I reminded [Walter Fritz] that I was a journalist; I wrote fact, not fiction. Nor could I accept favors from the subject of a story. But I was curious: What role would the Walter Fritz character play in this hypothetical book, whose underlying ideas, after all, would be entirely his? He gave me a quizzical look. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have a role in it,\u201d\u009d he said.<\/p>\n
He wanted, that is, to be the invisible hand.<\/p>\n
As I walked back to my car, I realized with something like a shudder that Fritz had hoped to lure me into a trap from which my reputation might never recover. I knew enough about his dealings with King and Laukamp to recognize all the signs: the request for secrecy, the strategic self-effacement, the use of other people for his own enigmatic ends.<\/p>\n
Fame and fortune would rain down on me, he\u2019d promised. All I had to do was lower my guard and trust him with all the important details.<\/p>\n