‘There is no regulation – Security Exchange Commission or otherwise – requiring that they should go through general audit. Everything was perfectly legal.’

Carver decided that Northcote wasn’t sufficiently outraged – offended – at his having gone into a safe to which he officially had no right: wasn’t even asking the proper questions. ‘All three are offshore.’

‘Which is declared. There is no contravention of any regulation.’

‘They’ve all grown, since their formation all those years ago.’

‘Well-run – well-audited and well-accounted companies – all grow and return profits.’

‘Mulder Inc. has a seven hundred and fifty million dollar entertainment investment, worldwide. Encomp has five hundred and fifty million dollars of utilities supply portfolios, again worldwide. Innsflow International is diversified into publishing, hotels and entertainment in Europe, the Far East and even Russia.’

‘You’ve spent a lot of time checking on me.’ There was still no outrage.

‘I did check, George. In-house. Called them up, on the computer. They’re on the client list. But that’s all, just listed as names and holdings. There aren’t any details, apart from that.’

‘They’re offshore. There don’t need to be computer records – any records – on file for offshore countries.’

Carver sighed heavily, feeling like an irritating fly bouncing from impenetrable window to impenetrable window. ‘You’re a legend on Wall Street, George. I want it to stay that way. You deserve for it to stay that way.’

‘I’m still waiting for you to make your point.’

‘The figures don’t add up, not the ones you left in your open safe. They do, on what’s been submitted by their accountants for independent audit by you. And which you’ve signed off. But they don’t if they’re audited properly. You’ve legally attested their accuracy. And by doing so exposed this firm, your firm, to criminal investigation! You’ve sanctioned a massive profit-inflating operation. On a scale that I haven’t been able yet to calculate: am frightened to calculate. They’re being floated, right? Blown up to suck in the punters: open at ten, finish the week at two hundred, insider traders getting out with enough to buy the villa in the Caribbean or South of France before the bubble pops.’