“Not all,” she said, remembering something. “A third of it is yours.”

Jack cocked his head and gave her a puzzled look. “Mine? But—” •

“Our deal, remember? We split the proceeds—you’ve got a thirty-three percent share.”

“Jeez,” Jack said, dropping into a chair. “I forgot all about that.”

“I’m sure you would have remembered eventually.” She refused to let herself get excited. “But right now you’ve got a third of nothing. We’ve only got half of the equation. The receiver’s not worth anything without the transmitter.”

Jack nodded. “Like taking a TV set back to the 1920s, I guess. Without somebody broadcasting, it’s just an expensive night-light.”

“Right. So where is it?”

“Uptown,” Jack said. “Or maybe farther north of here.”

“Because that’s the way it keeps running?”

“Got to be,” he said, taking the chassis from her. “ ‘Whither away, fair rover, and what thy quest?’ Remember?”

Jack put it on the floor and let it arc across the carpet to end bumping its front end on the uptown wall.

“I think—no, I’m sure its quest is the transmitter.”

“So what are you going to do? Put it down on Fifth Avenue and follow it uptown?”

“No… I’ve got a better idea.” He retrieved the chassis and turned off the motor. “Is there a back way out of here?”

“Yes. Ask Raymond. He’ll show you.”

“Swell. See you later.” He stopped at the door and turned. “Hey, I almost forgot. How’s the little guy—the one with the haircut?”

“Hector Lopez?” Alicia said, looking away, not wanting to see his face. “He died this morning.”

“Aw,” Jack said, more of a sigh than a word. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah,” Alicia said through her constricting throat. “He was a good little guy.”

And then, as precipitously as he’d arrived, Jack was gone, leaving the toy Rover’s black plastic body on her desk.

Alicia swallowed to loosen her throat, then let Hector fade from her mind as she remembered the key they’d found along with the truck last night—last night? Had it only been last night? She wondered if Jack had learned what lock it fit.

And then the possibility of broadcast power took over. How many billions might something like that be worth? She thought of what she could do with all that money. She could start a foundation, find homes for kids like those at the Center, fund research to find ways to save future Hectors.

Broadcast power… the power to change the world… hers…

Hers because that man… that monster… had left it to her…

Alicia closed her eyes. She didn’t want anything that man had touched. Anything. He had to have known that. So why had he left her this? Was he laughing now from his spot in the darkest, coldest, nastiest corner of hell?

She picked up the Rover body and hurled it against the wall.

9.

9.