seat.
Skip sat, too. “You can probably forget the number.”
“This is Reanimation, sir?”
“Probably. I talked to them this morning.”
Tooley nodded. “How’d it go?”
“Badly. I told them we had a good case, which we do. They—his name is Feuer, he’s a vice president—indicated that their security boys would make our case moot.” Skip paused to turn his coat collar up. “When I got away from him I tried to call her. That may have been a mistake.”
“So you were careful with me.”
“I tried to be, yes. After that I went straight back to my building. I thought they didn’t know where she was, and that Feuer had spoken as he did so they could follow me to her. I also thought they’d think I was going to my own appartment to get something, and they’d wait to follow me when I came out.”
“Sounds good.”
“I went straight to her apartment instead. It had already been broken into and searched. Searched pretty thoroughly. She wasn’t there.”
Tooley said, “Then they didn’t get her, sir.”
Skip studied him. “You think not? Why?”
“Because they searched. They want her, not something she’s got.”
Skip nodded.
“So they were looking for something that might tell them where she went. Did she have luggage?”
“You’re good. You’re very good. I wish I’d had you with me.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Yes, she had an overnight bag. It wasn’t there.” Skip paused to think. “Chelle hasn’t gotten her leave yet. Tomorrow, she says. She sounded confident.”
“That’s good, sir.”
“My point is that Vanessa can’t have joined her. She can’t have walked into Camp Martinez and announced that she was staying with her daughter.”
“A hotel room?”
Skip shook his head. “She’d need a credit card at the very least. Identification, too, very likely. She hasn’t got either one.”
“You said she was a clever woman, sir.”
“You’re right, she is and she may have gotten some somehow.”
“I’ll get the Z man on it. It’s his kind of problem. Okay if I pass along your description?”
“Yes. Of course. Give him everything you’ve got. Chelle and I plan to book a cruise. We’ll do it and board as soon as she gets leave. If Zygmunt finds out anything—or if she contacts you, which I’d think more likely—call me right away. Otherwise, you’re in charge as long as I’m not there.”
“You don’t have a picture, do you, sir?”
“I’m afraid not. I wish I did.” He handed Tooley the brown object. “Ever see anything like this? Be careful if you open it. It’s sharper than broken glass.”
“A pocketknife? No, I’ve never seen any quite like this one.” Tooley handed it back.
“It’s probably two hundred years old, or so I was told by somebody who knows about such things, and it was meant for shaving. The brown handle is bone—he thought it had been dyed that color. Vanessa got it from him, and I found it in her bedroom. She’d bought furniture from him. He’d probably had it in stock for years with no takers, so he gave it to her. When I came in it was on the floor.”
“So they didn’t want it.”
“Correct.” Skip opened the blade. “The thing that interests me is that it seems pointless in two senses. Why did she want it?”
* * *
Skip had been relaxing on the veranda outside their stateroom for an hour or more when Chelle dropped into the chair next to his. “I have the most amazing news! You won’t like it. Want to hear it?”
He turned to look at her. “You’re so beautiful that my spirit would soar if you’d come to announce the end of everything.”
“That wouldn’t be amazing, just the Os. This really is amazing. I hope you won’t be angry.”
“With you? I couldn’t be.”
“With her.” Chelle took his hand, holding it between both of hers; he noticed yet again that her right hand was noticeably larger than her left. “Mother’s on the ship.”
He straightened up. “You’re not
Skip sat, too. “You can probably forget the number.”
“This is Reanimation, sir?”
“Probably. I talked to them this morning.”
Tooley nodded. “How’d it go?”
“Badly. I told them we had a good case, which we do. They—his name is Feuer, he’s a vice president—indicated that their security boys would make our case moot.” Skip paused to turn his coat collar up. “When I got away from him I tried to call her. That may have been a mistake.”
“So you were careful with me.”
“I tried to be, yes. After that I went straight back to my building. I thought they didn’t know where she was, and that Feuer had spoken as he did so they could follow me to her. I also thought they’d think I was going to my own appartment to get something, and they’d wait to follow me when I came out.”
“Sounds good.”
“I went straight to her apartment instead. It had already been broken into and searched. Searched pretty thoroughly. She wasn’t there.”
Tooley said, “Then they didn’t get her, sir.”
Skip studied him. “You think not? Why?”
“Because they searched. They want her, not something she’s got.”
Skip nodded.
“So they were looking for something that might tell them where she went. Did she have luggage?”
“You’re good. You’re very good. I wish I’d had you with me.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Yes, she had an overnight bag. It wasn’t there.” Skip paused to think. “Chelle hasn’t gotten her leave yet. Tomorrow, she says. She sounded confident.”
“That’s good, sir.”
“My point is that Vanessa can’t have joined her. She can’t have walked into Camp Martinez and announced that she was staying with her daughter.”
“A hotel room?”
Skip shook his head. “She’d need a credit card at the very least. Identification, too, very likely. She hasn’t got either one.”
“You said she was a clever woman, sir.”
“You’re right, she is and she may have gotten some somehow.”
“I’ll get the Z man on it. It’s his kind of problem. Okay if I pass along your description?”
“Yes. Of course. Give him everything you’ve got. Chelle and I plan to book a cruise. We’ll do it and board as soon as she gets leave. If Zygmunt finds out anything—or if she contacts you, which I’d think more likely—call me right away. Otherwise, you’re in charge as long as I’m not there.”
“You don’t have a picture, do you, sir?”
“I’m afraid not. I wish I did.” He handed Tooley the brown object. “Ever see anything like this? Be careful if you open it. It’s sharper than broken glass.”
“A pocketknife? No, I’ve never seen any quite like this one.” Tooley handed it back.
“It’s probably two hundred years old, or so I was told by somebody who knows about such things, and it was meant for shaving. The brown handle is bone—he thought it had been dyed that color. Vanessa got it from him, and I found it in her bedroom. She’d bought furniture from him. He’d probably had it in stock for years with no takers, so he gave it to her. When I came in it was on the floor.”
“So they didn’t want it.”
“Correct.” Skip opened the blade. “The thing that interests me is that it seems pointless in two senses. Why did she want it?”
* * *
Skip had been relaxing on the veranda outside their stateroom for an hour or more when Chelle dropped into the chair next to his. “I have the most amazing news! You won’t like it. Want to hear it?”
He turned to look at her. “You’re so beautiful that my spirit would soar if you’d come to announce the end of everything.”
“That wouldn’t be amazing, just the Os. This really is amazing. I hope you won’t be angry.”
“With you? I couldn’t be.”
“With her.” Chelle took his hand, holding it between both of hers; he noticed yet again that her right hand was noticeably larger than her left. “Mother’s on the ship.”
He straightened up. “You’re not