She turned to Caroline Kent, who sat cross-legged on the bone-colored couch near the outer door. Dressed in wool gabardine, Caroline looked every inch the top-notch professional she was. She had already given Ashley the notes on Sarah Balaton.

Ortilt szerzetes, Ashley thought, was a Hungarian phrase. Andrew Balaton, Sarah’s father, was a Hungarian refugee. Was there a connection?

“Caroline,” she said, “what do you know about Hungary?”

She shrugged. “Not much. It’s in eastern Europe and it’s Communist. What else is there to know?”

“Good question. Think you could pull together a little history report for me?”

Caroline uncrossed her legs, her only indication of surprise. “I’d be glad to, Ash. You want to talk?”

“I can’t.” She sighed heavily, hating the confusion that raged inside her; if only she could be more certain she was doing the right thing. “If I had more facts...”

“I’ll hit the library and see what I can find out. Will that help?”

Ashley nodded, grateful for Caroline’s friendship. “Thanks.”

The door to the outer office opened, and both Caroline and Ashley looked up as Patti Morgan poked her head through. The young secretary looked distressed. “Ashley, you’ve got company. He won’t—”

Jeremy Carruthers squeezed between her and the doorjamb, thrusting the door wider open, and waltzed into the office. Patti sighed and finished, “He won’t take no for an answer and he won’t give me his name.”

From her position on the couch, Caroline scrutinized Jeremy, and Ashley could see her putting pieces together in her own peculiar way. She climbed to her feet and stood alongside her business partner. “Ash, what kind of hot water have you got your butt in this time?”

Ashley muttered back, “It’s boiling oil, Caroline, and I’m up to my neck.” Then she glared at Jeremy. “What do you want?”

He ambled over to her desk and looked around, as if he didn’t expect the air of cheerfulness and efficiency. Ashley supposed, after the episode with the eggs, Touchstone Communications would come as a surprise. “You don’t seem to have much time for anything in your life but work and fish,” he said. “Don’t you do anything for fun?”

She looked at him in annoyance. “I do everything for fun.”

He grinned. “A point to remember.”

Caroline nudged Ashley with her elbow. “Shall I call security?”

“No, it’s all right. I can handle Mr. Carruthers. How soon can you get me that report?”

Caroline promised to get on it right away. She eyed Jeremy curiously and, as she left, widened her alert brown eyes at Ashley. Caroline was definitely no dummy, Ashley thought.

She snatched her handbag off the desk as Jeremy came and stood beside her. “You’re getting to be a pest, Carruthers.”

“Going somewhere?” he asked mildly.

“Just to the institute.” She could get rid of him there more easily, she thought, and scoot over to the bank. “I suppose you want to come, too?”

“Sure, what the hell.”

She squared her shoulders. “Mac Stevens ask you to follow me around?”