Sunday dinner in late August 1990 at Griff's beach house. ”So”, he said, “the police were present when the hotel manager, the owner, the architect of record -- and the carpenter who temporarily removed the window -- entered a boarded up studio at the Hotel California Trail".

This was not the romantic dinner conversation that Caydance had expected. "No skeletons were found, only shelves of pre-World War II books about California art history, an antique typewriter, a portfolio of artists sketches and drawings, and an unfinished drawing on an easel. And surprisingly, on the wall there was a contemporary painting of a sea coast -- signed by an artist with a French name."

"This is good," Griff said, pouring himself another glass of red wine. Red wine was not his usual choice of alcoholic beverage.

arrow "This week", Caydance continued, "early in the morning -- while at the Nut Tree off of I-80 between San Francisco and Sacramento -- you are exchanging game film with the Sacramento Valley Coach, I will begin inventorying the contents of the abandoned studio. Utilizing the materials in this studio, I have been hired to deduce who was the original occupant. There is also evidence that the studio was used by several other occupants -- possibly even after it was boarded up.”