Chapter 4

Julian followed the woman into the entry hall. He looked around at the high vaulted ceiling. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw someone in a wheelchair disappear around a corner in the room off the hall.

“I’ll just be a minute,” she said and left.

Julian walked to the door of the room in which he thought he had seen someone. It was empty.

There was a table near the doorway. On it were several family photographs. Among them was one of a handsome, young man in a Marine dress uniform. Julian recognized Tate at once. He felt a thrill of excitement run through him. Tate as a Marine was as handsome as Julian remembered him when he was a student, maybe more so. Now, as then, however, he forced aside any feeling of attraction for the young man.

Mrs. Butler returned. “Here it is,” she said, handing Julian the key.

“You have a lovely home,” he said.

“Thank you. Much too big now that Frank is gone.”

“Mr. Butler?”

“Yes, he died last year. A stroke.”