“It’s relatively simple, I think. As I told your clerk when I telephoned, I’m going to buy some property from Mr. Waterson’s clients, and I’d like a right of first refusal drawn up to hold the deal until I can get the cash together.”

“You’re right. That’s relatively simple, but let me ask you a few questions first. This land you’re going to buy, you said Mr. Waterson’s clients own it.”

Waterson frowned. “Well, that’s not exactly correct. They transferred it to me to make the process of selling it easier.”

“That’s . . . unusual,” Gideon said tactfully.

“They’re family members,” Coleman hastily explained, although that didn’t really explain much.

“So the deed is in your name?” Gideon asked to clarify.

“Yes.”

“Do you have an abstract?”

“Oh yes. I know I can’t sell the property without it.”

“I’ll need to see it and the deed to get the legal description of the property for the contract.”

“Of course.” Waterson pulled some papers out of his briefcase and passed them across the desk.

“Could you leave these with me while we draw up the papers?” Gideon asked.

Waterson frowned. “I’d rather not.”

Gideon nodded, as if this were perfectly reasonable. “I’ll have to copy down some information from them, then, for my clerk.”

Gideon found the paperwork extremely interesting. “This land is in Texas.”

“That’s right,” Coleman said, rather proud of the fact. “I expect I’ll find oil on it, too.”

“Finding oil is a very risky business, Mr. Coleman,” Gideon felt obligated to say, even though he suspected the oil was a very minor part of this whole thing.

“I know that, but . . . Show him the map, Waterson,” Coleman said jovially.

Waterson plainly did not want to show Gideon the map, but he could hardly refuse. He spread it out on Gideon’s desk. It was an impressive piece of work. Gideon doubted that finding oil was as simple as locating it on a map, but he pretended to be mollified. “It looks like a prime location. The Texas Company,” he mused, reading it on the map. “Is that Texaco?”

“Yes, it is,” Waterson said.

Gideon nodded sagely. “Well, then, I suppose you’re in a hurry for this contract.”

“We were hoping you could have it done today.”

“How long would you like the option period to be?”

Coleman shrugged. “Thirty days should be adequate.”

“Thirty days?” Waterson protested. “You said a week at most.”

“Thirty days is the minimum for a contract like this, but of course you are free to close the sale sooner than that,” Gideon explained.

Waterson didn’t look happy, but he could see Coleman was set on this, so he agreed.

Gideon told them to come back in a few hours, by which time Smith would have drawn up the document and Gideon would have done his due diligence.