"Nothing yet. He's just been placed in the hut next door. I thought it more convenient."

"Convenient for what?"

"Persuasion." He squatted beside her, and his hand wrapped around her throat. "For him. For you."

"Don't touch me." She moistened her lips. "I told you that I don't have what you want. Did you check the basement of the museum?"

"Yes, we went immediately to search it. There was no hammer, though the other tools were of Russian make." His hand tightened on her throat. "A conspicuous absence, wouldn't you say?"

"I thought they were garden tools. They appeared to have been used. They might be. There was nothing of value in that museum. You have to be wrong."

"I could be. But my employer believes it was there before your ar¬rival. He said he was absolutely certain it was. That makes it necessary for me to make very sure. He said to explore every option… exten¬sively."

"We don't know anything about any hammer."

"You'll have to convince me." He drew even closer to her, his blue eyes glittering in his long face. "And I'm going to be very hard to con¬vince."

"Use a lie detector. Give me truth drugs."

"There are ways to beat both of them. I'm an old-fashioned man. I believe traditional methods are best." His voice was soft. "Shall I tell you what I'm going to do? I'm going to take your friend Joel Levy and hurt him beyond your ability to imagine. When you think he's had enough, all you have to do is tell me what I want to know."

Panic.

"What big eyes you have," Staunton said. "You're frightened. It's an awesome responsibility to have the power to stop another's pain, isn't it? Tell me now, and we won't start it."

"Why Joel?" she asked hoarsely. "Why not me?"

"Your turn may come. I believe this will be much more effective. Besides, I've always found that torturing women has bad side effects. For some reason, it's regarded as particularly heinous and rouses opin¬ion against you. Seems unfair, doesn't it? Sexist. But if by chance you ever got free, I'd be hunted down without mercy. No, you'll tell me where it is after a few days of our persuading Levy."