"Don't go to Dydeetown, I can tell you that," I said finally. Sounded lame. Was glad we came to the upchute to Bodine's subsection then.

We got off at the twenty-seventh level and went to Bodine's door. The clone keyed it open with her palm. She stepped in but stopped dead so abruptly that I stumbled against her back.

Was ready to swear at her but a glimpse of the automatically lighted room cut me off.

The place had been torn apart.

"Well, isn't this bloaty," I said.

Left the clone at the door and wandered through the apartment. Lighting fixtures, cushions, furniture, the rug — any possible hiding place had been ripped open and gutted. Thorough job. Very thorough. Whatever the searchers wanted, they wanted bad.

"You said he was in the import-export business?"

Still mute, she nodded.

"Import-exporting what?"

"I–I don't know."

She was a rotten liar.

"Somebody else is looking for your friend."

"Why would they…?"

"You tell me."

She shook her head. "If I could, I would."

Didn't believe that, either.

"Let's get out of here," I said. "The folks who did this may come back. We don't want to be here when they do."

Hurried her out to the hall, letting the door slide closed behind us.

"You could handle them, couldn't you?"

"Of course, but it gets so messy explaining all the bodies."

Hoped that sounded sufficiently tough. Actually, I was more than a little uneasy about this whole affair. One look at that apartment and I knew there was more to this than a missing boyfriend. Didn't have a clue as to what else was going on, but wanted to a few quick klicks between myself and this complex and not run into anyone unfriendly in the process.