AFTER THE GULFSTREAM

Major Crimes Detective John Albora is called to the murder scene of young, wealthy banker, G. Roderick Von Ness, at the mansion on Long Island's Gold Coast. Roddy's beautiful widow, Cherry, found his body in the early morning hours and called the police. She alone survives him.

Several weeks before, five, high-powered New York bankers joined forces on a major real estate deal and now their projects could lose millions of dollars. The borrower, an underhanded Texan willing to try anything to win, forces the bankers' hands through lies, trickery and women. So now, one banker is murdered, but only one of the five remains alive and well. Roddy was one of those five bankers. What happened to the other three? And the one who still lives?

The case grows cold as Detective Albora is blocked at every turn. His FBI buddy, Bob Wilhelm, experiences setbacks in his investigation, too. Suspects come and suspects go, but old cops point the way.

Dianne Goodwin enters Albora's life, introduced by her young friend, Lanie Barnes, and Hunter Zane, Lanie's unstable acquaintance. Zane, a broken, former CIA operative, is still willing to do things for a price, as John and Dianne are drawn together keeping secrets from the other. Their intimacy is disrupted by circumstances but neither will force the issue.

Right now, it's all too easy.

As weeks pass, Roddy's murder investigation becomes stale but good police work and the killer's gross misjudgment brings the case to light.

The story travels from New York's Long Island to the Florida Keys with stops along the way. Who will do the right thing to get Roddy's killer?

What of John Albora and Dianne, and his old cop friends?

And of course, the lovely widow and all of Roddy's assets?