'A man named William Kane.'

Osborne seemed to hesitate again. 'Be careful,' he said. 'He's the world's meanest son of a bitch. I can give you all the low - down on him if you want it, but that would be strictly between us!

'I certainly owe him no favours,' said Abel. 'I may well be in touch with you, Mr. Osborne. I have a score to settle with young Mr. Kane for his treatment of Davis Leroy.'

'Well, you can count on me to help in any way I can if William Kane is involved,' said Henry Osborne, rising from behind his desk. 'But that is strictly between us. And if the court shows that Desmond Pacey burnt the Richmond and no one else was involved, the company will pay up the same day. Then perhaps we can do some more business with all your other hotels.'

'Perhaps,'said Abel.

He walked back to the Stevens and decided to have lunch and find out for himseLf how well they ran their main dining room. There was another message at the desk for him. A Mr. David Maxton wondered if Abel was free to join him for lunch at one.

'David Maxton,' Abel said out loud, and the receptionist looked up. 'Why do I know that name?'he asked the staring girl.

'He owns this hotel, Mr. Rosnovski.'

'Ah, yes. Please let Mr. Maxton know that I shall be delighted to have lunch with him.' Abel glanced at his watch. 'And would you tell him that I may be a few minutes late?'

'Certainly, sir,' said the girl.

Abel went quickly up to his room and changed into a new white shirt, wondering what David Maxton could possibly want.

The dining room was already packed when Abel arrived. Ile head waiter showed him to a private table in an alcove where the owner of the Stevens was sitting alone. He rose to greet Abel.

'Abel Rosnovski, sir.'

'Yes, I know you,' said Maxton, 'or, to be more accurate, I know you by reputation. Do sit down and let's order lunch.'

Abel was compelled to adn - &e the Stevens. The food and the service were every bit as good as those at the Plaza. If he were to have the best hotel in Chicago, he knew it would have to be better than this one.

The head waiter reappeared with the menus. Abel studied his carefully, politely declined a first course and selected the beef, the quickest way to tell if a restaurant is dealing with the right butcher. David Maxton did not look at his menu and simply ordered the salmon. Ile head waiter scurried away.

'You must be wondering why I invited you to join me for lunch, Mr.

Rosnovski.'

'I assumed,' said Abel, laughing, 'you were going to ask me to take over the Stevens for you.'

'You're absolutely right, Mr. Rosnovski.'

It was Maxton's turn to laugh. Abel was speechless. Even the arrival of their waiter wheeling a trolley of the finest beef did not help. The carver waited. Maxton squeezed some lemon over his salmon and continued.

'My manaler is due to retire in five months' time after twenty - two years of loyal service and the assistant manager is also due for retirement very soon afterwards, so I'm looking for a new broom.'

'Place looks pretty clean to me,' said Abel.

'I'm always willing to improve, Mr. Rosnovski. Never be satisfied with standing still,' said Maxton. 'I've been watching your activities carefully. It wasn't until you took the Richmond over that it could even be classified as a hotel. It was a huge flop, house before that. In another two or three years, you would have been a rival to the Stevens if some fool hadn't burned the place down before you were given the chance.'

'Potatoes, sir?'

Abel looked up at a very attractive junior waitress. She smiled at him.

'No, thank you,' he said to her. 'Well, I'm very flattared, Mr. Maxton, both by your comments and the offer.'

'I think you'd be happy here, Mr. Rosnovski. The Stevens is a well - run hotel, and I would be willing to start you off at fifty dollars a weA and two per cent of the profits. You could start as soon as you like.'

'I'll need a few days to think over your generous offer, Mr. Maxton,'

said Abel, 'but I confess I am very tempted. Nevertheless, I still have a few problems left over from the Richmond!

'String beans, sir?' Ile same waitress, and the same smile.

The face looked familiar. Abel felt sure he had seen her somewhere before. Perhaps she had once worked at the Richmond.

"Yes, please!

He watched her walk away. There was something about her.

'Why don't you stay on at the hotel as my guest for a few days,' Maxton asked, 'and see how we run the place? It may help you make your decision.'