Dolan was on the other end of the line.

“Where in hell do you get off calling me collect?” he grumbled. “The government can afford it,” Pitt said. “How did you get word to

me?”

“The citizen-band radio in my car. I bounced a signal from the public-communications satellite to a ranger station in the White River National Forest and asked them to relay the message.”

“What have you got?”

“Some good news and some not-so-good news.”

“Lay it on me in that order.”

“The good news is, I heard from Boeing. The nose gear was installed as original equipment on air-frame number 75403. The not-so-good news is, that particular aircraft went to the military.”

“Then the Air Force got her.”

“It looks that way. At any rate, the National Transportation Safety Board has no record of a missing commercial Stratocruiser. I’m afraid that’s as far as I can take it. From here on in, if you wish to pursue your investigation as a private citizen, you’ll have to go through the military. Their air safety is out of our jurisdiction.”

“I’ll do that,” Pitt replied. “If nothing else, to settle any fantasies I have about ghostly aircraft.”

“I hoped you’d say something like that,” said Dolan. “So I took the liberty of sending a request-in your name, of course-for the current status of Boeing 75403 to the Inspector General for Safety at Norton Air Force Base, in California. A Colonel Abe Steiger will contact you as soon as he finds something.”

“This Steiger, what’s his function?”

“Basically he’s my military counterpart. He conducts investigations into the causes of Air Force flying accidents in the Western region.”

“Then we’ll soon have the answer to the riddle.”

“It would seem so.”

“What’s your opinion, Dolan?” Pitt asked. “Your honest opinion.”

“Well…” Dolan began cautiously. “I won’t lie to you, Pitt. Personally, I think your missing aircraft will turn up in the records of some wheeler-dealer who trades in government-surplus salvage.”

“And I thought we had the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.”

“You wanted the truth. I gave it to you.”

“Seriously, Harvey, I’m grateful for all your help. Next time I come to Denver, I’ll pop for lunch.”

32 p>

VIXEN 03

“I never turn down a free feed.”

“Good. Ill look forward to it.”

“Before you hang up”-Dolan took a deep breath-“if I’m right, and there’s a down-to-earth reason for the nose gear being in Miss Smith’s garage, what then?”

“I have this strange feeling that isn’t the case,” Pitt replied.

Dolan set the receiver back in its cradle, sat and stared at it. A strange chill crept up his back and turned his skin to gooseflesh. Pitt’s voice had sounded as though it came from a tomb.