“Right here. I make a tour every hour or so. It was nothing to slip in while I was up above and then wait on the fire stairs while I rode my way down. I use the elevator and only look into the stairwells.”

“What did the management say after it happened?”

“To me? Not a thing. I’m sixty-eight years old.”

“Did the police ask you any special questions about MacIver or MacIver’s office?”

“No, they just asked how it could have happened and things like that.”

“Okay.” He took out his wallet. “I’d like to thank you for your help.”

“I don’t need your money.”

“Can’t you use ten dollars?”

“If you think something I told you is worth ten dollars, I’ll have to think about telling it to the police.”

Leland laughed. “Now if I walk out of here you’ll have a reason to think that I’m afraid that you will tell them.”

“You say thank you and leave, I’ll figure you’re willing to take your chances.”

“You just don’t want ten dollars on these terms,” Leland said.

“Not in any way I don’t understand,” he said. “Good evening to you.”

Leland smiled, nodded, and walked out. He returned to the car and drove away slowly. Five streets over he stopped and smoked a cigarette. Mike would be able to help. Leland’s sense of order was gratified. The man who had defrauded Betty Kaminsky of her rightful settlement and who had run this office had not changed that much over the years. He had tightened his operation. That was not stating it precisely, and the long day’s weariness that had Leland not caring about coming closer made him worry. This was not a cold case. A man who could break into other offices to divert the attention of the police had the most dangerous kind of presence of mind. Mike had sounded a fair enough warning. If it seemed too delicate at this point to continue, the thing to do was to quit until there was more information from other sources. Right now Leland was willing to gamble on his talent and experience.

He cut the motor of the Cadillac and got out and locked up. It was a three-block walk to find a taxi. Twenty minutes had passed since he had left the building.

He told the taxi driver that he was looking for a bar that he knew a short way across town, and that he wanted to be driven slowly. As they passed the service entrance of MacIver’s building, Leland looked inside. The watchman was reading a newspaper. Four blocks beyond, Leland had the driver stop. When the taxi was out of sight, he went into a diner.