Something in this remark seemed to annoy Jack. “Ain’t democracy wonderful,” the American said with a sour expression.

Kusum frowned, concealing his desperation. This was not going to work. There seemed to be instinctive antagonism between him and this Repairman Jack.

“I believe I have made a mistake. Mr. Burkes recommended you very highly, but I do not think you are capable of handling this particular task. Your attitude is most disrespectful—”

“What can you expect from a guy who grew up watching Bugs Bunny cartoons?”

“—and you do not appear to have the physical resources to accomplish what I have in mind.”

Jack smiled, as if used to this reaction. His elbows were on the table, his hands folded in front of him. Without the slightest hint of warning, his right hand blurred across the table towards Kusum’s face. Kusum steeled himself for the blow and prepared to lash out with his feet.

The blow never landed. Jack’s hand passed within a millimeter of Kusum’s face and snatched the fly out of the air in front of his nose. Jack went to a nearby door and released the insect into the fetid air of a back alley.

Fast, Kusum thought. Extremely fast. And what was even more important: He didn’t kill the fly. Perhaps this was the man after all.

3

Jack returned to his seat and studied the Indian. To his credit, Kusum hadn’t flinched. Either his reflexes were extremely slow, or he had something akin to copper wire for nerves. Jack figured Kusum’s reflexes to be pretty good.

Score one for each of us, he thought. He wondered how Kusum had lost that arm.

“The point is probably moot,” Jack said. “Finding a particular mugger in this city is like poking at a hornets’ nest to find the one that bit you. If she saw enough of him to identify a mug shot, she should go to the police and—”

“No police!” Kusum said quickly.

Those were the very two words Jack was waiting to hear. If the police were involved, Jack would not be.

“They may well be successful eventually,” Kusum went on, “but they take much too long. This is a matter of the utmost urgency. My grandmother is dying. That is why I’ve gone outside official channels.”

“I don’t understand this whole thing.”

“Her necklace was stolen. It’s a priceless heirloom. She must have it back.”

“But you said she’s dying—”

“Before she dies! She must have it back before she dies!”

“Impossible. I can’t…” U.N. diplomat or not, the guy was obviously a nut. No use trying to explain how hard it would be just to find the mugger. After that, to learn the name of his fence, find that fence, and then hope that he hadn’t already removed whatever precious stones were in the necklace and melted down the settings, was simply beyond the wildest possibility. “It can’t be done.”

“You must do it! The man must be found. She scratched him across the eyes. There must be a way he can be traced!”