“Oh, yes. Yes, I think you have a rather simple problem, Mr. Fry. From those numbers we can make you a duplicate key. We won’t need anything else.”
“I don’t need a duplicate of this key I got. It’s the one I lost that I want replaced.”
“That’s what I mean. Notice the last figures in the key number you gave me, the figures seven and two? Well, those are guide figures, and from them, and from information we have in our files, we can duplicate the lost key for you.”
“Say, that sounds all right. But what will it cost me?”
“Twenty-five dollars.”
“Jesus creeping Christ, for twenty-five bucks I could buy a new safe, damn near.”
“You make some inquiries, Mr. Fry, and you will find our figure to be standard. We have our expenses, our bonding, and so on. We have many expenses you would not think a locksmith would have.”
“But Jesus Christ, twenty-five dollars.”
“Well, at the same time the price is only one dollar each for additional copies of the key, because we have our set-up made.”
“Mr. Goldberg, I was expecting maybe a couple of bucks for a key. But if you say twenty-five is reasonable, maybe we better go ahead and you make me the key. I’ll send you the twenty-five and you mail me the key, okay?”
“I am afraid it’s not that simple, Mr. Fry. I couldn’t mail the key.”
“How is that?”
“You will have to personally appear and sign an affidavit. Just a formality, but it’s the law.”
Here was where Goldberg was going to get suspicious if care was not used, Harsh thought. “Oh, well, sure. I didn’t know you had to have an affidavit. I can see reasons for that. I’ll be glad to sign your papers. When could I come around and sign it and get the key?”
“Any time after tomorrow noon, Mr. Fry.”
“After noon tomorrow, that will be fine, Mr. Goldberg. I don’t know exactly when it will be convenient for me to drop around, but you go ahead with the key and I will see you soon.”
Miss Muirz smoked her cigarette in a long holder. She had picked out for Harsh a large checkered cap, which she suggested that he try on, and which he felt made him look as if he was wearing the lid from a milk can. But standing beside him in the full-length mirror’s reflection Miss Muirz was very lovely and elegant looking. So the hell with what the hat looked like.
“I’m sorry it took them so long to fit me, Miss Muirz. I got a thin waist and they had to take in the stuff. God, do I have to say I like this cap?”
She said he did not have the Continental touch with clothes, then set the cap aside and gave him back the hat he’d worn into the store. He pulled it down over his brow while she went and paid the bill. He wondered what the Continental touch was. The bill came to over five hundred dollars. The salesman personally carried all the stuff out to the car in one medium-sized armload, all but the garments left for alterations. A clip joint, Harsh thought, but rather fancy at that. If he ever got the wall safe open, he might make a habit of such toggeries.
It was getting dark, becoming a beautiful evening. Everything glowed like satin from the twilight and the air was not as warm as it had been. The breeze was lazy and filled with the perfume of tropical blooms and the engine of the limousine ran quietly as if half-asleep. Harsh felt fine. “Where do we eat?”
“We do not go to a restaurant, Mr. Harsh. I told you that, and you promised.”
“Hell, I knew you weren’t serious. I knew that was just for the others to hear, and we were going to make an evening of it.”
She shook her head. “You did not know anything of the kind.”
“You are ruining my life, did you know that?”
She drove the big limousine expertly. The car turned south on a boulevard and passed small houses, service stations, drive-ins. The lights of a supermarket made a Christmas-tree-like display ahead.
“Oh my God, let’s be reasonable, Miss Muirz. Let’s at least stop and get a couple steaks at that place ahead. I can cook a fine steak on the beach, if you’re so afraid somebody will see us.”
To his astonishment she shrugged and turned in at the supermarket and parked in the rear where there were no other cars. “You must not get out, Mr. Harsh.” She went inside the supermarket.
Man oh man, Harsh thought, and he leaned back on the seat and felt of the left side of his face and the arm in its sling. Both felt all right except for some itching, which he supposed was a good sign. Man oh man, he was almost afraid to think how well the afternoon was going. The telephone call to the Security Locksmithing Company had come off perfectly. Miss Muirz was showing signs of cooperation. This could turn into one hell of a day, that was what it could do.
Miss Muirz purchased some steaks, romaine, frozen French fries, and a bottle of brandy. She showed him the steaks.
“Say, they make my mouth water.”
“Mine, too.”
Now she drove the limousine at greater speed. The wind, cool and hard as glass pressing against their faces, rushed in the open windows. They crossed the causeway and drawbridge over black water with winking buoy lights on its surface. The strong breathing of the engine, the lime whiteness of the headlights, gave Harsh a feeling he was in a detached and fast-moving world. Miss Muirz turned into the stretch of blacktop road which followed the beach back to the estate. Now there were no houses nearby.
Harsh reached over and turned off the ignition. He seized the wheel and steered the limousine to a stop at the edge of the road. There was an interval of silence after the car halted. Either Miss Muirz or the inside of the limousine smelled faintly of jasmine.
“Mr. Harsh, why did you do that?”
“I guess I was just overcome. You know what? You and I are going to park right here and take those steaks down to the beach and broil them on a driftwood fire. We are going to have us a picnic, that is what we are going to do.”
“I do not think we should.”
“Come on, come on. A fire by the oceanside, broiled steaks, a slug of brandy and thou, as the poet would say.”
“Mr. Harsh, we cannot do that.”
“Look Miss Muirz, you can see I’m easy to get along with. I wanted to eat out, hit a classy restaurant, but you said no, and I went along with what you wanted. I did that because I can see where you folks might not want me to be seen around too much. But this is different. Do you see any crowds around here? It’s a half mile to the nearest house. Who’s to see us?”
She leaned back. Her hands were resting on the steering wheel. “You know something, Mr. Harsh?” She cleared her throat. “You scared me badly when you stopped the car the way you did.”
“How was that?”
“There has been a car tailing us, and I thought it was closing in on us.” She brushed the hair back over her ears. “I thought we were going to have to get out of the car and run away in the darkness to save our lives.”
“Is that so?” Harsh did not believe there had been a car tailing them. “Is that so, now?” Harsh turned and looked back. He did not see any signs of another car. “You can think up a better one, Miss Muirz, can’t you?”
“I am very serious.”
She sounded convincing and Harsh turned around to stare backward a second time. “Don’t see anyone.” He realized she was reaching to turn the key in the ignition. “I thought so.” He put his hand over hers. “Now that was a schoolgirl way to act, Miss Muirz, kidding me along like that. What if you had scared me into having a heart attack?”
“But we
“Let ’em follow, let ’em come!” Harsh made a theatrical gesture. “Bring on the mystery enemy, I am prepared and without fear.”
Miss Muirz jerked her hand from under his. “Listen, you big ape! I would like to broil a steak with you on the
