machine out on the sidewalk. I went to the sink, rinsed a glass, took the bottle of Chivas out of the desk drawer and helped myself to a generous drink. Then I stood by the window, sipping Scotch and letting the sun shine on my face. I had finished the job, and the next couple of weeks, I thought, I could do as I pleased. Sleep, play billiards, sit in cafes, perhaps even take a drive out into the countryside. Eat some good food, smoke good cigarettes at eight marks a pack. And I would ask Gina if she knew the name of that book about the old guy in the sewers of Paris. Maybe, at long last, I’d even hop on a plane headed south. For a week or two, if not longer.
I finished my drink and was about to check the mail when the phone rang.
“Mr. Kayankaya?”
“Yes?”
“Olschewski here. Mr. Schmitz would like to talk to you.” The line crackled. I hurried to refill my glass and pulled a cigarette from the pack. Then Schmitz’s distinguished voice came on the line. “Good afternoon, Mr. Kayankaya. I’ve been reading the papers, and I gather that several dozen refugees were found in a bunker in Gellersheim, where they had been taken from some otherwise unspecified villa. I assume that you were the source of that information?”
“Let’s just say that I made sure the newspapers were able to talk to those refugees.”
“So you forgot what I explained to you?”
“You mean that thing about the difference.…” I lit my cigarette, took a deep drag, blew the smoke out. “It really isn’t that great. You’re doing your job as best you can, and I’m doing mine to the best of my ability. Beyond that, it’s just a question of how many gilded objects one wants in one’s house, and whether one really needs a flunkey at the door. I have no objections to that, but I like to open and close my own doors. If you think you need to get rid of me, you’ll have to hire killers to do it. But if I blow the whistle on you, I’ll do it in person-either because I want to, or because I’m forced to do it. So, let’s see who gets more ambitious.”
“You’re threatening me?”
“I’m just letting you know what I think of your little lecture the other night. I’m doing my job, and if you attack me because of that, I’ll defend myself. I may just kick you in the shins, but, who knows, I might even land one on your head.”
He cleared his throat, then asked, with a pretense of mild amusement: “Seems almost as if you’d been waiting for me to call.”
“I’ve been counting on it.”
“Well, I really should be mad at you, but I think you’re quite a guy. After our conversation I didn’t think you’d pursue that affair. To tell the truth, I didn’t get my information only from the newspapers. Mr. Koberle told me everything.”
I felt a lump in my throat. “Everything?”
“How you took the money back from the gang. Very brave, one against three. Which brings us to the main reason for my call. I would like to hire you.”
Was the whisky that strong this afternoon, or was I dreaming?
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. It concerns my nephew Axel. You met him. I admit that he’s a disaster in every respect, but for the last twenty years, he has always showed up on time for our little talks. Until this morning. Mr. Koberle tells me that after your show at the garage last night, he drove Axel home. But he isn’t there. I’ve spent the morning making calls, but I haven’t been able to reach him. Frankly, I’m worried about what may have happened to him. There are these Yugoslavs who are trying to muscle in on my business-I’ll tell you the details when you come over. In any case, I want you to find my nephew. And I suppose that the check I gave you-which did not fulfill its original purpose-would do as a retainer.”
While listening to him I had helped myself to a big gulp of Scotch and made myself comfortable behind the desk.
“Sorry, but I can’t take that on.”
“Why not?”
“I’m in training for a billiards tournament.”
“You’re joking.”
“No, I’m not.”
I looked out the window. A vapor trail stretched across the sky, heading south. Then Schmitz asked, pretending to be casual about it: “Have you cashed that check?”
I knew what he had in mind, and I knew that I could keep the twenty thousand if I said “Yes.” I didn’t really know why I said “No.”
“Well … Come to think of it, there’s no dead body in Gellersheim, and there’s no way you could take that refugee story to the cops … ”
He paused, just in case he was wrong and I would tell him so. But he wasn’t wrong, and he went on to say: “So I guess I’ll stop payment on it.”
“Do that. You’ll have more money that way.”
He laughed. “Right you are. Goodbye.” He hung up. I stared into space for a while. Then I took half of Weidenbusch’s money, stuck it into an envelope with a note that said “Kayankaya’s rent” and wrote Kunze’s address on the envelope. After which I started cleaning up the office. I vacuumed and swept, washed dishes, took the garbage downstairs.
With a replenished glass of Scotch I sat down at my clean desk and opened my mail. A subpoena to be a witness at a trial-the case was two months old; an advertising circular from a weapons firm; a “League for a Future Palestine” wanted to know if they could hire me as a bodyguard.… I began to read sentences three or four times without comprehension. Finally I put the rest of the unopened mail aside and leaned back in my chair. This was no day for routine, no matter how hard I’d try. Tomorrow would be such a day, and so would the day after tomorrow, and the days to come, but today even the sight of my name on those envelopes was too much. I took Schmitz’s check out of my wallet and leaned it against the base of my desk lamp. It looked good there. Then I finished my drink and got up.
A little after two o’clock I left the brown office building and headed downtown. At the first refreshment stand I purchased some cigarettes for eight marks a pack. In six hours I would have my date with Elsa Sandmann, and it looked like the weather would stay warm and nice until then. I would find a quiet cafe with an outdoor terrace, maybe even one with a small billiard table in the back. I could practice a few masse shots. The tournament was in three weeks, and since Slibulsky was only half a player now, I had to get twice as good.
I paid, put on my new shades, and walked down the street. The high-rise buildings gleamed above the American barracks, and the air smelled of tar and burnt rubber.
