No wonder, Ashley thought, Andrew Balaton had been willing to risk his life by passing information to the West from within the ÁVH. But would the Russians have permitted a man with such a troubled past to become a trusted member of the state secret police? It seemed unlikely, which meant Balaton had probably adopted a new identity.

And Barky had betrayed him....

She wouldn’t think about that now. Stick to what you know, not what you guess. She stood at the front edge of Evan’s desk, facing him. “Did the Hungarian historian know how Count Balaton and the Balaton jewels got out of Hungary?”

Evan hesitated. Then, with a heavy sigh, he handed Ashley a manila folder. “Here. See for yourself.”

Twenty minutes later, in a Park Avenue coffee shop, Ashley closed the folder. She had to see David. Together, she and her brother could stop the insanity that was about to unfold. They had to.

She found a pay phone and tried him at the farm, but Iggy answered, telling her David had gone to Maine with a “built blond sweetie.” Iggy was unreal. Ashley hung up and tried Maine. Roger answered and impatiently explained that David was on his way to Badger Rock, and yes, he would certainly tell him his sister had called.

“May I speak with Jeremy, please?”

Roger huffed. “Very well.”

In a moment, Jeremy came on the line and swore at her for at least ten seconds. Amazing, she thought, how good that made her feel. “Jeremy, I’m on my way back to the island. Wait for me?”

“Forever, Ashley.”

Then, with a refreshing bounce to her step, she stopped at the bank and, with the key Evan Parrington had given her, identified herself to the bank officer— this one didn’t flirt with her in her unkempt state—and opened the safe-deposit box. Tucking the velvet-bound cases into a canvas bag, she headed out. She had bummed a helicopter ride into the city from Westchester Airport. On the way back, however, she had to get her Alfa Romeo out of the garage and drive herself to the airport. She had asked a couple of mechanics to refuel her plane and give it a good going-over, and when she arrived, they were eager to show her their handiwork.

Within minutes, she was back at four thousand feet, hoping she could hold herself together a while longer. The remaining Balaton jewels were at her side; so was the folder.

31

David concentrated on keeping himself seated as the boat skidded over the waves. With his broken leg, he couldn’t anchor himself, and even the slightest bump brought waves of throbbing pain. His jaw was cramped from gritting his teeth and his eyes burned... and he was sick with worry. Ash. What was she into now?

“So what happened to my sister?” he asked, hanging on as they bounced over a line of rolling waves.

Balaton kept his gaze on the gray ocean ahead. “We don’t know, but it’s my belief your uncle has her.”