I walked into the Aster’s bar. At that hour it was nearly empty. There were three men leaning against the bar, talking in undertones and drinking Scotch. At a table in a corner, two middle-aged women were chatting over champagne cocktails. In another corner was a young, broad-shouldered, powerfully built man, wearing a cream- coloured sports coat, a red and white scarf knotted at his throat, a pair of bottle green slacks and nigger brown reverse calf shoes.
I noticed him because of his coarse, bovine handsomeness. He looked like a truck driver who has come into money. He was obviously ill at ease in the surroundings of a luxury hotel. He was holding a highball in a big, brown hand. His coarse featured face, handsome because of an animal sensuality, had a bewildered expression.
I glanced away from him, looking for Rima.
She sat in the middle of the bar, isolated by empty chairs and tables. I scarcely recognised her. She was wearing a black coat over a green dress and she had had her hair dyed the latest sable and grey style.
She looked as smart as paint, and as cold and as hard as polished granite.
She had certainly made use of my money.
I crossed the room, pulled up a chair and sat down opposite her.
As I did so, the big man, sitting in the corner, moved around slightly and stared fixedly at me. I knew then he was Rima’s bodyguard.
‘Hello,’ Rima said, and opening her lizard skin bag she took out my letter and tossed it across the table at me.
‘What’s this all about?’
I screwed up the letter and put it in my pocket.
‘You have had ten thousand. That will have to hold you. I can’t spare any more for the time being. I need all the money I have to save my wife’s life.’
She took out a flat, gold cigarette case from her bag, lifted out a cigarette and set it alight with a gold Dunhill lighter.
‘Looks like you and me are going to jail then,’ she said. ‘I told you: I don’t give a damn one way or the other. I should imagine you would want to be with your wife, but if you want to go to jail I can fix it for you.’
‘You can’t mean that,’ I said. ‘I need every dollar I have to take care of my wife. At the end of the month I’ll give you something. I don’t know how much, but it’ll be something. That’s the best I can do.’
She laughed.
‘You’ll do much better than that, Jeff. You’re going to give me a cheque for ten thousand right now, and on the first of the month another cheque for thirty thousand. Those are the terms. I need the money.
If I don’t get it, I’m ready to go to jail. If I go to jail, you’ll come with me. Please yourself.’
I stared at her. The burning desire that was in me to destroy her must have shown on my face, for she suddenly giggled.
‘Oh, I know. You would like to kill me, wouldn’t you? But don’t kid yourself,’ she said. ‘I’m much too smart. Do you see that poor ox, sitting over there in his finery? He’s in love with me. He doesn’t ask questions. He does what I tell him. He’s just a dumb, blind ox, but he’s tough. Don’t kid yourself you could tangle with him. He’s never more than ten feet away from me. You won’t be able to kill me even if you find me, and you won’t even be able to do that. So forget about it.’
‘You don’t seem to understand my position,’ I said, trying to speak calmly. ‘My wife has had a serious accident and she is dangerously ill. I have a lot of unexpected expenses coming up. All I’m asking is for time to pay you. I can’t give you any money now and still take care of the doctors’ bills.’
‘Can’t you?’ She leaned back in her chair, lifting her eyebrows. ‘Well, all right, then I must go to the police. I either get the money or you go to jail. Please yourself.’
‘Now, listen…’
‘You listen!’ She leaned forward and her expression was suddenly vicious. ‘You seem to have a short memory! A little scene like this took place eleven years ago! Maybe you’ve forgotten it, but I haven’t.
We sat side by side in a car. You said unless I gave you thirty dollars you would take me to the police.
Remember? You took my purse and everything I owned. You dictated to me! You told me I would have to work for you until the money was paid. I haven’t forgotten! I warned you I wouldn’t and I haven’t! I promised myself if ever I got you in the same spot, I’d have as much mercy on you as you had for me! I don’t give a damn about your wife! I don’t give a damn about you, so save your breath! I want ten thousand dollars from you right now, and if I don’t get it, I’m going to the police!’
Looking at her hard, degenerate face, I could see nothing I could say would light any spark of mercy in her. For a brief moment I was tempted to tell her to go to hell, but that was only for a brief moment.
She was a junky. Her mind was unpredictable. I didn’t dare call her bluff. She might go to the police, and if she did, I was sure they would come for me within a few hours of her giving them the information. There was no way out of this situation. She had me over a barrel. I would have to pay her.
I wrote the cheque and pushed it across the table to her.
‘There it is,’ I said, and I was surprised how steady my voice sounded. ‘Now I’ll give you a warning.
You are right that I plan to kill you. One of these days I will find and kill you. Remember that.’
She giggled.
‘Stop talking like a movie script, and don’t forget I want thirty thousand on the first of the month. If I don’t get it, you won’t hear from me, but you will hear from the cops.’
I got to my feet. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her boy friend had also stood up.
‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ I said, and turning I crossed the bar to a row of telephone booths. I called the hospital and told the receptionist I was now on my way home.
‘Oh, Mr. Halliday, will you hold on a moment…?’
I was feeling pretty flat, but the sharp note in her voice brought me alert.
I heard her say something as if talking in an undertone to someone near by, then she said, ‘Mr.
Halliday? Dr. Weinborg would like you to come in. There’s nothing to be alarmed about, but he would like to see you as soon as possible.’
‘I’m coming,’ I said, and hung up.
I left the bar and in the street I waved to a cruising taxi. I told the driver to take me to the hospital fast.
As the cab drew away from the kerb, I caught sight of Rima and her boy friend walking towards the car park. She was looking up at him and smiling and he was staring hungrily down at her.
I reached the hospital in under seven minutes and I was shown straight into Dr. Weinborg’s office.
He came around his desk and shook hands with me.
‘Mr. Halliday, I’m not too satisfied with your wife’s progress,’ he said. ‘She should be showing some improvement by now, but frankly, she isn’t. Don’t misunderstand me. Her condition hasn’t deteriorated, but it hasn’t improved, and in a case like this we look for improvement within three or four days of the operation.’
I began to say something but found my lips so dry I couldn’t get the words out. I just stared at him, waiting.
‘I’ve talked to Dr. Goodyear. He suggests that Dr. Zimmerman should see your wife.’
‘What makes him imagine Dr. Zimmerman whoever he is can do anything better than he has done?’ I asked.
Weinberg moved a letter opener around on his desk.
‘Dr. Zimmerman is the most able specialist to do with the nerves of the brain, Mr. Halliday. He…’
‘I thought Goodyear was that.’
‘Dr. Goodyear is a brain surgeon,’ Weinborg said patiently. ‘He doesn’t handle post-operative cases.
Dr. Zimmerman usually takes over from him in complicated cases.’
‘One clearing up the other’s messes?’
Dr. Weinborg frowned.
‘I understand how you must be feeling, but that is scarcely a fair thing to say.’
‘I suppose it isn’t.’ I sat down abruptly. I was suddenly deadly tired and felt defeated. ‘Well, all right, let’s get Dr. Zimmerman.’
‘It’s a little more involved than just that,’ Weinborg said. ‘Dr. Zimmerman will only treat a patient if the
