"But he might to you."

"Tell me?" The senator was astounded.

"With us listening," Ryder added.

"And some other people who have an interest in this."

"Reporters, you mean," Stillwell said.

"Them. But also one or two commanders from the War Office.

General Hatcher comes to mind as someone who's consistently fair and willing to listen. You could pick someone else, of course. It doesn't matter as long as you think he'd be fair and impartial, and would act accordingly." Wilson Stillwell rubbed his chin with the back of his hand.

"Let me see if I understand this. You want me to coerce a confess-"

"Not coerce," Mary interrupted.

"Confront and cajole. Dare him into telling you the truth."

"In front of witnesses," Stillwell said, unconvinced.

"No," said Ryder.

"He wouldn't be able to see the witnesses. You could do it right here, in this house, in this room. The witnesses only need to assemble on the other side of the door and-" Holding up his hand, the senator shook his head and effectively silenced Ryder.

"It won't work."

"Then another place," Mary said.

"It doesn't have to be here."

"No, that isn't what I meant," Stillwell responded.

"Here is fine. In fact, here is very good. I can arrange that with no difficulty, but Warren Hamilton won't step foot in my home.

The general public isn't aware that his daughter is the young woman mentioned in the Colter Canyon affair, but he has to be careful to maintain appearances. People who do know would find it odd that Hamilton came here, what with my connection to Ryder, so he wouldn't come and he would be suspicious if I invited him."

"Then we should find a way for you to go to him," said Mary.

"Meet in some neutral place where he would be less suspicious."

Stillwell shook his head.

"You're focusing your sights on the wrong target."

Mary tilted her head to one side, puzzled. She glanced at Ryder and saw that although his eyes had narrowed slightly, there was a glimmer of understanding in them. He was beginning to nod his head, slowly at first, then more firmly as his uncle's idea took hold.

"What?" asked Mary, impatient that she alone did not understand.

"What are you both thinking?"

"He's right," Ryder said.

"Warren Hamilton is the wrong target. It's Anna Leigh who can give us what we want."

"Exactly," Stillwell said. There was pride in his voice as he spoke the single word, pride that his nephew had come to the same conclusion and had seen the wisdom of it. Mary darted between Ryder and his uncle.

"How in the world will Anna Leigh be persuaded." Drawing deeply on his cigar, Stillwell said, "Miss Hamilton will come here. That's not a problem." Mary frowned.

"But how-"

"Let me worry about that. It can be arranged. Will you trust me?" His brows rose fractionally when Mary's answer was not immediately forthcoming. He looked to Ryder questioningly.

"Yes," Ryder said.

"I believe you can do it."

Mary caught herself blushing at her rudeness.

"Yes, of course. I didn't mean that I didn't trust .. . it's just that . Well, I'm surprised.. . That is .. ." She trailed off because the senator was paying her no attention. He was staring at the flower arrangement in the middle of the table, clearly not seeing it, but working out things in his own mind instead.

"Yes," he said quietly, blowing a wreath of smoke above his head.

"It can be arranged with perfect ease. Not only Miss Hamilton, but I think we can include the lieutenant as well. Two birds with one stone, as it were." Mary wouldn't have been surprised if he had licked his lips. The tips of her fingers whitened as she gripped her coffee cup but this was the only sign of her uneasiness.

"You mentioned General Hatcher, Ryder," Wilson Stillwell was saying.

"I think he's a good choice for this. I know him, of course, but he's not a close acquaintance. That would make him seem to be less on anyone's side save that of the truth.

I'll have to give some thought to which reporter I would trust with this story. There's Marcus Asbury. He's good. And Des Richards.

They're with rival papers, but that could be to our advantage.

Get the word out more quickly. The New York Chronicle has a reporter in town. I could interest him in the story."

"That's certainly sufficient to our needs," Ryder said. He looked to Mary.

"Are you satisfied with that?" She nodded slowly, wondering at her own reticence.

"It makes sense. How soon can it be arranged?"

Senator Stillwell did not bother to consult clock or calendar.

"I need only twenty-four hours," he said.

"I'll have the players here. The two of you will have to write the script."

Chapter Sixteen.