'Oh?'
'I keep thinking about what happened to our mutual friend, and I wouldn't want it to happen to me.'
'He must have made someone unhappy.'
'Yeah, well, I've made a few people unhappy myself, Mr. Huysendahl, and what I want to do is get the hell out of here within the week.'
'I don't see how that would be possible.' He paused for a moment. 'You could always go and come back for the reward when things have had a chance to cool down somewhat.'
'I don't think I'd like to do it that way.'
'That's rather an alarming statement, don't you think? The sort of venture we've discussed requires a certain amount of give-and-take. It has to be a cooperative venture.'
'A month is just too long.'
'I might be able to manage it in two weeks.'
'You might have to,' I said.
'That sounds disturbingly like a threat,'
'The thing is, you're not the only person furnishing a reward.'
'I'm not surprised.'
'Right. And if I have to leave town before I can collect the reward from you, well, you never know what might happen.'
'Don't be foolish, Scudder.'
'I don't want to be. I don't think either of us should be foolish.' I took a breath. 'Look, Mr. Huysendahl, I'm sure it's nothing we can't work out.'
'I certainly hope you're right.'
'How does two weeks sound to you?'
'Difficult.'
'Can you manage it?'
'I can try. I hope I can manage it.'
'So do I. You know how to reach me.'
'Yes,' he said. 'I know how to reach you.'
I hung the phone up and poured a drink. Just a small one. I drank half of it and nursed the rest of it. The phone rang. I tossed down the last of the bourbon and picked it up. I thought it would be Prager. It was Beverly Ethridge.
She said, 'Matt, it's Bev. I hope I didn't wake you?'
'You didn't.'
'Are you alone?'
'Yes. Why?'
'I'm lonesome.'
I didn't say anything. I remembered sitting across the table from her, making it obvious that she wasn't getting to me. The performance had evidently convinced her. But I knew better. The woman was good at getting to people.
'I hoped we could get together, Matt. There are things we ought to talk about.'
'All right.'
'Would you be free around seven this evening? I've appointments until then.'
'Seven's fine.'
'The same place?'
I remembered how I had felt in thePierre . This time we would meet on my turf. But not Armstrong's; I didn't want to take her there.
'There's a place called Polly's Cage,' I said. 'Fifty-seventh between Eighth and Ninth, middle of the block, the downtown side.'
'Polly's Cage? It sounds charming.'
'It's better than it sounds.'
'Then I'll see you there at seven. Fifty-seventh between Eighth and Ninth—that's very near your hotel, isn't it?'
'It's across the street.'
'That's very convenient,' she said.
'It's handy for me.'
'It might be handy for both of us, Matt.'
