Her husband entered the room as she was talking. He waited until the call was completed, then burst out, "You did invite her, then?"

Min looked up, defiantly. "Yes, I did."

Helmut von Schreiber frowned. His china-blue eyes darkened. "After all my warnings? Minna, Elizabeth could pull this house of cards down around our ears. By the end of the week, you will regret that invitation as you have never regretted anything in your life."

Elizabeth decided to get her call to the district attorney over with immediately. William Murphy was obviously glad to hear from her. "Miss Lange, I just started to sweat you out."

"I told you I'd be back today. I wouldn't have expected to find you in on Saturday."

"There's a lot of work. We definitely go to trial on September eighth."

"I read that."

"I'll need to review your testimony with you so it will be fresh in your mind."

"It's never not been in my mind," Elizabeth said.

"I understand. But I have to discuss the kind of questions the defense attorney will ask you. I suggest you come in on Monday for several hours and then let's plan to have long sessions next weekend. You will be around?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning," she told him. "Can't we talk about everything on Friday?"

She was dismayed at the answer. "I'd rather have one preliminary meeting. It's only three o'clock. You could be down here in a cab in fifteen minutes."

Reluctantly she agreed. Glancing at Sammy's letter, she decided to wait until she came back to read it. At least it would be something to look forward to. Showering quickly, she twisted her hair into a topknot and put on a blue cotton jumpsuit and sandals.

Half an hour later, she was sitting across from the assistant district attorney in his crowded office. The furniture consisted of his desk, three chairs and a row of battleship-gray steel files. There were expandable cardboard files piled on his desk, on the floor and on top of the metal cabinets. William Murphy seemed unaware of the messiness of his work space-or else, Elizabeth thought, he had finally come to terms with what could not be changed.