Rodney listened to his contact, his face growing even darker and in contrast, his knuckles turned white on his phone. Constance watched the exchange and she cautiously felt for the car door handle.

"I'll kill him!" He slammed his phone down. "I don't care about money anymore, I'm just going to find him and kill him!"

"Dare I ask what happened?"

Through a tirade of invective and spittle, Rodney explained about the two phone calls and the outcome. He hammered the steering wheel, using every profanity he knew.

Constance was witnessing a Rodney Riddler she never knew existed and began casting about for alternatives to continuing their quest. She knew she could depend on Humphrey for help; their relationship had often privately ventured beyond business. Separating herself from this frightening new Rodney would require some cautious manoeuvring.

"What can you do now? You don't even know where he is."

Rodney sat back and closed his eyes. "If I just made a deal for the amount of money he did, knowing I had screwed the man who did the same to my wife and tried to do it to me as well . . . I'd go and flaunt my victory in his face."

"You mean Percy Rudman?"

"I do."

"Look, Rodney. I'm not up to-- you seem to want a little more uhm, closure than I find necessary. I'll go and see Humphrey and find out what he thinks about all this. Without any papers signed, he may have a way of getting a settlement for part of the money Patton is getting for the sale."

"You do that, meanwhile I'm going to visit Rudman."

********

"Your private line, sir."

Percy picked up the phone and growled a greeting.

"Percy? Harmon Lassiter here, having a bad day? Here's some good news then, we own the last villa . . . the Patton property."

"Huh?"

"It cost us but now we can move right ahead with the project."

"Huh . . . cost us . . . who . . .?"

"Patton himself. Called up gave us his offer. It was tough but better than losing money sitting around. We'll make it back easily."

"Patton sold you the villa?"

"That's what I said. So get your hard hat on, Percy, we're starting to build. Gotta hang up. Places to go, people to see."

Lillian stood and approached Percy as he hung up and covered his face with his hands.

"Did you say that Mathew sold the villa?"

"He sold it straight to the Blue Shoals board . . ."

"But he can't! The divorce!"

Percy turned, his face creased in anger. "You mean the divorce that you failed to get the papers signed for? The divorce that has had me chasing all over the city?"

"You never left your office-- well, just that once."

He let out a strangled cry and marched to the door. "Out, Lillian. Out now!" He pulled the door open and leaped back as Rodney strode in.

"I tried to stop him, Mr. Rudman but he--" The door slammed in Janet's face.

"Where is he?"

"What the hell . . ."

"I said, where is he?"

"Who, for Christ sake?"

"Her husband. Patton."

Lillian stumbled toward a chair and collapsed, moaning.

"How the hell should I know? What right do you have barging in here demanding answers."

"Because I'm gonna throttle the little bastard when I get my hands on him and wring every penny he owes me out of his scrawny hide."

Lillian moaned again.

"Owes you? You mean the money your employer, Borden is paying you?"

"Last time we met you said I was working for you." Rodney's nostrils flared.

Percy moved around his desk and grabbed his putter. "Don't try anything or I'll sink you with one shot."

Rodney stepped forward and caught the putter shaft mid swing. He yanked it out of Percy's hand and bent it double, dropping it on the desk.

"If I don't find him, I'll be back to see you."

Lillian fainted. Percy stared in shock at his putter and Rodney left.

"Sir, your private line."

********

Humphrey was sitting up, pillows plumped, only one intravenous tube and a large glass with pale yellow liquid in his hand. Constance smiled and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"You look like you're feeling better."

"I am, I am. Apparently it was a combination of a drop in blood pressure and some kind of vertigo. I think it was trying to deal with Percy." He smiled and sipped the drink.

"About that . . . apparently Patton approached Blue Shoals directly and made a deal for the villa."

"I'll be damned! How did that come about?"

"We had him together with his wife and the papers and out of the blue he threatened to burn them, he had a lighter. It's a bit complicated. Anyway, he and his wife left and as they did he lit the papers and tossed them down. Rodney and I tried to save them but then we realized they wouldn't be acceptable anyway." She sat on the edge of the bed and fiddled with the buzzer cord.

"Mathew showed some spunk there. And then he called Blue Shoals?" She nodded. "Well, they won't waste a minute getting the papers in order for a sale; I think Percy was outfoxed. What did he say?"

"I don't know. I came here and Rodney went to see him."

Humphrey's straw made a sizzling noise as he finished his drink and handed the glass to her to put on the table.

"I'd pay to see that meeting."

"I'm a little worried. I've never seen Rodney so angry, I didn't recognize him, Humph."

"Hmm, not good. Can't be connected to us though, certainly not directly in this case."

"If something happened it would come out he worked for you."

"Not really, dear. While I would have to say I knew him it was you I gave the information to regarding the divorce papers."

She stared at him, calculating the odds of a, her word against his word scenario.

"What can we do? The divorce isn't valid yet. Can't his wife apply for a settlement . . . maybe get a chunk of the money?"

Humphrey leaned back into his pillows and pursed his lips. "Yes, that is a good possibility. He can't hide the money because the sale will be public record. I would need to see Lillian again."

"When?"

"I have to get out of here first, Constance."

"Oh, of course. When, do you think?"

He patted her hand and the buzzer went off.

"Excuse me, miss, this is a recovery room for patients, not a business office." The nurse swept into the room, adjusting the bed curtain and running a shrewd eye over the tube and bags plugged into Humphrey. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave. We need to bathe and clean the patient."

"Hang in there, Humphrey." Constance tapped his foot as she left.

********

Mathew finished all the packing he had begun earlier. It was strange being alone in his house, usually Lillian was home when he was there, except for her girl's nights out and then he went to the hotel bar anyway. He checked all the drawers again and the cupboard and dragged his box from under the bed.

He sorted through it again and put a couple of items in his bag, leaving the rest. A final run through the other rooms, he went downstairs and checked all the mail on the desk, taking all the bills with him and leaving the junk. There was nothing else he really cared about; most of the stuff was Lillian's or things she had purchased for the house.

He made sure again he had all the business papers he would need then he locked up, loaded the car and drove off. This time he would get a proper hotel room and actually enjoy it without fear of discovery.

********

"Hello?" Percy held up his ruined putter and felt his eyes moisten.

"Percy? Mathew Patton here. Redundant Mathew, remember?"

". . . Patton? . . . PATTON!"

"Ah, you do remember. Well I called to let you know that I saved you the trouble of buying the villa from Lillian. I sold it to your board at Blue Shoals for three times its value!"

"PATTON!"

"No need to thank me, Percy it was an absolute pleasure. Oh and tell Lillian I'll mail her my house keys, I've taken all I want."

"PATTON!"