To be fair about it, I suppose you could call him a good-hearted soul, as long as you included an asterisk referring to the small print below. As a perfect example, Pete had told Ruthie he was taking her on a cruise on the Danube for their fortieth wedding anniversary coming up the following year. He’d intended to surprise her, but he couldn’t help revealing the plan in advance. The real surprise came after his death, when she found out he was paying for the trip with money he’d extorted in a blackmail scheme. She asked for the deposit back and used the refund to satisfy some of his creditors, and that was that. In the meantime, she wasn’t hurting for income. Ruthie was a private-duty nurse, and her services were much in demand. From the schedule I’d seen taped to her refrigerator door, she worked numerous shifts and could probably name her price regardless of the going rate.

As for the banker’s box, I’d put a big black X on the lid and shoved it under the desk in my studio apartment, so the task would have to wait until I got home. I’d been meaning to inspect the contents in any event. If, as I anticipated, the old files were inactive or closed, I’d send them to a shredding company and be done with it.

I’d no more than hung up when the phone rang again. I reached for the handset, saying, “Millhone Investigations.”

There was a pause, and a woman said, “Hello?”

I said, “Hello?”

“Oh, sorry. I was expecting a machine. May I speak to Ms. Millhone?”

Her tone was refined, and even through the phone line I could smell money on her breath. “This is she,” I said.

“My name is Hallie Bettancourt. Vera Hess suggested I get in touch with you about a personal matter.”

“That was nice of her. She had an office next door to mine at California Fidelity Insurance, where I worked once upon a time,” I said. “I take it you’re a friend of hers?”

“Well, no. We met at a party a few weeks ago. We were having drinks on the patio, and when I mentioned the issue, she thought you might help.”

“I’ll do what I can. Would you give me your name again? I’m afraid it went right over my head.”

I could hear the smile in her voice. “Bettancourt. First name, Hallie. I do that myself. In one ear and out the other.”

“Amen,” I said. “Why don’t you give me a quick summary of the problem?”

She hesitated. “The situation’s awkward, and I’d prefer not to discuss it by phone. I think when I explain, you’ll understand.”

“That’s entirely up to you,” I said. “We can set up an appointment and you can talk about it then. What’s your schedule look like this week?”

She laughed uncomfortably. “That’s just it. I’m under a time constraint. I leave town tomorrow morning and won’t be back until June. If there’s any way we could meet tonight, I’d be grateful.”