"What do you mean? My secretary, said you were being blackmailed again. I think you should know I'm not working on that case anymore." "This time it's different," Dobbs said, his eyes darting about. "They want money, a lot of money, more than we have. Last time I received a call I was told some very private and specific knowl- edge about our company that we preferred to remain private. That information contained all our pricing, quotation methods, profit figures, overhead . . .everything our competitors could use." "So you think your competition is blackmailing you," Duncan offered. "I don't know. If they wanted the information, why call me and tell me? We haven't been able to figure it out." "What about the others," Duncan thought out loud. "The others with access to the information?" "Everyone is suspecting everyone else. It's not healthy. Now, after this, I'm thinking of packing it in." "Why now? What's different?" "The demands. I can't believe it's my competitors. Sure, it's a cut throat business, but, no, it's hard to believe." "Stranger things have happened, Mr. Dobbs." Duncan tried to be soothing. "The demands, what were they?" "They want three million dollars, cash. If we don't pay they said they'd give away our company secrets to our competitors. We don't have the cash." Duncan felt for the man. Dobbs had been right. There was noth- ing the FBI could have done to help. No demands, no recontacts, and no leads, just a lot of suspicion. But, now, the Bureau was in a position to help. "Mr. Dobbs, rest assured, we will pursue this case aggressively. We will assign you two of our top agents, and, in cases like this, we are quite successful." Duncan's upbeat tone was meant to lift Dobbs' spirits. "Was there anything else demanded?" "No, nothing, they just told me not to go to the police." "You haven't told anyone, have you?" Duncan asked. "No, not even my wife." "Mr. Dobbs, let me ask you a couple more things, then I will introduce you to some fine men who will help you. Do you know anyone else who is in your position? Other people who are being blackmailed in similar ways?" Dobbs shuffled his feet under the chair, and picked at the edge of the chair. Duncan hit a raw nerve. "Mr. Dobbs, I don't want names, no specifics. It's a general question. Do you know others?" "Yes," Dobbs said almost silently. "Do you know how many?" Duncan needed details if his current line of thinking would pan out into a viable theory. "No, not exactly." "Is it five? Ten? More than Ten? Twenty-five? More than twenty- five?" Dobbs nodded suddenly.