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“At home, unfortunately. My home.”
“Christ, no!”
“You’ve met Mommy. Mommy thinks you should come to dinner, so you’re coming to dinner. You know what she’s like.”
“Yeah, I know what she’s like. Penny’s mother is just like her. And so is Chad’s mother. And Daffy’s. Bennington apparently has a required course in how to be a three-star bitch.”
“Right now, we can’t afford to antagonize her, Matt.”
“And afterward?”
“Mommy had a motherly word of advice for me when she telephoned to tell me we’re having dinner at the house. After dinner, when you are sure to suggest we go to the club or someplace, I’m to politely turn you down. Leave them wanting more, Mommy said. The worst thing a girl can do when she’s really interested in a boy is appear too interested.”
“Christ! Why do I have this sickening feeling you’re dead serious?”
“Because I am. What do you want me to do?”
Matt shrugged in annoyed helplessness.
“I could get off an hour early,” Susan said, her fresh blush telling him he had correctly interpreted what she meant. “If you could.”
“I don’t know,” Matt said doubtfully. “They’re pretty strict, at the bank, about people taking off before the books are balanced to the last penny.”
“You bastard!”
“How about an hour and a half early? For that matter, how about taking the afternoon off?”
Shit, what if she says yes? I’ve got to see Davis about what box Calhoun went into.
“Maybe a little more than an hour. But not much,” Susan said seriously.
“I’ll leave a candle burning in the window,” Matt said.
“My girl said you wanted to see me, Matt?” Mr. James C. Chase said as he came into Matt’s borrowed office two minutes after Matt returned from lunch.
“Yes, sir,” Matt said and quickly decided the way to handle Chase was to tell him exactly what he wanted. “At eleven fifty-four this morning, one of the men we’re interested in went into the safe-deposit section—”
“You recognized him?”
“Yes, sir. But none of the names on my list of his relatives and acquaintances matches any of the names of your safe-deposit-box holders.”
“And you would like me to find out what box he went in, without drawing attention to you?”
“Yes, sir, that’s exactly what I hoped you could do for me,” Matt said.
“I’ll be right back,” Mr. Chase said and walked out of the office.
Well, I couldn’t ask for anything more than that, could I?
Chase came back into Matt’s office a few minutes later, wearing a look of confusion.
“Matt, are you sure of the time?”
“Yes, sir.”
“According to Adelaide’s records—”
“Adelaide?”
