get that drink at the Porcellian. What would you like?'
Thaddeus Cohen declined the offer. 'I don't drink,' he said, blinking in the same disarming way that William recalled so well. '... and I'm afraid I'm now an unabashed capitalist, too.'
He turned out to have his fathers head on his shoulders mentally as well as physically, and had clearly briefed himself on the Rosnovski - Osborne file to the finest detail before he faced William. William explained exactly what he now required.
'An immediate report and a further updated one every three months as in the past. Secrecy is still of paramount importance.' he said, 'but I want every fact you can lay your hands on. Why is Abel Rosnovski buying the bank's sham? Does he still feel I am responsible for Davis Leroy's death? Is he continuing his battle with Kane and Cabot even now that they are part of Lester's? What role does Henry Osborne play in all of this? Would a meeting between myself and Rosncvvski help, especially if I tell him that it was the bank, not I who refused to suppoz - t the Richmond Group?'
Thaddeus Cohen's pen was scratching away as furiously as his father's had before him.
'All these questions must be answered as quickly as possible so that I can decide if it's necessary to brief my board!
Thaddeus Cohen gave his father's shy smile as he 9hut his briefcase. 'I'm sorry that you should be troubled in this way while you are still convalescing. I'll be back to you as soon as I can ascertain the facts.'
He paused at the door. 'I admire greatly what you did at Remagen.'
William recovered his sense of well - being and vigour rapidly in the following months, and the scars on his face and chest faded into relative insignificance. At night Kate would sit up with him until he fell asleep and whisper, 'Thank God you were spared! The terrible headaches and periods of amnesia grew to be d - iings of the past, and the strength returned to his right arm. Kate would not allow him to return to work until they had taken a long and relaxing cruise in the - West Indies.
William relaxed with Kate more than at any time since their two weeks together in London. She revelled in the fact that there were no banks on the ship for him to do business with, although she feared if they stayed on board another week - William would have acquired the floating vessel as one of Lester's latest assets, redrganising the crew, routes, timings and even the way they sailed 'the boae, as William insisted on called the great liner. He was tanned and restless once the ship docked in New York Harbour, and Kate could not dissuade him from. returning immediately to the bank.
He soon became deeply involved again in Lesters problems. A new breed of men, toughened by war, enterprising and fast - moving, seemed to be running America's modem banks, under the watchful eye of President Tniman, the man who had won, a surprise victory for a second term in the White House after the world had been informed that Dewey was certain to win the election. As if not satisfied with their prediction, the Chicago Tribune went on to anYaounce that Dewey had actually won the election, but it was Harry S. Truman who remained in the White House. William knew very little about the diminutive ex - senator from Missouri, except what he read in the newspapers, and as a staunch Republican, he hoped that his party would find the right man to lead them into the 1952 campaign.
The first report came in from Thaddeus Cohen; Abel Rosnovski was still looking for shares in Lester's bank and had approached all the other benefactors of the will but only one agreement had been concluded. Susan Lester had refused to see William's lawyer when he approached her, so he was unable to discover why she had sold her six per cent. All he could ascertain was that she had no financial reason for doing so. 'Hell hath no fury,' mumbled William.
The document was admirably comprehensive.
Henry Osborne, it seemed, had been appointed a director of the Baron Group in May of 1947, with special responsibility for the Lester's account. More importantly, Abel Rosnovski secured Susan Lester's shares without it being possible to trace the acquisition back to either him or to Osborne.
Rosnovski now owned six per cent of Lester's Bank and appeared to