“I see,” she said. She leaned against a galley counter and looked down at her feet, silent. Finally she spoke again. “I want to get this over with and get out of here. I can’t believe he could possibly convince a jury that Paul’s death was anything other than natural. After all, there were no witnesses; they’d have to take my word, wouldn’t they?”

“No, they wouldn’t, not if Sir Winston can present convincing evidence to the contrary. Your husband’s diary, for instance.”

She waved a hand. “I can explain that; it’s no problem.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Stone said. “Did the police remove anything else from the yacht besides the logbook and the diary?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” she said.

“All right. First, let’s talk about the diary, then let’s see what else we can dig up that will react to your benefit.” He glanced at his watch. “We have forty-five minutes to build our case.”

Stone looked at his watch again. Five minutes to go, and she was in the head. “Better hurry,” he called out.

“Won’t be a minute,” her muffled voice called back.

Stone took the opportunity to look around the interior of the yacht. It was gorgeous. The maker was Nautor of Finland, and the boat was a Swan, widely held to be the best production yacht in the world, and very close to being custom-built. She had obviously been built with little regard to cost; every piece of equipment aboard was the best that money could buy—the electronics, the sails, even the galley equipment. He reckoned the boat had cost between a million and a half and two million dollars.

She popped out of the head, her makeup redone, her long, blond hair combed. “Okay, let’s go,” she said.

Stone picked up the documents she had given him and followed her up the main companionway ladder.

Five minutes later, they were back in the Markstown meeting hall, and Sir Winston Sutherland was resuming his questioning of Allison Manning.

Chapter
5

Sir Winston rose to his full height and addressed Allison Manning. This time he was not bothering with charm. “Mrs. Manning,” he said, “was your husband a wealthy man?”