70

NEIL CHECKED HIS WATCH AT EIGHT O’CLOCK. HE WAS PASSING the Mystic Seaport exit on Route 95. Another hour and he would be in Newport, he thought. He had considered calling Maggie again, but decided against it, not wanting to give her a chance to tell him she didn’t want to see him tonight. If she’s not there, I’ll just park in front of her house until she comes back, he told himself.

He was angry that he hadn’t gotten away earlier. And as if it wasn’t bad enough to hit all the commuter traffic along the way, then he had been stymied by that damned jackknifed semitrailer that brought 95 North to a standstill for over an hour.

It hadn’t been all wasted time, though. He had finally had an opportunity to think through what it was that had nagged at him about his conversation with Mrs. Arlington, his father’s client who had lost just about all her money investing with Hansen. The confirmation of the purchase: something about that had just not seemed right.

Finally it had registered, when he remembered that Laura Arlington said that she had just received the confirmation of her stock purchase. Those documents are mailed out right after the transaction, so she should have received it days earlier, Neil said to himself.

Then, this morning, he had learned that there was no record that Mrs. Gebhart had owned the stock Hansen claimed he bought for her at nine bucks a share. Today that stock was down to two dollars. Was Hansen’s game to let people think they had bought a stock at one price—a stock he happened to know was on the skids—and then to wait to put the transaction through once it had reached a very low point? That way, Hansen could pocket the difference.

Accomplishing that would involve faking a confirmation of the order from the clearing house. It wasn’t simple, but it wasn’t impossible, Neil reflected.

So I actually may be onto what Hansen is doing, he thought as he finally passed the WELCOME TO RHODE ISLAND sign. But what in hell made that crook bid on Maggie’s house? How does that relate to stealing money from gullible older ladies? There must be something else in play there.

Be home when I get there, Maggie, Neil implored silently. You’re setting too much in motion, and I won’t let you do it alone any longer.