He was going through a sheaf of folders at the window when something flicked in the corner of his eye. It was impossible to see the sidewalk below without adjusting the blind. He examined it carefully. There was a different light shining on the edges of the slats. He put the folders on the desk and tried to dampen the sounds that he was making. He could hear his breathing and heartbeat. In a quiet room, in the darkness, the movement of a shirt inside a jacket could sound like a ship collision. He had not forgotten the sound-absorbent ceilings and the deep pile wall-to-wall carpets in the public areas outside. This case had been a study in disadvantages. There was a switchplate in the hall outside the door; Leland had not checked it. He stepped back from the desk, drew the gun, braced his elbow against the cabinet, and sighted down his arm. He could see the door clearly enough. A short-barreled pistol was hardly better than a zip gun at a distance greater than a handshake, but not everyone knew that. There was a soft, smothered creak just outside the door. Sure enough, the lights came on. Leland put his free hand above his eyes to minimize the shock. The doorknob turned silently, but then the door swung wide open.

“Hold it right there. Hold it or I’ll kill you.”

Wendell Roberts said, “Joe, you’re going to be sorry you came here. You’re going to regret the day you were born.”

Chapter Twenty-One

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“Don’t give me that,” Leland said. “Get in here.” He moved around the desk. “Push the door closed—don’t turn your back to me.”

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this—”

“You’ll never hear the shot, Wendell. You’ll bounce off the door, but you won’t know that, either. All right, with your left hand. Come on, come on. Unbutton your shirt. Now arms out straight. Turn around to the door and get up on your toes. Fall forward, hands flat on the door, your weight on your hands.”

“I’ve seen this in the newspapers, Joe. I’m not carrying a weapon.”

“And you were talking sports, too. I know all about it. You have nothing to tell me. A warning, mister. Make a bad move and I kick the legs out from under you. You go straight down on your chin. Don’t try to get your hands under you to cushion your fall. Nobody reacts that fast. You’ll break your arms as well as your jaw.”