Page 7 (2/2)

"It used to be three," I said "A hoe I suppose it's higher now"

"The figure I heard was five"

"Higher in the summer One week last July the tally ran over fifty Fourteen of them in one day"

"Yes, I remember that week" He looked away for a ht I didn't knohether he was planning how to reduce hoovernor or how to add my name to the list of victims He said, "Can I assume that Jablon waselse"

"I thought that ht happen I worried about it, that is That sort ofmurdered I'm sure I wasn't his only victim" His voice rose in pitch on the last words of the sentence, and he waited for uess I outwaited him, and he went on "But even if he weren't murdered, Mr Scudder,that sli to pay hinificantly worse He could die in any nu overdose, say"

"I don't think he used anything"

"Well, you understand my point"

"He could have been hit by a bus," I said

"Exactly" Another long sigh "I can't go through this again Let me state my case quite plainly If you… recover the ure I stated One hundred thousand dollars, paid in any fashion you care to specify Paid into a private Swiss account, if you prefer Or handed over to you in cash For that I'll expect the return of absolutely everything and your continued silence"

"That uarantee would you have that you're getting what you pay for?"

His eyes studiedmen"

"And you've decided I'm honest?"

"Hardly that No insult intended, Mr Scudder, but such a conclusion would be naive on my part, wouldn't it?"

"Probably"

"What I have decided," he said, "is that you are intelligent So let s out I will pay you the sum I've mentioned And if, at any time in the future, you should attempt to extort further funds from me, on whatever pretext, I would make contact with… certain people And have you killed"

"Which reed "But in a certain position I would have to take just that chance And I said before that I believe you are intelligent What I h to avoid finding out whether or not I' One hundred thousand dollars should be a sufficient reward I don't think you'd be foolish enough to push your luck"

I thought it over, gave a slow nod "One question"

"Ask it"

"Why didn't you think ofthis offer to the Spinner?"

"I did think of it"

"But you didn't make it"

"No, Mr Scudder, I did not"

"Why?"

"Because I didn't think he was sufficiently intelligent"

"I guess you were right about that"

"Why do you say that?"

"He wound up in the river," I said "That wasn't very bright of him"

Chapter 8

That was Thursday I left Huysendahl's office a little before noon and tried to figure out what to do next I'd seen all three of them now They were all on notice, they all kneho I was and where to find me I in turn had picked up a handful of facts about Spinner's operation and not very iven no indication of knowing the Spinner was dead Huysendahl had seeenuinely shocked and dismayed when I pointed it out to hi beyond et out of ht It was conceivable I'd made myself all too reasonable a blackmailer One of them had tried ht not be inclined to try it again I could pick up fifty grand froe and twice that from Ted Huysendahl and soer, and that would be just perfect except for one thing I wasn't looking to get rich I was looking to trap a killer

The weekend floated on by I spent a little ti old issues of the Ti up useless information on my three possibles and their various friends and relations On the sa center hich Henry Prager had been involved I happened to see ood collar I had made about a year before I left the force A partner and I had tagged a heroin wholesaler with enough pure sive the world an overdose I would have enjoyed the story ood lawyer, and the whole thing got thrown out on a technicality The word at the time was that it had taken an even twenty-five thou to put the judge in the proper fras like that We didn't ood Twenty-five for the judge, ten or fifteen easy for the lawyer, and on top of that he'd lost the smack, which left him out what he'd paid the importer plus what he could have expected to clear when he turned it over I'd have been happier to see hie

Sometime Sunday I called a number I didn't have to look up Anita answered, and I told her a money order was on its way to her "I came up with a couple of bucks," I said