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Cardynge made a jerky sort of shrug. “Never mind the details,” he said. “I soon learned she was a bitch on wheels. At first, after seeing what happened to our joint checking account, I thought she was simply extravagant. But what she said, and did, when I tried to put the brakes on her—! Now I’m mortally certain she didn’t actually spend most of the money, but socked it away somewhere. I also know she had lovers. She taunted me with that, at the end.

“Before then she drove Bayard out. You can guess how many little ways there are to make a proud, sensitive young man unwelcome in his own father’s house. Finally he exploded and told the truth about her, to both our faces. I still felt honor bound to defend her, at least to the extent of telling him to shut up or leave. ‘Very well, I’ll go/ he said, and that was the last I saw of him. Four months back. He simply left town.”

“Have you heard anything from him since?” Yamamura asked.

“A short letter from Seattle, some while ago,” Cardynge finished his cigarette and extracted a

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The Unicorn Trade

fresh one. “Obviously trying to mend his friendship with me, if not her. He only said he was okay, but the job he’d found was a poor one. He’d heard of better possibilities elsewhere, so he was going to go have a look and he’d write again when he was settled. I haven’t heard yet. I tried to get his current address from his draft board, but they said they weren’t allowed to release any such information. So I came to you.”

“I see.” Yamamura drew on his pipe. “Don’t worry too much, Mr. Cardynge. He sounds like a good, steady kid, who’ll land on his feet.”

“Uh-huh. But I must locate him. You see, Lisette and I separated month before last. Not formally. We . .. we’ve even seen each other on occasion. She can still be lovely in every way, when she cares to. I’ve been sending her money, quite a decent sum. But she says she wants to come back.”

“Do you want her yourself?”

“No. It’s a fearful temptation, but I’m too well aware of what the end result would be. So she told me yesterday, if I didn’t take her back, she’d file for divorce. And you know what a woman can do to a man in this state.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m quite prepared to make a reasonable settlement,” Cardynge said. “A man ought to pay for his mistakes. But I’ll be damned if I’ll turn over so much to her that it ruins the business my son was going to inherit.”

“Um-m-m … are you sure he really wants to?”

“I am. He was majoring in business adminis-

DEAD PHONE

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tration on that account. But your question’s a very natural one, though, which is also bound to occur to the courts. If Bayard isn’t here at the trial, it won’t seem as if he has much interest that needs protection. Also, he’s the, main witness to prove the, the mental cruelty wasn’t mine. At least, not entirely mine—I think.” Cardynge gestured savagely with his cigarette. “All right, I married a girl young enough to be my daughter. We look at life differently. But I tried to please her.”

Yamamura liked him for the admission.

“I’ve no proof about the lovers,” Cardynge said, “except what she told me herself in our last fight. And, well, indications. You know. Never mind, I won’t ask anyone to poke into that. Lisette was nearly always charming in company. And I’m not given to weeping on my friends’ shoulders. So, as I say, we need Bayard’s testimony. If there’s to be any kind of justice done. In fact, if we can get him back before the trial, I’m sure she’ll pull in her horns. The whole wretched business can be settled quietly, no headlines, no—You understand?”

“I believe so.” Yamamura considered him a while before asking gently, “You’re still in love with her, aren’t you?”

Cardynge reddened. Yamamura wondered if he was going to get up and walk out. But he slumped and said, “If so, I’ll get over it. Will you take the case?”