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open in front of him. A computer printer and fax were on a shelf below the partition separating them from the driver.
    The most interesting piece of equipment was a leggy brunette with a short skirt and gladiator sandals. Her loose, curly hair tumbled past the deep veein her cream-colored silk blouse. Barry introduced her as his attorney.
    “And don’t let her beauty fool you,” Radcliff said. “Francine graduated from Stanford Law School cum laude and almost qualified for the Olympics.”
    “What sport?” Nick asked.
    “Beach volleyball.”
    “Of course.” This day was getting more and more bizarre. Nick sprawled back in the seat on the left side of thelimo, surprised that there was enough room for his long legs. “Why do you want to see me?”
    “Your uncle, God rest his soul, did some business with me. I want to make sure it’s taken care of.”
    “I’m the wrong person to contact. You should be dealing with the attorney at Spencer Enterprises.”
    “That’s not my style.”
    Radcliff’s style was questionable. He wore a loose-fitting blue-and-gold-stripedshirt with the top four buttons unfastened to show off his heavy gold necklaces. His dark hair was thick and combed straight back. He had the kind of tan that went with spending a lot of time on a boat or a golf course.
    “Your uncle,” Radcliff said, “borrowed a million dollars from me. Payback was due on the day he died. I want my money.”
    “You’ll have to be patient. My uncle had a substantialestate, but there are probate concerns.”
    “Which is why I’m coming to you, Nick. I’ll give you until next week to make good on the loan. After Tuesday of next week, I’ll be taking my payment in collateral.”
    Inwardly, Nick groaned. “Let me guess. My uncle used the Valiant gold as collateral.”
    “Bingo.” He leaned back in his seat. “Show him the agreement, honey.”
    Apparently, theStanford-trained, volleyball-playing attorney didn’t mind being called honey. She reached into a file folder and produced a copy of a one-page document, which she held toward Nick.
    He skimmed it quickly. Two months ago, just after the first of the year, Samuel had borrowed one million cash. If the amount, plus a couple hundred thousand in interest, was not paid within one week from when itwas due, Radcliff was entitled to the equivalent amount in Valiant gold. The signature on the bottom was Samuel’s.
    “It looks pretty straightforward,” Nick said. “But I still need to have the legal department check it out.”
    “This isn’t a corporate issue. The loan was man to man, between me and Samuel, God rest his soul. That’s why I came to you as a member of the Spencer family.”
    “Do you have any idea why he needed the money?”
    “Not my concern.” Radcliff waved his pudgy hand in front of his face. He was beginning to sound agitated. “Can I count on you or not?”
    “Let me think.”
    Nick would have been justified in pitching the document out the window and letting Radcliff’s sexy attorney drag this debt through the courts for settlement. But he felt an obligationto his uncle to honor this debt. Samuel had thought this money was important enough to gamble the family treasure. Finding the project he was working on might help Nick understand why his uncle had committed suicide.
    “I have a question for you,” Nick said. “Did Samuel seem depressed to you? Or nervous? Scared?”
    “He was okay. I liked the old guy. He was a risk taker, you know what I mean?These days, decisions get made by committees and everybody is busy covering their butt. Samuel had guts, God rest his soul.”
    That wasn’t the description of a man who was about to kill himself. As far as Nick was concerned, Radcliff had a better idea of Samuel than half the people who claimed to know him well. In his way, Radcliff was an honorable man.
    “I’ll get the money.”
    “Toobad,” Radcliff said. “I had my heart set on that gold.”
    Nick reached for the door handle.