Well, he couldn’t give a word-for-word transcript, but finally he does recall the gist of it. Something about Raymond taking revenge against the military, which is a funny idea on the face of it, although it’s developing disturbing aspects. Instinctively he is curious. He wants to know what is going on. Partly this is because it is going on in his territory, the black economy of OC, and it’s important for him to know as much as he can about the territory. Then partly it’s because he has the feeling that the whole affair might have something to do with his friends, through Arthur. Jim hangs out with Arthur a lot these days, and probably he doesn’t know what Arthur’s gotten himself into.…

For the moment, however, he’s distracted by the memory of Raymond and Bob Tompkins. That was the night that Bob’s friend Manfred made the proposal concerning the aphrodisiac coming in from Hawaii, that’s right. A little smuggling for twenty thousand and a lot of aphrodisiac, which no doubt there would be a good demand for. Of course it goes against Sandy’s usual operating principle, but in a situation like this one … necessity makes its own principles. Now when was that conference? Just a week or so ago, wasn’t it? So there might still be time.…

Vikki starts crying again. She was the one who first met this disappearing Adam, and introduced him to John and Sandy, and so she feels responsible. “Let’s lid some more,” John suggests morosely.

Without a word, Sandy shifts back into support mode, pulls another eyedropper from his bag. Impassively he watches his friends blink Mello into their tears. We use drugs as a weapon, he thinks suddenly; a weapon to kill pain, to kill boredom. The thought shocks him a little, and he forgets it.

After cheering them up again he makes his way out. He types in the program for his next appointment, and sits in the driver’s seat watching the cars tracking around him. Ten thousand dollars. John and Vikki won’t be able to repay him for months and months, if ever, so essentially the loss is entirely his. Ach. Thieves, frauds, con men, do they ever think how their victims feel? He redoes the accounting, confirms the results; he is in a bad cash crunch.

Bleakly he picks up the car’s phone, calls Bob Tompkins. “Bob? Sandy here … I’m calling about your friend Manfred…”

So he agrees to do it. Bob says he has a few days before the transfer is to take place. The boat is all ready, in a slip in Newport harbor. Fine.