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it needs to be with lawyers and warrants and detentions. Or you can remain silent. But what you don’t want to do is try to mislead us, because that by itself can be grounds for filing criminal charges. Okay?”
    It took some of the salt out of this rich and successful man, and it was intended to.
    â€œWell,” Harris said. “Well, all right. I did telephone her. This time. The first time I was here, Robert set it up. And I’m confident your sources will verify that.”
    â€œBut you called her the second time,” Hastings said.
    â€œYes, I did.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œWell, I liked her. She seemed like a—nice woman.”
    â€œWhen did you call her?”
    â€œFriday. I called the agency soon after I arrived. I had a late lunch with Robert and some others from Enterprise Finance and then we met at the hotel.”
    â€œShe came to your room?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œHow long was she there?”
    â€œTwo hours.”
    â€œAnd she billed you for that time?”
    â€œYes. It was not . . .”
    â€œI’m not interested in booking you for solicitation, Mr. Harris. So long as you cooperate. What did you do with her?”
    â€œShe was . . . with me for the first hour. The second hour, we just talked.”
    â€œTalked.”
    â€œYes. I’m not so young anymore.”
    â€œYou just wanted companionship?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œSomeone to talk to.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œBut you were intimate with her?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAny rough stuff?”
    â€œNo. Nothing of the sort.”
    â€œFrom when to when?”
    â€œFrom approximately four to six.”
    â€œSix in the evening?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAnd then?”
    â€œThen she left.”
    â€œAnd you?”
    â€œI stayed in my room. I had another drink and then I went to sleep. I’d say at around eight P.M. ”
    â€œWhy would you say that?”
    â€œThat’s my usual bedtime.”
    There was a knock on the door. Hastings said, “Excuse me,” and went to answer it.
    It was Klosterman. Hastings went out and shut the door behind him.
    Klosterman said, “We’ve got his suitcase.”
    Hastings said, “You haven’t gone through it, have you?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œOkay. I’ll get his permission to search it.” Hastings paused, looked off to a wall. Then he said, “Bring it in here.”
    â€œNow?” Klosterman said. “With him in there?”
    â€œYeah.”
    They went back into the security room. Harris was still in his seat, seeming unflappable. But he was English, and Hastings was beginning to think they could be a pretty tough breed.
    Hastings said, “Mr. Harris, this is Sergeant Klosterman. As you can see, we’ve got your suitcase here. I can get a search warrant to go through this, but that would take up a lot of time. With your permission, we’d like to search it right now.”
    Harris waved an aristocratic hand, telling them to go ahead.
    While Klosterman popped it open, Hastings sat down again. He did not want to stand over this man because he suspected that if he bullied him any more than he had, the man would clam up.Harris had been set straight once and hopefully that would be enough.
    Hastings said, “Did you rent a car while you were here?”
    â€œNo. I used a taxi.”
    â€œDo you always?”
    â€œYes, always.”
    â€œAnd you say you were in your hotel room from four in the evening until you checked out this morning?”
    â€œI was.”
    â€œIf we were to ask you to take a polygraph examination, would you be willing to do that?”
    â€œA lie detector test?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI thought those weren’t admissible in the American courts.”
    â€œThey’re not. But it helps us with an investigation.”
    â€œI’ll take one today if you like.”
    â€œGood,” Hastings said.