I stood outside the office of Anthony Sebring, II, and fingered the piece of paper in my pocket. A bit of code by that Russian, Sidorov. It had been sent to me by Jefferson Sebring, the second oldest of Miss Sebring’s brothers. Normally he wouldn’t contact me. Then I read the scrawled note included with the code. “Even if you can decipher this, don’t.” Don’t was underscored so heavily it almost tore the paper, leaving me little doubt that he also was in on this plot to marry his sister to me.
His secretary was away from her desk just then, and there was no one to inform him of my presence. Well, there was no sense in putting it off. I rapped on the door and let myself in without waiting for permission to enter. Anthony Sebring, II, Portia’s oldest brother and my titular superior in the NS
