"Did you and your husband have a close relationship?" Tanner asked.

  "Very close." "Would you say that he was honest with you?" Kelly looked at him, puzzled. "We had no secrets. Mark was the most honest, open, human being I've ever known. He-" Kelly was finding it difficult to go on.

  "Did he often discuss his work with you?" "No. What Mark did was very-complicated. We didn't talk much about it." "Did you and Mark have many Russian friends?" Kelly looked at him, confused. "Mr. Kingsley, I don't know what these questions-" "Did your husband tell you he had a big deal coming up and that he was going to make a lot of money?" Kelly was getting upset. "No. If that were so, Mark would have told me." "Did Mark ever discuss Olga?" Kelly was filled with a sudden foreboding. "Mr. Kingsley, exactly what is this all about?" "The Paris police found a note in your husband's pocket. It mentioned a reward for some information and was signed 'Love, Olga.'" Kelly sat there, stunned. "I-I don't know what-" "But you did say he discussed everything with you?" "Yes, but-" "From what we have been able to learn, your husband was apparently involved with this woman and-" "No!" Kelly was on her feet. "This isn't my Mark we're talking about. I told you, we had no secrets between us." "Except whatever secret it was that caused your husband's death." Kelly felt suddenly faint. "You'll-you'll have to excuse me, Mr. Kingsley. I'm not feeling well." He was instantly apologetic. "I understand. I want to help you in any way I can." Tanner handed her his embossed business card. "You can reach me through this number at any time, Mrs. Harris." Kelly nodded, unable to speak, and blindly walked out of the office.

  * * *

  KELLY'S MIND WAS churning as she exited the building. Who was Olga? And why had Mark been involved with Russians? Why would he-?

  "Excuse me. Mrs. Harris?"

  Kelly turned. "Yes?" An attractive blonde woman was standing outside the building. "My name is Diane Stevens. I'd like to talk to you. There's a coffee shop across the way and we-" "Sorry. I-I can't talk now." Kelly started to move on.

  "It's about your husband." Kelly stopped abruptly and turned. "Mark? What about him?" "Can we talk where it's more private?"

  * * *

  IN TANNER'S OFFICE, his secretary's voice came over the intercom. "Mr. Higholt is here." "Send him in." A moment later, Tanner was greeting him. "Good afternoon, John." "Good? It's a hell of an afternoon, Tanner. It seems that everyone in our company is being murdered. What the devil is going on?" "That's what we're trying to find out. I don't believe the sudden deaths of three of our employees are a coincidence. Someone is out to damage the reputation of this company, but they're going to be found and stopped. The police have agreed to cooperate with us, and I have men tracing the movements of the employees who were killed. I would like you to listen to two interviews that I've just recorded.

  These are the widows of Richard Stevens and Mark Harris. Are you ready?" "Go ahead." "This is Diane Stevens." Tanner pressed a button and his interview with Diane Stevens appeared on the screen. At the right-hand corner of the screen was a graph, tracing lines up and down as Diane spoke.

  How much do you know about your husband's connection with drugs?

  What-what are you asking? Richard never would have had anything to do with drugs.

  The graphic images remained steady.

  Tanner pressed the fast-forward button. "This is Mrs. Mark Harris, whose husband was pushed or fell from the top of the Eiffel Tower." A picture of Kelly flashed on the television screen.

  Did Mark ever discuss Olga?

  Mr. Kingsley, exactly what is this all about?

  The Paris police found a note in your husband's pocket. It mentioned a reward for some information and was signed "Love, Olga." I-I don't know whatBut you did say he discussed everything with you?

  Yes, butFrom what we have been able to learn, your husband was apparently involved with this woman andNo! This isn't my Mark we 're talking about. I told you, we had no secrets between us.

  The lines on the voice stress analyzer graph remained even. Kelly's image disappeared.

  "What was that line on the screen?" John Higholt asked.

