I trust Arthur Hammermill as I would a member of my own firm."
Reuben rolled his eyes.
"The fact is, a potential heir has turned up, but you hold on while I explain. Seems Felix Nideck - this is the man who disappeared, you understand...."
"Yes, I know."
"Well, this Felix Nideck had an illegitimate son, name of Felix Nideck, just like his father, and he,s turned up here in San Francisco, and Reuben, just hold on now - ."
Reuben was stunned.
"Simon, I have not said a word."
"Well, maybe I,m doing the worrying for you, and that of course is my job. Well, this man says he,s making no claim whatsoever on the estate, I mean none, and ... it is not at all clear that he could make a claim, not at all, the documents he,s presented could easily be forgeries, and he has no ,interest,, we,re told, in taking a DNA test to prove affinity - ."
"Interesting," said Reuben.
"Well, it,s more than interesting," said Simon. "It,s suspicious. But the point is, Reuben, he,s eager to meet with you here or at the offices of Baker, Hammermill, it,s our call on that, and I say here, though there would be fine. Because he wants to talk to you about the house and things which his father might have left there when he disappeared."
"Really. Does he know anything about how or why Felix Nideck disappeared?"
"Nothing. He can add nothing to the investigation. That,s the word from Arthur. No, nothing there at all. Hasn,t heard from his father in all this time. No, that question has not been reopened at all."
"Interesting," said Reuben. "Well, how does anyone know that this man is what he says he is?"
"Family resemblance, Reuben, positively uncanny. Arthur knew Felix Nideck, and he says this man is so like him that there can be no doubt."
"Interesting."
"Now, Reuben, I,ve met this man myself, met him this afternoon with Arthur, and he is quite a remarkable man, quite the raconteur, really. I,d say he was a southern gentleman if I didn,t know otherwise. He was born and educated in England but he doesn,t have the British accent, no, not at all, I was never able to place his accent, he does have one, but he is a striking individual, and a very gracious individual, too. And he assures me, Reuben, that he is not mounting any claim on Ms. Nideck,s estate, but that he only wants this meeting - to discuss his father,s effects."
"And Arthur Hammermill didn,t know this man existed?" asked Reuben.
"Arthur Hammermill is flabbergasted," said Simon. "You know how Baker, Hammermill has searched for Felix Nideck and for anyone who might have been connected with him in any way."
"How old is this man?"
"Oh, forty, forty-five. Let me see. Forty-five, born in 1966, London. Looks a good deal younger, actually. He has dual citizenship, apparently, British and American, lived all over the world."
"Forty-five. Hmmmm."
"Well, Reuben, I don,t see why that matters. What matters here, Reuben, is that there is no will acknowledging his existence, but of course if he were to take a DNA test and establish affinity, well, he might tie up the estate at considerable expense, but it is not at all certain he would be successful - ."
"He says he wants his father,s personal effects?"
"Some of them, Reuben, some of them. He hasn,t been too forthcoming. He wants a meeting with you. He seems quite well informed about the whole situation. He was in Paris when Marchent,s unfortunate death made the news."
"I see."
"Of course, he,s in a hurry. Everybody today is in a hurry. He,s at the Clift Hotel here and he is asking to meet with you as soon as you can come down. Seems he hasn,t very much time. He has to be somewhere. Well, I said I would do what I could."
Which means what, Reuben thought, that he means to lure me away from this house at a specific time, and for a specific time, so that he can enter it and clear out everything that belonged to Felix - and he was more than likely Felix. Oh, he was most certainly Felix, wasn,t he? Why doesn,t he just come here and make himself known?
"All right," Reuben said, "I,ll meet with him. I can meet with him tomorrow at one p.m. You know it,s a four-hour drive from here, Simon. I can call you to confirm before I get on the road."
"Oh, that,s no problem, he,s already indicated he,ll be available all day tomorrow. He,ll be