'Who did?'

'Valentin, of course.'

'Valentin?'

'He's gone,' Dorothea said. 'Just disappeared.' Shewas shaking. 'I heard you call out, and came in hereto find you on the floor. I thought you were going tochoke.'

'It's all right,' said the man, 'everything is in ordernow.'

'Yes,' said Dorothea, clearly reassured by his blandsmile. 'This is the lawyer I was telling you about, Harry.Mr Butterfield.'

Harry wiped his mouth. 'Please to meet you,' hesaid.

'Why don't we all go downstairs?' Butterfield said.'And I can pay Mr D'Amour what he's due.'

'It's all right,' Harry said, 'I never take my feeuntil the job's done.'

'But it is done,' Butterfield said. 'Your services are nolonger required here.'

Harry threw a glance at Dorothea. She was pluckinga withered anthurium from an otherwise healthy spray.

'I was contracted to stay with the body -'

'The arrangements for the disposal of Swann's bodyhave been made,' Butterfield returned. His courtesy wasonly just intact. 'Isn't that right, Dorothea?'

'It's the middle of the night,' Harry protested. 'Youwon't get a cremation until tomorrow morning at theearliest.'

Thank you for your help,' Dorothea said. 'But I'msure everything will be fine now that Mr Butterfield hasarrived. Just fine.'

Butterfield turned to his companion.

'Why don't you go out and find a cab for MrD'Amour?' he said. Then, looking at Harry: 'We don'twant you walking the streets, do we?'

All the way downstairs, and in the hallway as Butterfieldpaid him off, Harry was willing Dorothea to contradictthe lawyer and tell him she wanted Harry to stay. Butshe didn't even offer him a word of farewell as he wasushered out of the house. The two hundred dollarshe'd been given were, of course, more than adequaterecompense for the few hours of idleness he'd spentthere, but he would happily have burned all the bills