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He suffered a stroke. just dropped dead."

"In the saddle?" Whittaker asked lightly.

Canidy, embarrassed, did not reply. "Jesus," Whittaker said.

"That's only supposed to happen in a dirty joke."

"Cynthia called Donovan at the White House. He couldn't leave, so he sent Captain Doug lass and the chief. They took care of things, so there was no scandal.

I don't think your aunt knows."

" How did they 'take care of things'?" Whittaker asked. "We fixed it so the body was found in his shower," Chief Ellis said. "You carried his body from her apartment to his room?" Whittaker asked. "Yes, Sir," Ellis said. "Thank you," Whittaker said, And then, a moment later, he asked, "How tight a secret is this?"

"It's known only to the people in this car, plus, of course, Colonel Donovan and Miss Chenowith," Captain Doug lass said, "How did you find out?" Whittaker asked Canidy. "I was afraid you'd ask that," Canidy said.

"How did you?"

"I've had several run-ins with Cynthia," Canidy said.

"It came out during one of them."

"What kind of run-ins?" Whittaker asked. "Does it matter?" Canidy asked.

"You put the make on her?" Whittaker asked.

"You sonofabitch! "No," Canidy said.

"I didn't put the make on her."

"Then what?" Whittaker asked angrily. "Your beloved, Jimmy, almost got me killed," Canidy said. "How?"

"Stop right there, Canidy!" Doug lass said. "I want to know what the hell he's talking about!" Whittaker said. "I'm sorry, that's out of the question."

"I was somewhere," Canidy said.

"Doing something. And the end of the game was when they sent a submarine to pick us up."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"When we reached the submarine, the skipper said he was sorry as hell, but he had orders to keep us from coming aboard. "By force of arms if necessary' is the way he put it."

"Who are'we'and'us'?" Whittaker asked.

"No, Canidy!" Doug lass said.

"Don't even start into that." Canidy raised his hand in a gesture meant to assure Captain Doug lass that he wasn't going to violate security, and then went on: "At the time, I thought somebody else was responsible for giving that order," Canidy said.

"I was going to feed him his balls the next time I saw him. So Captain Doug lass decided he had better tell me who had really made the decision. It wasn't who I thought it was, it was Cynthia."

"Cynthia?

She's involved in whatever it is you're doing?"

"Donovan was so impressed with the way she handled herself-when Chesly died, I mean-that he gave her a job," Canidy said. "Doing what?"

Whittaker asked. "No, Canidy," Captain Doug lass said again.

"Be very careful."