Thomas, observing, spoke,

"Couldn't an officer get a pretty severe reprimand for in sistine asked Thomas. All five heads turned to Thomas.

"For insisting without a warrant? In front of a witness who also happened to be an attorney?"

Sha.s.sad removed his hand from the man's shoulder. He looked at Thomas Daniels bitterly When he stepped from the cab on Seventy-third Street, he looked both ways, a habit he'd developed in light of recent events.

Daniels entered his building and climbed the stairs. He was still somewhat preoccupied with the events of the evening. He noticed nothing conspicuously unusual as he unlocked the double lock on his apartment door and entered.

He had already turned on the dim light in the entrance hall and had taken two steps forward into the living room. It was at that time, from the side, that an unseen hand turned on the living-room light and Thomas whirled to see a stunning second presence in the room with him.

In that immeasurable short lapse between realization and recognition, a thousand fears flashed through his mind. Not the least of which was that this was how people were murdered.

Chapter 10

"Well" he said, fumbling with the words. His heart left his throat and tumbled back to where it belonged in his chest.

"Life is filled with surprises."

He eyed Leslie appraisingly as she stood by a light switch in the living room. He was close enough to see her eye movement, close enough to notice that she was checking to be sure he was alone.

Satisfied, she stepped away from the light switch. With a graceful, feminine gesture she swept her skirt under her and sat down on his sofa.

"You lied to me," she said.

"At least three times."

"I? Lied to you?" he repeated. Both anger and confusion marked his words. He tried to fathom her statement.

"Yes she said flatly, as if it made no difference. But of course it did.

He pulled off his coat and tossed it onto a chair. He sat down a few feet away from her across an open s.p.a.ce of room. In one of the tributary channels of his mind it occurred to him that his door had shown no signs of tampering. How-had she gained entry-magic?

"Lie number one: You told me you have an office here. You don't. Two: You said originally that you had access to the will. You haven't. And three, you said we were speaking in confidence.

You've broken that confidence. Those men tonight were police."

"You're right," he conceded.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"Aren't you going to offer an excuse?"

"Should I bother?"

"I wish you would" He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, acting just as a witness must when trapped with perjured testimony.

"My offices were completely destroyed by arson. You saw what was left.

The arson may or may not have had to do with this case" He looked at her carefully, trying unsuccessfully to see how the story was being received.

"When you came and presented your story, I believed you. I wanted to take your case and retain you as a client. So I misrepresented my files as being intact. I needed time."

"What about the police?"

"I had to account for my time on the night of the fire. They were questioning me on another matter."

"And the will?"

"I don't have it."

"Where is it?"

"I don't know. I'm grateful for the benefit of the doubt," he said heavily.

Her left hand played with a strand of brown hair by her shoulder.

"What worries me," she said thoughtfully, 'is how proficient you are at lying. Tell me, is it hereditary?"

He let a moment pa.s.s before answering.

"I might ask you the same thing."

Her hand was still.

"Excuse me?"

"A lot of people maintain that you don't exist' ' "They're all lying' "

she said with a stiff smile.

"In fact he continued, 'you're the only one who maintains that you exist. That's something of a minority opinion " "What about you?" she asked.

"Do you still believe me?"

I.

He allowed a few moments before answering.

"Yes' he said finally.

"But I wouldn't mind an answer or two."

"Such as?"

"For starters, how did you get out of that garage?"

"I can't tell you."

He looked at her with a pained expression.