Grelich said, “What is this?”

“This is Mr. Grelich speaking now?”

“Yes, it is. What do you want?”

“I am authorized by Mr. Mayer to tell you that if you wish to return to the lab, we assure you that the operation and removal will be properly conducted at this time, and at no cost to you.”

“You’ll make sure I die this time?” Grelich said.

“Well... Yes, that was your original intention in coming to MMT, was it not?”

“That was then and now is now.”

“Does that mean you’ve changed your mind?”

“I’m thinking it through again,” Grelich said. “Look, we’re not interested right now. We have a few matters to sort out first. We’ll get back to you.”

Grelich hung up. Ritchie was glad Grelich hadn’t immediately accepted this offer to correct his bungled suicide. He didn’t want to see Grelich die. But he wasn’t too happy that he was going to have to continue sharing a body with a near stranger.

Grelich said to Ritchie, “We need to find out what went wrong.”

“Of course,” Ritchie said.

The telephone rang again. This time Grelich picked it up.

Mr. Castleman?” a female voice asked.

“This is Grelich.”

“Mr. Grelich, this is Rachel Christiansen. I’m the regular receptionist at the MMT Company. I wanted to call and apologize for what I have done to you—not on purpose, I assure you—I never imagined—”

“What did happen?” Ritchie broke in.

“It’s such a complicated story I really think we should meet—that is, if you have the time... “

“I got the time!” Ritchie said. “Where? When?”

“There’s a sort of coffee shop near where I live. That’s in The Bronx, or maybe it’s upper Manhattan—I’m new in the city and I only know how to get to work and back.”

“What’s the place called?”