  "That's a voice stress analyzer, a CVSA. It registers microtremors in the human voice. If the subject is lying, the modulations of the audio frequencies increase. It's state of the art. It doesn't require wires, like a polygraph. I'm convinced that both women told the truth. They must be protected." John Higholt frowned. "What do you mean? Protected from what?" "I think they're in danger, that subconsciously, they have more information than they realize. They were both close to their husbands. I'm convinced that at some point, something revealing might have been said that slipped by them at the time, but is in their memory banks. The chances are that as they start to think about it, they're going to remember what it was. The moment they do, their lives could be at risk, because whoever killed their husbands could be planning to kill them. I intend to see that no harm comes to them." "You're going to have them followed?" "That was yesterday, John. Today it's electronic equipment. I've put the Stevens apartment under surveillance-cameras, telephones, microphones-everything. We're using every bit of technology at our disposal to guard them. The moment anyone tries to attack her, we'll know." John Higholt was thoughtful for a moment. "What about Kelly Harris?" "She's in a hotel. Unfortunately, we couldn't get into her suite to prepare it.

  But I have men staking out the lobby, and if it looks as if there might be trouble, they'll handle it." Tanner hesitated. "I want KIG to put up a five-million-dollar reward leading to the arrest of-" "Wait a minute, Tanner," John Higholt objected. "That's not necessary. We'll get this solved and-" "Very well. If KIG won't do it, I'll personally offer a five-million-dollar reward. My name is identified with this company." His voice hardened. "I want whoever is behind this caught."

  CHAPTER 20

  IN THE COFFEE shop across the street from KIG headquarters, Diane Stevens and Kelly Harris were seated at a corner booth. Kelly was waiting for Diane to speak.

  Diane was not sure how to begin. What was the dreadful thing that happened to your husband, Mrs. Harris? Had he been murdered, like Richard?

  Kelly said impatiently, "Well? You said you wanted to talk to me about my husband. How well did you know Mark?" "I didn't know him, but-" Kelly was furious. "You said you-" "I said I wanted to talk about him." Kelly rose. "I don't have time for this, lady." She started to walk away.

  "Wait! I think we might both have the same problem, and we may be able to help each other." Kelly stopped. "What are you talking about?" "Please sit down." Reluctantly, Kelly returned to her seat in the booth. "Go ahead." "I wanted to ask you if-" A waiter approached the table with a menu. "What would you ladies like?" To be out of here, Kelly thought. "Nothing." Diane said, "Two coffees." Kelly looked at Diane and said defiantly, "Make mine tea." "Yes, ma'am." The waiter left.

  Diane said, "I think that you and I-" A young girl came up to the table and said to Kelly, "Can I have your autograph?" Kelly looked at her. "Do you know who I am?" "No, but my mother says you're important." Kelly said, "I'm not." "Oh." They watched the little girl leave.

  Diane looked at Kelly, puzzled. "Should I know who you are?" "No." Kelly added pointedly, "And I don't like busybodies prying into my life.

  What is this all about,

  Mrs. Stevens?" "Diane, please. I heard that something terrible had happened to your husband and-" "Yes, he was killed." Did you and Mark ever discuss Olga?

  "My husband was killed, too. And they both worked for KIG." Kelly said impatiently, "Is that it? Well, so do thousands of other people. If two of them caught colds, would you call it an epidemic?" Diane leaned forward. "Look, this is important. First of all-" Kelly said, "Sorry. I'm not in the mood to listen to this." She picked up her purse.

  "I'm not in the mood to talk about it," Diane snapped, "but it could be very-" Diane's voice suddenly echoed through the coffee shop.

  "There were four men in the room." Startled, Diane and Kelly turned toward the sound. Diane's voice was coming from a TV set above the counter. She was in the courtroom, on the witness stand.

  "One of them was in a chair, tied up. Mr. Altieri seemed to be questioning him while the two other men stood next to him. Mr. Altieri pulled out a gun, yelled something, and shot the man in the head." The anchorman appeared on the screen.

  "That was Diane Stevens, testifying in the murder trial of accused Mafia head Anthony Altieri. The jury has just brought in a verdict of not guilty." Diane sat there, stunned. "Not guilty?" "The murder that took place almost two years ago charged Anthony Altieri with killing one of his employees. In spite of Diane Stevens's testimony, the jury believed other witnesses who contradicted her." Kelly was staring at the set, wide-eyed. A new witness appeared on the stand.

