerchief.  I m so lonely and
upset and we haven t had a chance to talk alone together in such a long time. I do so badly need to
talk to you, John.
Once, her nearness would have driven him mad with desire. Now it only irritated him.
Diane s wan face lifted to his.  Claire has left you, hasn t she, John? It s all over town. Now you
can divorce her and have me. You can make peace with your people and get your inheritance. We can
live very well& 
 What about your sick husband?
She hesitated. She looked frightened and her eyes didn t quite meet his.  I can t think about him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]