'Why? Is she in any sort of trouble?' asked Abel anxiously.

'No, she's looking for capital to open her own shop!

'How much is she looking for?'

~.Only thirty - four thousand dollars which she needs for the lease on a small building on Nob Hill!

Abel sat back thinking about what George had said, his short fingers tapping on the car window. 'See that she gets the money, George. Make it look as if the transaction is an ordinary bank loan and be sure that it's not traceable back to me.' He continued tapping. 'This must always remain simply between the two of us, George.'

'Anything you say, Abel.'

'And keep me informed of every move she makes, however trivial!

What about him?'

I'm not interested in him,' said Abel. 'Now what's the bad news?'

'Trouble with Henry Osborne again. It seems he owes money everywhere. I'm also fairly certain his only source of income is now you. He's started making veiled threats about you condoning bribes in the early days when we were setting up the group. Says he's kept all the papers from the first day he met you when he claims he fixed an extra payment after the fire at the old Richmond in Chicago, and he now has a file three inches thick!

'I'll deal with Henry in the morning,' said Abel.

George spent the remainder of the drive into Manhattan bringing Abel up to date on the rest of thi~ group's affairs whichwere all satisfactory, except for a takeover of the Baron in Lagos after yet another coup. That never worried Abel.

The next morning Abel saw Henry Osborne. He looked old and tired, and the once smooth handsome face was now heavily lined. He made no mention of the three - inch thick file.

'I need a little money to get me through a tricky period,' said Henry.

'I've been a bit unlucky.'

'Again, Henry? You should know better at your age. You're a born loser with horses and women. How much do you need this tirne?'

'Ten thousand would see me through,' said Henry.

'Ten thousand,' said Abel. spitting out the words. 'What do you think I am, a gold mine? It was only five thousand last time.'

'Inflation,' said Henry, trying to laugh.

'This is the last time, do you understand me?' said Abel as he took out his cheque book. 'Come begging once more, Henry, and I'll remove you from the board as a director and turn you out without a penny!

'You're a real friend, Abel. I swear I'll never come back again, I promise you that, never again.' Henry plucked a Romeo y Julliyta from the humidor on the table in front of Abel and lit it. 'Thanks, Abel, you'll never regret your decision.'

Henry left, puffing away at the cigar, as George came in. George waited for the door to be closed. - 'What happened with Henry?'

'I gave in for the last time,' said Abel. 'I don't know why - it cost me ten thousand.'

'Jesus, I feel like the brother of the prodigal ;on,' said George.

'Because he'll be back again. I'd be willing to put money on that.'

'He'd better not,' said Abel, 'because I'm through with him. Whatever he has done for me in the past, it's now quits. What's the latest news on Florentyna?'

'Florentyna's fine, but you were right about Zaphia : she's been making regular monthly trips to the coast to see them both.'

'Bloody woman,'said Abel.

Wrs. Kane has been out a couple of times as welL' added George.

'And Kane?'

'No sign of him relenting!

That's one thing we have in common,' said Abel.

'I've set up a facility for her with the Crocker National Bank of San Francisco,' continued George. 'She made an approach to the loan officer there less than a week ago. The agreement will appear to her as if it's one of the bank's ordinary loan transactions, with no special favours. In fact they're charging her half a per cent more than usualso there can be no reason for her to be suspicious. What she will never know is that the loan is covered by your guarantee!

"Ilanks, George, that's perfect. I'll bet you ten dollars she pays off the loan within two years and never needs to go back for another.'

'I'd want odds of five to one on that,' said George. 'Why don't you try Henry; he's more of a sucker.'

Abel laughed. 'Keep me briefed, George, on everything she's up to, everything!

35

William felt be bad been briefed on everything as he studied T'haddeus Cohen's quarterly report, and only one thing now worried him. Why was Abel Rosnovski still doing nothing with his vast shareholding in Lester's? William couldn't help remembering that he still owned six per cent of the bank and with two more per cent he could invoke Article Seven of Lester's by - laws. It was hard to believe that Rosnovski still feared S.E.C.