  Jake Rubenstein, Altieri's lawyer, was asking:

  "Dr. Russell, do you have a practice in New York?" "No. I'm located only in Boston." "On the day in question, did you treat Mr. Altieri for a heart problem?" "Yes. About nine A.M. I kept him under observation for the whole day." "So he could not have been in New York on October fourteenth?" "No." Another witness appeared on the screen:

  "Would you tell us your occupation, sir?" "I'm the manager of the Boston Park Hotel." "Were you on duty last October fourteenth?" "Yes, I was." "Did anything unusual happen that day?" "Yes. I received an urgent phone call from the penthouse suite to send a doctor up there immediately." "What happened next?" "I called Dr. Joseph Russell and he came right over. We went to the penthouse suite to check on the guest, Anthony Altieri." "What did you see when you got there?" "Mr. Altieri, lying on the floor. I thought he was going to die in our hotel." Diane had turned pale. "They're lying," she said hoarsely. "Both of them." Anthony Altieri was being interviewed. He looked frail and sickly.

  "Do you have any plans for the immediate future, Mr. Altieri?" "Now that justice has been done, I'm just going to take it easy for a while.

  "Altieri smiled thinly.

  "Maybe clean up a few old debts." Kelly was dumbstruck. She turned to Diane. "You testified against him?" "Yes. I saw him kill-" Kelly's trembling hands spilled some tea and knocked over a salt-shaker. "I'm getting out of here." "What are you so nervous about?" "What am I nervous about? You tried to have the head of the Mafia sent to prison and he's free, and he's going to clean up a few old debts, and you want to know what I'm nervous about? You should be nervous." Kelly rose and threw some money on the table. "I'll pick up the check. You'd better save your money for traveling expenses, Mrs. Stevens." "Wait! We haven't talked about our husbands or-" "Forget it." Kelly headed for the door and Diane reluctantly pursued her.

  "I think you're overreacting," Diane argued. Do you?

  As they reached the exit, Kelly said, "I don't understand how you could be so stupid as to-" An elderly man, entering on crutches, slipped and started to fall. For an instant, Kelly was in Paris and it was Mark who was falling, and she reached down to save him, and at the same time, Diane moved to catch him. At that moment, from across the street two loud shots rang out, the bullets smashing into the wall where the women had been standing. The explosion brought Kelly back to instant reality. She was in Manhattan and had just had tea with a crazy woman.

  "My God!" Diane exclaimed. "We-" "This is no time to pray. Let's get the hell out of here!" Kelly propelled Diane to the curb where Colin was standing, next to the limousine. He pulled the car door open, and Kelly and Diane tumbled into the backseat.

  "What was that noise?" Colin asked.

  The two women sat there, huddled in the seat, too unnerved to speak.

  Finally, Kelly said, "It-er, must have been a backfire." She turned to Diane, who was fighting to regain her composure. "I hope I'm not overreacting," she said sarcastically.

  "I'll drop you off. Where do you live?" Diane took a deep breath and gave Colin the address of her apartment building.

  The two women rode there in stony silence, shaken by what had just happened.

  When the car pulled up in front of her building, Diane turned to Kelly. "Will you come in? I'm a little jittery. I have a feeling something more might happen." Kelly said curtly, "I have the same feeling-but it's not going to happen to me.

  Good-bye, Mrs. Stevens." Diane looked at Kelly a moment, started to say something, then shook her head and got out of the car.

  Kelly watched as Diane walked into the foyer and entered her apartment on the first floor. Kelly gave a sigh of relief.

  Colin said, "Where would you like to go, Mrs. Harris?" "Back to the hotel, Colin, and-" There was a loud scream from the apartment. Kelly hesitated an instant, then opened the car door and raced inside the building. Diane had left the door to her apartment wide open. She was standing in the middle of the room, trembling.

  "What happened?" "Someone-someone's broken in here. Richard's briefcase was on this table and it's gone. It was filled with his papers. They left his wedding ring in its place." Kelly looked around nervously. "You'd better call the police." "Yes." Diane remembered the card that Detective Greenburg had left on the hall table. She walked over to it and picked it up. A minute later, she was on the phone, saying, "Detective Earl Greenburg, please.

  There was a brief delay.

