“He doesn’t want trouble, and you’re making trouble. He’s determined to get rid of you. I heard him tell Francini to do it.”

“Is Francini a little Wop with pock-marks on his face?”

“Yes.”

“And he works for Sherrill?”

“Yes.”

“So it was Sherrill who engineered Stevens’ kidnapping?”

“Yes. That settled it for me. When I heard the poor old man had died I came straight to you.”

“Does Sherrill know you have this place?”

She shook her head.

“I don’t think so. I’ve never talked about it, and he hasn’t ever been here. But he might know. There’s very little he doesn’t know.”