“I refuse to admit that.”
“Then why?”
“First answer me. Could I use the influence of your agency without being questioned further?… Responsible only to you.”
“Which means I’m responsible to you.”
“Exactly.”
“It’s possible.”
“In Europe as well?”
“We have reciprocal agreements with most—”
“Then here’s my offer,” interrupted Elizabeth. “I add that it’s nonnegotiable.… One hundred thousand dollars. Paid in installments mutually agreeable.”
Matthew Canfield stared at the confident old woman and suddenly found himself frightened. There was something terrifying about the sum Elizabeth Scarlatti had just mentioned. He repeated her words almost inaudibly. “One hundred thousand—”
“ ‘Dust thou wert,’ Mr. Canfield. Take my offer and enjoy your life.”
The field accountant was perspiring and it was neither warm nor humid in the suite. “You know my answer.”
“Yes, I thought so.… Don’t be overwhelmed. The transition to money takes but minor adjustments. You’ll have enough to be comfortable, but not so much for responsibility. That would be uncomfortable.… Now, where were we?”
“What?”
“Oh, yes. Why do I suspect my son may be alive? Separate and apart from the securities you speak of.”
“Why do you?”
“From April to December of the past year, my son had hundreds of thousands of dollars transferred to banks throughout Europe. I believe he intends to live on that money. I’m tracing those deposits. I’m following the trail of that money.” Elizabeth saw that the field accountant did not believe her. “It happens to be the truth.”
“But so are the securities, aren’t they?”
“Speaking to someone on my payroll and knowing that I’ll deny any knowledge of them outside of this stateroom … yes.”
“Why deny it?”
“A fair question. I don’t think you’ll understand but I’ll try. The missing securities won’t be discovered for nearly a year. I have no legal right to question my son’s trust—no one has—until the bonds mature. To do so would be to publicly accuse the Scarlatti family. It would tear the Scarlatti Industries apart. Make suspect all Scarlatti transactions in every banking institution in the civilized world. It’s a heavy responsibility. Considering the amount of money involved, it could create panics in a hundred corporations.”
Canfield reached the limits of his concentration. “Who was Jefferson Cartwright?”
“The only other person who knew about the securities.”
“Oh, my God!” Canfield sat up in the chair.
“Do you really think he was killed for the reasons given?”
“I didn’t know there were any.”
“They were indirect. He was a notorious philanderer.”
The field accountant looked into the old woman’s eyes. “And you say he was the only other one who knew about the securities?”
“Yes.”
“Then I think that was why he was killed. In your section of town, you don’t kill a man for sleeping with your wife. You simply use it as an excuse to sleep with his.”
“Then I do need you, don’t I, Mr. Canfield?”
“What had you planned to do when we reach England?”
“Prescisely what I said I was going to do. Start with the banks.”
“What would that tell you?”
“I’m not sure. But there were considerable sums of money by ordinary standards. This money had to go somewhere. It certainly wasn’t going to be carried around in paper bags. Perhaps other accounts under false names; perhaps small businesses quickly established—I don’t know. But I do know this is the money that will be used until the payments for the securities are liquid.”
“Christ, he’s got thirty million dollars in Stockholm!”
“Not necessarily. Accounts could be opened in Switzerland totaling thirty million—probably paid in bullion—but not released for a considerable length of time.”
“How long?”
“As long as it takes to certify the authenticity of every document. Since they were sold on a foreign exchange that could take months.”
“So you’re going to trace the accounts in the banks.”
“That would appear to be the only starting point.” Elizabeth Scarlatti opened the drawer of a writing desk and took out a vanity case. Unlocking it she took out a single sheet of paper.
“I assume you have a copy of this. I’d like you to read it over and refresh your memory.” She handed him the paper. It was the list of foreign banks where monies had been deposited by Waterman Trust for Ulster Stewart Scarlett. Canfield remembered it from the material sent from the Justice Department.