"I have to move him. I'm not like you. Time won't make me forget." She added simply, "My dreams won't go away until Maritz does."

"God help us." Tania sighed. "Well, will you at least promise not to deceive me again?"

Nell hesitated and then slowly nodded. "I didn't want to do it. I didn't see any other way."

"I don't suppose you'll tell me if you learned anything?"

"No, it would mean only divided loyalties. You're still Nicholas's friend."

Tania stared hard at her. "And?"

"Mine. My friend too." Nell smiled. "Though I don't know why."

"Then I've wasted the last fifteen minutes and great many of words." Tania held out her hand. "But a little humility does no harm. It's true that my friendship is a prize beyond compare."

Nell felt a ripple of uneasiness as she stared at Tania's extended hand. Friendship. Friendship meant commitment. Step by step she was being drawn back from the hollowness that she might need to do what must be done.

Tania's smile vanished. She said haltingly, "It is not easy for me to ask. I need someone who knows."

Nell slowly reached out and took her hand.

Tania didn't leave for another hour and then Nell had to eat the dinner Phil brought before she could look at the computer printouts.

A half hour later she lowered the last paper.

No trials, no arrests, no mention of criminal activities.

The New York Times article was only a mention of the arrival of Philippe Gardeaux in New York in connection with an auction to benefit AIDS to which he was donating a Picasso. He was referred to as a European businessman and philanthropist.

The Time article was more expansive. It was about the wine growers of France and their battle to keep the import tariffs high. There were two paragraphs on Gardeaux and his chateau and vineyards at Bellevigne. He was forty-six, with a wife and two children, and was described as one of the most influential of the growers. He was one of the new guard who had earned his money through investments in China and Taiwan and became a grower only five years previously.

The Sports Illustrated story had nothing to do with the vineyard but everything to do with the Chateau Bellevigne. It concerned the yearly fencing tournament that took place at Bellevigne during the week between Christmas and the new year, culminating on New Year's Eve. A step back in time where the guests were asked to wear Renaissance clothing for the entire week. The tournament was not only the premier social event of the Riviera, but the mecca for fencing aficionados and champion swordsmen. Plus the proceeds were disbursed to various charities. At the end of the article was a brief mention of Gardeaux's priceless collection of antique swords.

Philanthropist, influential businessman, collector, sportsman.

No mention of murder or drugs or bribery. No indication that this man would hire a man like Maritz and send him out to kill.

Was the man in these articles the wrong Gardeaux?

He made his fortune in China and Taiwan.

Tanek had grown up in Hong Kong. A fragile connection at best.

She stuffed the articles back in her handbag. It was not enough. She could not be sure. She needed Tanek.

One more minute.

She pumped harder on the StairMaster, breathing through her mouth as Phil had taught her. She had discovered if she set her goals only one minute at a time, she could go longer when she reached exhaustion. Her heart was pounding and sweat was pouring down her face.

One minute more.

"If you could give me a moment, I'd like to talk to you."

She glanced at the man standing in the door of the gymnasium. Not a nurse or doctor, she judged. He was short, stocky, with curly graying hair that had once been pale brown. He wore a gray suit, striped shirt, and loafers. Probably someone from administration checking on payment now that she was nearly well. "Can it wait? I'm almost finished."

"I've been watching you for the last fifteen minutes. I'd say you should be finished now."

Maybe he was a doctor. She didn't want him complaining to Joel that she was overdoing it. "You're right." She smiled and stepped off the machine. "But if you want to talk to me, you'll have to walk with me. Phil says I can't rest before I cool down."

"Ah, yes, Phil Johnson. I thought I saw him in the hall." He grimaced. "Unfortunately, he saw me too. So I won't have too much time with you."

"Oh, they're not careful of visitors any longer." She started walking briskly. "I'm almost well."

"Beautifully well." He fell into step with her. "Lieber did a wonderful job. I'd never have recognized you from your picture."

"Joel showed you my photo?"

"Not exactly."

She felt a twinge of uneasiness. Her pace slowed as she glanced at him. "Just who are you?"

"The question is, who are you?"

"Nell Calder," she said impatiently. "If you saw my picture or my file, you must know that."

"I didn't know, but I suspected. That's why I ventured into Lieber's sacred territory." He glanced around the gym. "Quite a place. Did the President's wife really have a face-lift here?"

"I have no idea. Nor do I care. Who are you?"

He smiled engagingly. "Joe Kabler, DEA."

She waited.

"Tanek never told you about me?"

"We're not on confidential terms. Are you friends?"

"We share a mutual respect and a few common goals," he said. "But I don't claim criminals as friends."

She went still. "Criminals?"

"My, my, he has kept you in the dark. What did he tell you about himself?"

"He's retired. He dealt in commodities."

