up its European department but Florentyna begged him to join her when she no longer found it possible to control the finances herself. Abel, you'll have to face the fact that their marriage is a success. I know it's hard for you to stomach, but why don't you climb down off your high horse and meet the boy?'
'You're my closest friend, George. No one else in the world would dare to speak to me like that. So no one knows better than you why I can~t climb down, not until that bastard Kane shows he is willing to meet me half way, but until then, I won't crawl again while he's still alive to watch me.'
What if you were to die first, Abel? You're exactly the same age.'
Then Id lose and Florentyna, inherits everything!
'You told me she wouldn't get a thing. You were going to change your will in favour of your grandson!
'I couldn't do it, George. When the time came to sign the documents, I just couldn't do it. What the hell, that damned grandson is going to end up with both our fortunes in the end.'
Abel removed a wallet from his inside pocket, shuffled through several old pictures of Florentyna and took out a new one of his grandson, which he proffered to George.
'Good - looking little boy.' said George.
'Sure is,' said Abel. 'The spitting image of his mother!
George laughed. 'You never give up, do you, Abel?'
'What do you think they call him?'
'What do you mean?' said George. 'You know very well what his name is.'
'I mean what do you think they actually call him?'
'How should I know?'said George.
'Find out,' said Abel. 'I care.'
'How am I meant to do that?' said George. 'Have someone follow them while they're pushing the pram around Golden Gate Park? You left clear instructions that Florentyna must never find out that you're still taking an interest in her or the Kane boy.'
'nat reminds me, I still have a little matter to settle with his father,' said Abel.
'What are you going to do about the Lester shares?' asked George. 'Because Peter Parfitt has been showing more interest in selling his two per cent lately, and I wouldn't trust Henry with the negotiations. With those two working on the sale, everybody will be in on the deal except you.'
'I'm doing nothing. Much as I hate Kane, I don't want any trouble with him until we know if Kennedy has won the election. So I'm leaving the whole situation dormant for the moment. If Kennedy fails, I'll buy Parfitt's two per cent and go ahead with the plan that we've already discussed. And don't worry your - self about Henry; I've already taken him off the Kane file. From now on I'm handling that myself.'
'I do worry, Abel. I know he's in debt again to half the bookmakers in Chicago, and I wouldn't be surprised if he arrived in New York on the scrounge any minute now.'
'Henry won't be coming here. I made the situation very clear last time I saw him that he wouldn't get another dime out of me. If he does come begging, he'll only lose his seat on the board and with it his only source of income!
'rhat worries me even more,' said George. Tees aay he took it on himself to go to Kane direct for the money.'
'Not possible, George. Henry is the one man alive who hates Kane even more than I do, and not without reason.'
'How can you be so sure of that?'
'William Kanes mother was Henrys second wife,' said Abel, 'and young William, aged only sixteen, threw him out of hisown home.'
'Good God, how did you come across that piece of information?'
'Mere's nothing I don't know about William Kane.' said Abel. 'Or Henry for that matter. Absolutely nothing - from the fact that we started life on the same day, and I'd be willing to bet my good leg theres nothing he doeset know about me so we have to be circumspect for the time being, but you need have no fear of Henry turning stool pigeon. He'd die before he had to adn - At his real name was Vittorio Tosna and he once served a jail sentence!
~Good God - does Henry realise you know all this?'
'No, he doesn't. I've kept it to myself for years always believing, George, that if you think a man might threaten you at some time then you should keep a little more up your sleeve than your arm. I've never trusted