“She wasn't happy about it. Cursed me in a couple of languages, and I had to raise my voice to ask her where I should send her money. She finally heard me, said I should keep it for a while, that maybe I'd change my mind. Said it like a threat. So I had to tell her that, if I didn't hear from her by Friday morning, I was going to tack the envelope up to the entranceway of the apartment building and leave it there for anyone to help themselves to.”

“What was her response?”

“She just said she'd be in touch and hung up. With a bang. When I got the exchange, the girl said that the call had been put through from a public office on the other side of town, but when I called there, the woman had left already. She's pretty good at this.”

“I expected nothing less. Hammett, it might be a good idea—”

“Yeah, I know, I'll need to be back here before my wife comes home with the kid for lunch, just in case we have a visitor with a gun. But I think I'll use some of your money to send them both down to Santa Cruz for a couple of days. She's been talking about going. Once they're out of the way I'll be yours for what you need.”

“You might also make sure you don't leave any notes concerning the case lying about in the open.”

“I'll do that. So, what do you want me to do this morning?”

“How far did you get on the Ginzberg death?”

“Found the man in charge; he was tied up with a fresh case.”

“I'd like to have something to give Russell on that when she gets back tomorrow. See what you can do with it.”

“Right you are. You need me, I'm at police headquarters 'til noon, then back here.”

“And I shall check in with the hotel during the day, to ask if any messages have been left me,” Holmes told him, then, “Hammett?”

“Still here.”

“I was thinking of placing an advert in one of the papers, asking for information regarding the delivery of an envelope to your address. That lad might be able to tell us something.”

“Are you asking my opinion?”

“I suppose I am,” Holmes said, rather surprised at the fact.

“Then I'd say not. Later, maybe, but doing it now, you'd risk scaring them off. You'd also be risking their getting to the kid first.”

“You feel they could remove him?”

“Yeah, I do.”