“But we’ll go into the reasons for that later. After we recover what my husband wants from the plane, you sail us to a spot on the coast of a Central American country and land us. That’s all.”

“What Central American—” I started to ask, and then stopped. The vagueness had been intentional. “I land you? What about the boat?”

“The boat is yours. Plus five thousand dollars.”

I whistled softly. There was nothing cheap about this deal. Then two thoughts hit me at exactly the same time like two slugs of Scotch. The boat is yours was one of them, and the other was Ballerina. It was like hearing somebody had left you a million.

“Wait,” I said eagerly. “How much do you plan to spend for a boat?”

“Could we get an adequate one for ten thousand?”

“Yes,” I said. I considered swiftly. The last I’d heard they were still asking twelve thousand for Ballerina, but they might go for an offer of ten cash. Sure they would. And if not I’d add the rest myself out of the five thousand.

Then I thought of something else. “You mean, I just land you on the coast of this country, whatever it is, and that’s it? You realize, don’t you, that without papers you’ll be picked up and deported inside a week?”

“That part is all taken care of,” she said.

It was none of my business. She could even say that nicely.

We were both silent for a moment. I turned, and she was watching me. “Well?” she asked. “What do you think?”

Manning of the Ballerina, I thought. I could see the lines of her. But, still, what about this? I didn’t know anything.

“Look,” I asked, “this whatever-it-is in the plane. Does it belong to your husband?”

She nodded. “It’s his.”

“Which is his real name? Wayne or Macaulay?”

“Macaulay,” she said simply. “You don’t make it as easy for them as looking you up in the telephone book.”

“Who is Tweed Jacket?”

“His name is Barclay. You might call him a killer, though I prefer executioner. It describes his attitude as well as his profession.”

“And your husband is running from him?”

“Barclay’s only one of them. Running, yes. In the past three months we’ve lived in New York, San Francisco, Denver, and Sanport.”

“Couldn’t he get police protection?”

“I suppose so. But it isn’t much of a way to live.”

I still hesitated, without knowing why.