Win`s mother."

"Oh." Myron said. "Right."

Linda Coldren said. `l don't want him here. Get rid of him."

Linda. listen to me. We need help."

"Not from him."

"He and Win have experience with this type of thing."

'Win." she said slowly., is psychotic."

. Ah." Myron said. `Then you know him well?"

Linda Coidren finally turned her attention to Myron.

Her eyes. deep and brown. met his. 'l haven't spoken to Win since he was eight years old." she said. "But you don`t have to leap into a pit of flames to know it's hot."

Myron nodded. "`Nice analogy."

She shook her head and looked back at her father. l told you before: no police. We do what they say."

"But he's not police her father said.

"And you shouldn't he telling anyone."

"l only told my sister,|| Bucky protested. "She'd never say anything.

Myron felt his body stiffen again. Wait a second."

he said to Bucky. "Your sister is Win's mother?'

"Yes."

"`You're Win's uncle." He looked at Linda Coldren.

"And you're Win's first cousin."

Linda Coldren looked at him like he`d just peed on the floor. "With smarts like that," she said., "I'm glad you"re on our side.

Everyone's a wiseass.

"If its still unclear. Mr. Bolitar, I could break out some poster board and sketch a family tree for you.

Could you use lots of pretty colors?" Myron said.

I like pretty colors."

She made a face and turned away. On the television.

Jack Coldren lined up a twelve-foot putt. Linda stopped and watched. He tapped it; the ball took off and arched right into the hole. The gallery applauded with modest enthusiasm. Jack picked up the ball with two fingers and then tipped his hat. The IBM leader board flashed on the screen. Jack Coldren was up by a whopping nine strokes.

Linda Coldren shook her head. "Poor bastard."

Myron kept still. So did Bucky.

He's waited twenty-three years for this moment."'

she continued. "And he picks now."

Myron glanced at Bucky. Bucky glanced back. shaking his head.

Linda Coldren stared at the television until her husband exited to the clubhouse. Then she took a deep breath and looked at Myron. "You see, Mr. Bolitar, Jack has never won a professional tournament. The closest he ever came was in his rookie year, twenty-three years ago. When he was only nineteen. lt was the last time the U. S. Open was held at Merion. You may remember the headlines."

They were not altogether unfamiliar. This morning`s papers had rehashed it a bit. "He lost a lead, right?"

Linda Coldren made a scoffing sound. "That's a bit of an understatement, but yes. Since then, his career has been completely unspectacular. There were years he didn't even make the tour."

He picked a hell of a time to snap his streak." Myron said. "The U. S. Open."

She gave him a funny look and folded her arms under her chest. `Your name rings a bell," she said. "You used to play basketball, right'?"