Excerpt from Chapter 1

   I had just settled into my chair when the phone rang.
    ''R.A. Huber,'' I said.
    ''This is Lillie. Just making sure you’re there. I’m in a cab on my way to your office. See you in a few minutes!''
    I was trying to remember when I had last seen Lillian Robertson. I had just come to the conclusion that it must have been at the twins’ 50th birthday party, ten years ago, when the door was abruptly flung open and she came toward me with outstretched arms.
    She said, ''Reg, it sure is good to see you!''
    I could not recall the last time anybody had called me ‘Reg’! She looked exactly the way I had remembered her, tall and willowy. Her short, stylish ash blond hair enhanced her intelligent gray eyes, straight nose, and generous mouth. If she had aged in the last ten years, it certainly was not noticeable to my eyes.
    Embracing her, I exclaimed, ''Lillie, you haven’t changed a bit. You look as stunning and sophisticated as ever!''
    She replied, ''You don’t look half bad yourself!'' And she added, “I noticed the impressive sign on the door, R. A. Huber, Private Detective.''
    ''Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it,'' I said.
    I offered her coffee, and cups in hand, we settled across from each other at my oak desk. Lillie looked around my one-person office, amused, it seemed.
    I said, ''What?''
    She laughed and answered, ''This is exactly the way I’d picture an office of yours: neat, no frills, and strictly functional!''
    Then her eyes rested on my Staunton Rosewood chess set at one corner of the desk, and she commented, ''I hope you didn’t set this up for us. I don’t think I’m in the mood for playing.''
    I said, ''Oh no. I always have it set up. It is sort of my trademark. Sometimes I play by myself.''
    Then I said, ''After your call, I was thinking back to our time at the Internat.''
    She said, ''We sure raised hell in that school. It seems that was a lifetime ago!''
    ''Yes. Remember, we called ourselves the ‘Three Musketeers’: Lillie, Millie and Reg!”

Back to Books