Final Turn: A story of adventure, intrigue and suspense. Read Free Page B

the Army, Colonel Josef Grawitz. His family has been in here for several generations. Many of the men had served in the military in England and Canada." Sam returned her papers into several brown envelopes and curled up in her chair to face Roger. She had selected this kind of work with a thorough understanding of herself and her needs. Then she had made it work. Roger had a lot more admiration for self-made people than those who served their time in a corporate cubicle pushing someone else's paper while getting their own ulcer. 
    "Does that make it tougher? I mean, it’s probably harder to trace people in the military, particularly higher ups who might have been involved in secret activities." He was thinking of Lindquist.
    "It might be, but the military does keep good records on their people. We have a good museum here with a library. I've already called and plan to meet with the curator. Colonel Grawitz himself is dead. He died shortly after the Austrian nobleman did, but the inheritance should go to his estate. His widow, Lady Grawitz no less, is my client." Sam had a serenity and purpose about her that came to the surface easily. Roger enjoyed listening to her. 
    "I was over to see Trudy earlier. We talked a bit about the investment club. She said that Loretta would be there tonight. Maybe we can probe her a bit to see what the prospects are." Trudy was Jack Fischer's partner. About a year ago Sam had convinced Roger that they should make some investments together. If nothing else, she saw it as something they might as well do together as separately. Besides, she didn't really have enough money on her own. Neither did Roger. They had pooled their money and joined a club organized by one of Jack's friends. The club had invested in some real estate on the west coast, a tract of land that could increase in value substantially once it was zoned for sub-division. So far all it had done was given them a common point for concern. Roger was still hopeful that this investment would work out but he was skeptical of dealing with a club.
    "Does anyone know what's happened to our application to sub-divide?" Roger asked her.
    "That's what everyone is hoping Loretta will know. She just came back from a trip to her company's office in the area. Apparently, she went in to see the local municipal people and asked about the application. On behalf of the investment club." She saw a look on Roger's face that betrayed his own lack of confidence in that source and added, "I know Loretta is just the real estate agent but she was there so it could do no harm."
    "We're going to need more than someone not doing harm to get this thing off the ground. Until that property can be sub-divided our money is tied up." Roger knew if he went further into his opinion of the real estate business he would begin to sound cynical to Sam. "I suppose we should just resign ourselves to this as a long term investment, we're both stuck with it for a while."
    Sam gave him a questioning look. She wondered whether he thought that was good or bad, and she did not mean from the financial standpoint.

CHAPTER TWO
     
     
    The house stood near the center of the block. It was magnificent with its sandstone walls, copper eaves troughs and a fieldstone chimney that stood at least ten feet taller than the slate roof. Nearly the entire block was taken up with cars, from Volkswagens to Jaguars. Jack had invited everyone in the firm and it seemed that most had come. Sam pulled up to the right side of the triple driveway and let Roger out to move the wheelbarrow. That was Jack's way of reserving a spot for them next his own Corvette. As they stepped towards the door, Sam could hear voices from the patio behind the house. They came with a strained tone, yet to be lubricated by time, conversation and liquor. It was a Monday night but it was also the company's tenth anniversary. Jack had offered to host a get together but had refused to do it on the weekend. Weekends were for