“Dollars are excellent,” he said. “Thank you. My cousin is not a wealthy man.”

     “I really do have to get some sleep.”

     “I believe I can be of some value to you here,” he said. “I have a background in investigation.”

     “I don't expect to be in Manila long. I may be going to Bacolod.”

     His face got grave.

     “You know Negros is an unsettled place,” he said. “I can be of much assistance. I am a native son of Negros Occidental. Ilonggo is my native tongue. That is the local dialect of the province. English may be sufficient in Bacolod, but in the hinterlands few people are fluent in anything but the dialect.”

     “Were you in Bacolod with Collins?”

     “He wished to use me in Manila only.”

     “Doing what?”

     His face set hard for a moment and he said, “I helped him with some personal arrangements. But I can do much more.”

     “I'll think about it,” I said.

     “If you are going to be in Bacolod for any length of time, you should have help.”

     “I'll think about it.”

     I reached around him and opened the door.

     “Please do. Let me give you a number.” He took out a business card, and with a ballpoint pen crossed through a telephone number on the front and wrote another on the back. He gave it to me.

     “One of my enterprises,” he said. “No longer extant. This number is my cousin's. I can usually be reached there. Are you planning to leave soon?”

     “I don't know. A couple of days, if I go.”

     “You must call me before you do.” He was backing slowly out the door.

     “That's a promise.”