  "Greenburg." "Detective Greenburg, this is Diane Stevens. Something has happened here. I wonder if you could come by the apartment and… thank you." Diane took a deep breath and turned to Kelly. "He's coming. If you don't mind waiting until he-" "I do mind. This is your problem. I don't want any part of it. And you might mention that someone just tried to kill you. I'm leaving for Paris. Good-bye, Mrs. Stevens." Diane watched as Kelly walked outside and headed for the limousine.

  "Where to?" Colin asked.

  "Back to the hotel, please."

  Where she would be safe.

  CHAPTER 21

  WHEN KELLY RETURNED to her hotel room, she was still unnerved by what had happened. The experience of coming so close to being killed had been terrifying.

  The last thing I need right now is some blonde airhead trying to get me murdered.

  Kelly sank down on the couch to calm herself and closed her eyes. She tried to meditate and concentrate on a mantra, but it was no use. She was too shaken.

  There was an empty, lonely feeling deep inside her. Mark, I miss you so much.

  People said that as time went by, I would feel better. It's not true, my darling. Every day makes it worse.

  The sound of a food cart being wheeled down the corridor made Kelly realize that she had not eaten all day. She was not hungry, but she knew she had to keep up her strength.

  She phoned room service. "I'd like a shrimp salad and some hot tea, please." "Thank you. It should be there in twenty-five to thirty minutes, Mrs. Harris." "Fine." Kelly replaced the receiver. She sat there, replaying in her mind the meeting with Tanner Kingsley, and she felt as though she had been plunged into a chilling nightmare. What was going on?

  Why had Mark never mentioned Olga? Was it a business relationship? An affair?

  Mark, darling,

  I want you to know that if you did have an affair, I forgive you because I love you. I will always love you. You taught me how to love. I was cold and you warmed me. You gave me my pride back, and made me feel like a woman.

  She thought about Diane. That busybody put my life at risk. She's someone to stay away from. That won't be difficult. Tomorrow I'll be in Paris, with Angel.

  Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door. "Room service." "Coming." As Kelly started toward the door, she stopped, puzzled. She had ordered just a few minutes ago. It's too soon. "Just a moment," she called.

  "Yes, ma'am." Kelly picked up the phone and dialed room service. "My order is not here yet." "We're working on it, Mrs. Harris. It should be there in fifteen or twenty minutes." Kelly replaced the receiver, her heart pounding. She dialed the operator.

  "There's-there's a man trying to get into my room." "I'll send a security officer right up, Mrs. Harris." Two minutes later, she heard another knock. Kelly walked over to the door, wary.

  "Who is it?"

  "Security." Kelly looked at her watch. Too fast. "I'll be right there." She hurried over to the telephone and called the operator again. "I called down about security. Is-" "He's on his way up, Mrs. Harris. He should be up there in a minute or two." "What is his name?" Her voice was strangled with fear.

  "Thomas." Kelly could hear low, low whispers in the hall. She pressed her ear against the door until the voices faded. She stood there, filled with blind terror.

  A minute later, there was a knock at the door.

  "Who is it?"

  "Security." "Bill?" Kelly asked. She held her breath.

  "No, Mrs. Harris. It's Thomas." Kelly quickly opened the door and let him in.

  He regarded her a moment and said, "What happened?" "Some-some men tried to get in here." "Did you see them?" "No. I-I heard them. Would you walk me out to a taxi?" "Certainly, Mrs. Harris." Kelly was trying to force herself to stay calm. Too much was happening too fast.

  Thomas stayed close by Kelly's side as they got into the elevator.

  When they reached the lobby, Kelly glanced around, but she could see nothing suspicious. Kelly and the security guard walked outside, and as they reached the taxi stand, Kelly said, "Thank you very much. I appreciate it." "I'll make sure that everything is all right when you come back. Whoever tried to break into your room is gone by now." Kelly got into a taxi. As she glanced out the rear window, she saw two men hurrying into a parked limousine.

  "Where to?" the cabdriver asked Kelly.

  The limousine had pulled up behind the taxi. Ahead, at the corner, a policeman was directing traffic.

  "Go straight ahead," Kelly told him.

  "Okay." As they approached the green light, Kelly said urgently, "I want you to slow down and wait until the light changes to yellow, then make a quick left turn." The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "What?" "Don't go through the green light until it turns yellow." She saw the expression on the driver's face.