Kabler chuckled. "Oh, yes, he certainly did. All kinds of commodities. Official papers, information, art objects. He headed a criminal network that was very troublesome to the authorities in Hong Kong for a number of years." He shrugged. "He didn't deal in drugs, so we never came up against each other. By the way, where is he?"

"I have no idea."

He studied her face. "I believe you're telling the truth."

"Why should I lie? He has a ranch in Idaho, perhaps you should try to find him there."

"I visited him there six months ago. Getting into the grounds there makes breaching this clinic seem easy." He added, "Besides, there's no urgency involved. Now that I know that Tanek hasn't done away with you."

The words were spoken so casually that they came as a shock. "You thought he'd murdered me?"

"I doubted it, but Tanek is never predictable." He smiled. "So I thought I'd come and see what was going on. But you're obviously doing very well."

"Very well," she said absently. "Why would you even suspect him?"

"Because he's Nicholas Tanek and he was on Medas when he had no business there. Then I hear he's whisked you away and won't let me talk to you."

"I didn't know you wanted to talk to me." She hesitated. "What do you know about Philippe Gardeaux?"

"That's the question I was going to ask you."

"Nothing. Except Tanek said that he ordered the attack on Medas and his men killed my daughter and husband."

His face softened. "You must think I'm very hard. I'm sorry, Mrs. Calder. I know how you must feel. I have three kids myself."

He didn't know. It hadn't happened to him. "But you agree that it wasn't a terrorist attack on Medas?"

He hesitated. "It's a possibility that it might have been Gardeaux."

"Why would he go after me? I've never met the man."

"I agree, it doesn't seem to make much sense. We can't find any connection between the two of you. We've concluded you must have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kavinski was the logical target. He must have stepped on Gardeaux's toes at some time or other. You occupied one of the finest suites in the palace. Perhaps Gardeaux's man mistook your suite for Kavinski's."

"But Kavinski was downstairs."

"Gardeaux often has backup plans." He added gently, "I'm afraid you just got in the way."

"Is this Gardeaux the same man who owns Bellevigne?"

He nodded.

"Then why don't you do something about him? If you know what he does, why can't you stop him?"

"We're trying, Mrs. Calder. It's not easy."

"No one even seems to know what he is." She said jerkily, "Tanek said that even if those murderers were brought to trial that they wouldn't be convicted. Is that true?"

Kabler hesitated. "I hope not."

It was true, Nell thought dully. Innocents could be killed and the monsters would walk free.

"I'll never give up, if it's any comfort to you," Kabler said. "I've been fighting these scum for twenty-four years, and I'll keep on fighting for the next fifty."

Kabler was clearly a decent, determined man, but that didn't alter the fact that he was losing the battle. "It's not a comfort to me. My daughter is dead."

"And Tanek has promised you that Gardeaux will pay?"

She didn't answer.

"Don't let him use you. He'll do anything to get Gardeaux."

She smiled without mirth as she remembered that she had pleaded with Tanek to use her. "He has no intention of using me."

Kabler shook his head. "The hell he doesn't. Tanek would use the devil himself if it would bring him Gardeaux." He handed her a card. "I've said what I had to say. If you need help, call me."

"Thank you." She watched him walk to the door.

He stopped and looked back at her. "Oh, and I can understand how he wangled the records at St. Joseph's. Phil Johnson's skillful enough to tap into a Swiss bank account, given enough time. But you might ask Tanek how he managed to get the Birnbaum Funeral Home to forge the documents of your cremation."

"I need to talk to you, Joel," Nell said curtly into the telephone. "Right away."

"Aren't you feeling well? You've probably overdone it. I told Tania that you take-"

"I'm feeling fine. I need to see you." She hung up the phone.

Joel walked into her room an hour later. "You need me? So here I am."

"Why the hell do my records at St. Joseph's say that I died on June seventh?"

"You found out." Joel sighed. "I had nothing to do with it. Nicholas decided you'd be safer if everyone thought you were dead."

"So he wiped me from the face of the earth. I can't even use my credit cards. I called the bank and they show me deceased." She stared at him. "And you knew it might happen. That's why you handed me that stack of bills when we went to the city last week. You didn't want me to try to use credit. How long were you going to let it go on before someone told me?"

"I was going to let Nicholas have that honor. I'm tired of taking the backlash from his actions." He was silent a moment. "How did you find out?"

"A man named Kabler came to see me."

"Kabler? Here?" He gave a low whistle. "I wonder how he got past security."

"I don't know and I don't care. Why did you go along with this? Tanek may think he's beyond the rules, but I'd think you'd be more responsible."

"I did it because he was right." He held up his hand to stop her protests. "You were very ill. I didn't want Kabler to bother you, and Nicholas thought you might still be in danger. It's not a remedy I'd have used, but it was effective."

"Oh, yes, Tanek is effective all right. What kind of paperwork do I have to do to get my life back?"

"Are you sure you want to do it?"

"Of course I want to do it."

"The danger may still be there."

"I can't even access enough money to pay you."