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through the pages of his pocket notebook, things clicked into place. Of course, Kaye thought. I’ll be in a position to steer all of Graham’s friends to Gulliver’s. That’s why Marilyn is so anxious for me to be contented just now.

    He made a couple of phone calls and then glanced at his watch. “What I’d like to do this afternoon,” he said, “is take you to several different kinds of houses, and get an idea which things you like best. I doubt any of them are quite what you’re looking for, but...”

    “ Is that really necessary? It sounds like a waste of time.”

    “ If we stumble across your dream castle this afternoon, no one could be more pleased than I will be. But if we don’t, at least I’ll know where to start looking, and what not to show you. We may waste one afternoon, but we’ll save lots of time in the long run.”

    “ All right,” she said doubtfully.

    “ And I’m certain enough of my eventual success that I’ll even buy you lunch before we start,” he added. “I’ll take it out of my commission.”

    “ Is this another symptom of your humility?” she said.

    “ That’s right. Sales people don’t get anywhere without self-confidence.”

    “ Why don’t you bottle some of yours and sell it? You seem to have plenty.” Kaye bit her tongue. Brendan McKenna seemed to be having an unfortunate effect on her manners. “I am sorry, Mr. McKenna,” she said stiffly. “That was uncalled for.”

    He shrugged it off. “I think you’d better start calling me Brendan,” he suggested. “We’ll either be the best of buddies by the time this is over, or we’ll never want to see each other again, but we won’t be neutral.”

    “ I thought we’d already gone far past neutral.”

    “ After what happened Saturday night, perhaps you’re right. It might have been the luckiest car accident of my life. Do you realize that with the commission the seller will pay me when you buy a house, I can buy a whole new car?”

    “ I’m touched,” Kaye said crisply.

    “ I thought you would be. Maybe instead of fixing this one, I’ll just trade it in on a BMW.” He helped her into her coat.

    “ I really don’t think lunch is such a wonderful idea.”

    “ Believe me, if you don’t eat, by the end of the afternoon you’ll wish you had. Cindy,” he said to the gorgeous brunette as they crossed the big office. “Miss Reardon and I are going to the Wolfpack for lunch and then out to look at houses.”

    “ The Wolfpack?” Kaye asked. “That’s the name of a restaurant?”

    “ One of the best in town. I don’t know why they call it that—except that you’ll see big groups of people there gobbling away as if they’re protecting their kill. Let’s take my car.”

    “ I know, you’ll feel safer if I’m not driving.”

    “ I didn’t say that.”

    “ Don’t start being diplomatic now.” She stopped to inspect the dent. It looked even worse in daylight. “I really did put a crease into it, didn’t I?”

    He nodded. “The garage said it was lucky you weren’t in a real hurry, or I wouldn’t be driving it at all.” He unlocked the door. A battered teddy bear was occupying the passenger’s seat; he tossed it into the back.

    “ Oh, please! Now you’re really making me feel like a worm.”

    “ You should. You’ll probably have a new car every year from now on, while the rest of us drive old, battered ones.”

    She could, she decided. She hadn’t thought of things like that before. It was a pleasant thought.

    *****

    The Wolfpack turned out to be a little bar tucked into a corner of the downtown area. Outside the door, Brendan turned to her and said, “Perhaps I should have asked if you’re the quiche and salad type. If so, we’d better go somewhere else. The Wolfpack leans to a heartier sort of fare.”

    “ How hearty?” Kaye asked doubtfully.

    “ Reubens, submarines, hot roast beef with horseradish.”

    “ Oh, the kind of thing you can’t eat if