“Very well,” said Alex, picking up the paper again. “ ‘Dear Mr. Lansdowne, I write to entreat you again to consider assisting my efforts to recover books stolen by the German Third Reich. The pleasure of a reply is requested and I shall await your response with anticipation. Yours Sincerely, Ingrid Weiss.’ ”

“And here is mine,” said Nemo. “Dear Sir, I wish to engage your services for an elimination project. Price and terms are negotiable. The pleasure of a reply is requested and I shall await your response with anticipation.”

“That last sentence is exactly the same,” said Ruthie.

“Like a fingerprint,” said Patton.

“It’s Weiss,” said Alex.

“Do you mean to tell me,” said Patton, “that Ingrid Weiss, the person who has the catalog we’re looking for, is the person who hired you?”

“It looks that way,” said Nemo.

“But she doesn’t have the decrypted message,” said Patton, “so she might have no idea the catalog is important.”

“Do you have an address for this Ingrid Weiss?” said Nemo to Alex.

“As a matter of fact,” said Alex, “I do. Ever been to Munich?”

“Is that our next move?” said Patton. “Going to Munich?”

“Don’t look at me,” said Alex. “My next move is breakfast.”

“We have to find that catalog,” said Nemo.

“Do we?” said Ruthie. “Couldn’t we just burn the message and the decrypt and go home and forget about this whole thing?”

“Weiss won’t stop until she finds the message,” said Nemo.

“Yes, but if we destroy it . . .” said Ruthie.

“We can’t destroy it,” said Nemo. “It’s in my head and yours.”

“And mine,” said Patton.

“And mine,” said Alex.

“You and I might hold up to, what did you call it, to ‘enhanced interrogation,’ ” said Nemo to Patton, “but I’m not sure Alex or Ruthie would keep quiet for long.”

“What’s ‘enhanced interrogation’?” said Ruthie.

“What he did to Fritz,” said Patton. Ruthie shivered.

“I can tell you right now, I wouldn’t keep my mouth closed,” said Alex.

“We could kill him,” said Patton, deadpan but with a glance to Nemo that said she was just having some fun.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” said Alex. “The mess, you know. And I just cleaned the house.”

“I’ve no intention of killing anyone, Mr. Lansdowne,” said Nemo. “Nonetheless I think endangering a loved one might keep you . . . cooperative.”

“I don’t have any loved ones,” said Alex.

“You have your collection,” said Nemo.

“Are you saying—” said Alex.

“I’m saying,” interrupted Nemo, “that I am a man with resources. And if anything happens to me or any of my companions, this whole place and all its disgusting contents will burn to the ground—and I doubt the authorities will much care.”

“But if something goes wrong it’s not necessarily my fault.”

“True. So you’d better hope nothing goes wrong.”