I dug in my bag for the envelope I’d prepared at Lake View and set it down in front of him, parallel to the watchband. “Even though you were hoping for Chrissie and got me, I think you’ll be pleased to see this stuff. I believe the two of you have been looking for it. This will save you the trouble of trying to arrange another break-in.”

He shot me a venomous look, but opened the envelope. When he’d unfolded the copies of the title and the bonds his face turned glassy again and the color seeped away from behind the skin. He studied them far longer than the four pieces of paper merited.

“The test will be tomorrow,” I said brightly. “Got them memorized yet?”

“I don’t know why you think I’d be interested in these things,” he said, but his voice lacked conviction.

“Oh, I expect because you, or someone you know, came busting into my place Friday night looking for them. Come to think of it, it must have been you—you’d know when I was away. Talk about police—I ought to bring them over here. I couldn’t figure out what you might want, but when I found these I had to believe I’d hit the jackpot.”

He suddenly picked up the papers and ripped them across.

“Not very bright, Vinnie: you must be able to see those are only copies. And now you’ve proved they’re important to you.” I watched his lips move wordlessly. “Let’s talk about the Diamond Head bonds. Did you sell them to Mrs. Frizell?”

He shook his head, still without speaking.

“Did you get Chrissie to sell them to Mrs. Frizell? … Am I getting warm?”

“I didn’t get anyone to sell them to her. I don’t know anything about them. I don’t even know they’re hers: bonds don’t have their owners’ names on them.” His voice gained strength as he spoke; he sounded positively pompous on the last sentence.

“You don’t find the fact that they’re with her house title suggestive? Or the fact that I discovered them nestled together in Mrs. Frizell’s box of most treasured possessions?”

“Yeah, I know you: you’d say anything. Like accusing me of breaking into your apartment just now. But the Picheas are the old lady’s legal guardians. If these things had been in her house they would have found them.”

I smiled. “They weren’t in her house though.”

“Where—” he started to blurt out, then stopped before completely betraying himself.

“Where were they? Ah, that’s why it pays to get a professional investigator when you’re after this kind of treasure. You have to know where to look.