anymore.
“You’re certain they will return, then?”
“Breathing fire, Pop.”
“Then it behooves me to take steps.”
“The step you ought to take is to come to an
accommodation.”
“Not with those swine. They—and that
woman—seduced my son
away . . . ”
I shut him out and gave my whole attention to the basement. As
far as I could tell, nothing had changed. It seemed likely, then,
that they had found nothing I might have missed. “Huh?
I’m sorry. I missed that.”
He gave me a look that said he knew why. But you could not get
him to talk nasty at spear’s point. “I asked if you
knew someone I could retain as a guard for the premises.”
“No.” I did know someone. Me. But I was up to my
nostrils with long cold lonely nights waiting for something that
never happened, or that was really lethal when it did.
“Wait.” A thought. “Maybe I do. The people who
are supposed to make the trip to the Cantard with me. I could do us
both a favor by parking them here.” Morley, too, if it put
him out of the heat.
Tate looked startled. “You’re going to go? You
sounded so dead set against it.”
“I’m still against it. I think it’s about as
smart as raiding a roc’s nest. I don’t even see any
point to it. But I told you I’d look into it. I haven’t
really made up my mind yet either way.”
He smiled. He grinned. I was afraid he would try to slap me on
the back and maybe loosen one of my kidneys. But he restrained
himself. A very restrained kind of guy, old man Tate.
He got very serious.
“What can you do about that man’s body, Mr.
Garrett?”
I figured we were going to get to that.
“Nothing.”
“What?”
“Nothing. He’s not my problem.”
The old boy gulped air. Then the sly merchant came tippy-toeing
forward. “You want to hold me up for a bonus? All right. How
much?”
“Don’t bother. You don’t have enough.
I’m not putting a finger on that stiff. It’s not my
responsibility, and I don’t do that kind of work. My advice
is, call the magistrates and let them handle it. You’ll be
clear. He was killed during a break-in.”
“No. I don’t want anyone nosing into family
business.”
“Then have your boys take him and dump him in the river or
an alley somewhere down the hill.” There are bodies in the
river most mornings. In the alleys, too. Unless they were someone
important, they caused little comment.
Tate saw that he could not reach me through my lust for wealth.
He gave that up. “You go ahead here, then. Send those men
here as soon as you can. I have work to do. Keep me posted.”
He ducked out.
I poked around and wondered if the evil gleam in Tate’s
eye meant he thought he could put the corpse off on Morley and the
triplets.
----
----
12
The flooring did its dust drop. I had noticed it several times
before Tate left. I figured my sweetheart Rose was eavesdropping
again. I ignored her.
Look as I might, I could not find anything missing. I settled
back to give the whole business a think. It was obese with
potential trouble. And I was getting near the point where I had to
make a real decision.
The local end of it would take care of itself. There was nothing
to investigate at this end. At the other
end . . .
I did not want to think about that end yet. It would be
unpleasant no matter how smooth it went. It would be unpleasant
just traveling to and revisiting the Cantard.
A door opened and shut overhead. A moment later women began
talking. The one with the quarrelsome voice had to be Rose. I
wondered who the other one was.
A delightful aroma preceded her down the basement stairs. She
proved to be a fiery little redhead with long straight hair,
jade-green eyes, a few freckles, and high, firm breasts that thrust
boldly against a ruffled silk blouse. There was nothing between
that blouse and her but my daydreams.
“Where have they been hiding you?” I asked, jumping
up to take the tray she carried. “Who are you?”
“I’m Tinnie.
“You’re certain they will return, then?”
“Breathing fire, Pop.”
“Then it behooves me to take steps.”
“The step you ought to take is to come to an
accommodation.”
“Not with those swine. They—and that
woman—seduced my son
away . . . ”
I shut him out and gave my whole attention to the basement. As
far as I could tell, nothing had changed. It seemed likely, then,
that they had found nothing I might have missed. “Huh?
I’m sorry. I missed that.”
He gave me a look that said he knew why. But you could not get
him to talk nasty at spear’s point. “I asked if you
knew someone I could retain as a guard for the premises.”
“No.” I did know someone. Me. But I was up to my
nostrils with long cold lonely nights waiting for something that
never happened, or that was really lethal when it did.
“Wait.” A thought. “Maybe I do. The people who
are supposed to make the trip to the Cantard with me. I could do us
both a favor by parking them here.” Morley, too, if it put
him out of the heat.
Tate looked startled. “You’re going to go? You
sounded so dead set against it.”
“I’m still against it. I think it’s about as
smart as raiding a roc’s nest. I don’t even see any
point to it. But I told you I’d look into it. I haven’t
really made up my mind yet either way.”
He smiled. He grinned. I was afraid he would try to slap me on
the back and maybe loosen one of my kidneys. But he restrained
himself. A very restrained kind of guy, old man Tate.
He got very serious.
“What can you do about that man’s body, Mr.
Garrett?”
I figured we were going to get to that.
“Nothing.”
“What?”
“Nothing. He’s not my problem.”
The old boy gulped air. Then the sly merchant came tippy-toeing
forward. “You want to hold me up for a bonus? All right. How
much?”
“Don’t bother. You don’t have enough.
I’m not putting a finger on that stiff. It’s not my
responsibility, and I don’t do that kind of work. My advice
is, call the magistrates and let them handle it. You’ll be
clear. He was killed during a break-in.”
“No. I don’t want anyone nosing into family
business.”
“Then have your boys take him and dump him in the river or
an alley somewhere down the hill.” There are bodies in the
river most mornings. In the alleys, too. Unless they were someone
important, they caused little comment.
Tate saw that he could not reach me through my lust for wealth.
He gave that up. “You go ahead here, then. Send those men
here as soon as you can. I have work to do. Keep me posted.”
He ducked out.
I poked around and wondered if the evil gleam in Tate’s
eye meant he thought he could put the corpse off on Morley and the
triplets.
----
----
12
The flooring did its dust drop. I had noticed it several times
before Tate left. I figured my sweetheart Rose was eavesdropping
again. I ignored her.
Look as I might, I could not find anything missing. I settled
back to give the whole business a think. It was obese with
potential trouble. And I was getting near the point where I had to
make a real decision.
The local end of it would take care of itself. There was nothing
to investigate at this end. At the other
end . . .
I did not want to think about that end yet. It would be
unpleasant no matter how smooth it went. It would be unpleasant
just traveling to and revisiting the Cantard.
A door opened and shut overhead. A moment later women began
talking. The one with the quarrelsome voice had to be Rose. I
wondered who the other one was.
A delightful aroma preceded her down the basement stairs. She
proved to be a fiery little redhead with long straight hair,
jade-green eyes, a few freckles, and high, firm breasts that thrust
boldly against a ruffled silk blouse. There was nothing between
that blouse and her but my daydreams.
“Where have they been hiding you?” I asked, jumping
up to take the tray she carried. “Who are you?”
“I’m Tinnie.
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