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the gift tax might have become even worse if I had waited.
    â€œSo I set up a trust for Marina and her half-brother, Gino Facini—that’s Gretchen’s son by her first marriage. I paid a huge gift tax, but I wanted to get them established so they wouldn’t be bothering me for money every minute of the day. I put in a total of thirty million dollars. They received three million dollars when they became twenty-one—two for Marina and one for Gino—another three million dollars when they became twenty-five, and then the balance, whatever it might be—and it will be considerable, thanks to some shrewd investments—when they’re thirty. One-third to Gino, two-thirds to Marina.”
    â€œMay I ask why the different amounts to the two of them?” Cynthia queried.
    â€œThat’s easy. Marina is my daughter. My biological daughter. Gino was acquired. He was part of the deal that came with Gretchen. Not my biological son.
    â€œI wanted them both to work, even though I made them independently wealthy. That’s been okay as far as Marina’s concerned, but unfortunately not with Gino.”
    â€œWhat’s the problem?” Cynthia asked.
    â€œHe seems allergic to work. And once he got his installment at twenty-one, he stopped speaking to me. I haven’t talked to him in years.”
    â€œWhere is he?”
    â€œI don’t know, Reuben. He calls himself an actor, or at least he did. Last I heard, he was right here in New York.”
    â€œWhy are you on the outs with him?”
    â€œI’m really not sure. I’m afraid we were strangers to each other, and he apparently resented his mother’s marrying me. Also, he showed no interest in coming into CDF, so I guess I showed little interest in him. In addition to everything else—and most outrageous of all—he blamed me for his mother’s suicide. Most unfairly, given her mental condition. He also had a nasty cocaine habit, you know. Picked it up at his fraternity in college. I dreaded the thought that he’d put his share of the trust moneys right up his nose. But last I knew, he was clean after a stay at Hazelden.”
    â€œHave you ever thought of hiring a detective to find him?”
    â€œNo,” Courtland said coldly, his look hardening. “I’ve done all I need to do for that boy. He’s old history, as far as I’m concerned. A person I want nothing more to do with.”
    â€œBut Marina continues to work, even though she’s now rich?”
    â€œYes, thank goodness. And she’s very wise about money. As far as I know, her only real expense has been purchasing her condominium, which she did when she became an editor. Pretty fancy place in one of those new buildings up your way. Something called the Ladbroke.”
    â€œThe Ladbroke?” Cynthia asked. “Isn’t that where—”
    Reuben gave her a look and cut her off. “Yes, it’s a block from where we live.”
    â€œYou know, Dan, you’re quite right about this place. As always, the crab cakes were excellent,” Reuben said rather loudly, trying to divert attention from Cynthia’s aborted question.
    The trio decided to forgo both dessert and coffee.
    â€œWhat do I do now, Reuben?” Courtland asked as he waited for the check.
    â€œI think we should pay a visit to that new apartment. And, with your permission, I’ll ask a police officer I know quite well to join us. It may be the smoothest way of getting the police involved, if it turns out that’s what’s called for. The apartment should give us some clue. Why don’t we meet up at our place at ten o’clock tomorrow morning?” Reuben said.
    â€œFine. I’m at the St. Regis, as usual. That will be a good morning walk for me.”
    In the taxi on the way uptown, Reuben said he had not wanted to speculate, or to alarm Daniel Courtland prematurely, but he thought there was a good chance