he just put the device back and returned the briefcase to the chair.
Let the bastard hear what he wanted to hear. Maybe it would mean getting to the bottom of things that much faster.
SIX
If Harsh retained any doubts about Brother being an oddball, they were removed when Brother paid a second visit. Harsh was lying with his eyes closed trying to doze. Four or five hours had gone by and he had more or less calmed down. He knew he needed rest. When he heard the door open, he supposed the nurse was back, and he kept his eyes shut until he heard the newcomer pick up the briefcase and heard the zipper rasp as it opened. Harsh lifted his head.
Brother was removing the little wire recorder from the case, and looking at Harsh with an expression of contempt. Without speaking he placed the recorder on the bed and turned one of its knobs. The recorder whirred as it rewound. Brother adjusted the knobs again. The recorder began to talk, playing back what Brother and Harsh had said on their first meeting. Then came what Vera Sue and Harsh had said to each other. The device evidently had a triggering mechanism so that it only recorded when there was sound being made in range of the microphone.
Brother shut it off. His lips twitched with amusement. “The young lady made a fool of you.”
Harsh had decided he was not going to let the man get his goat. “Did she?”
“She showed you up.”
“Well, if you say so.”
“Harsh, I can tell you something that may make you feel better. She did not have any idea of asking five hundred dollars for those names. Or asking anything. I merely made her the offer and she grabbed it.”
Harsh gave this some thought. “Can you prove Vera Sue didn’t make a fool out of both of us?”
“How is that?”
“You paid her five hundred dollars for something worth nothing. What does that make you? I may have been a dope, but I didn’t pay out five hundred for the privilege.”
Brother shook his head. “You miss the point.”
“I guess I miss it, all right. What is the point?”
“Everything has to be done my way.”
“That is the point?”
“Exactly. Everything has to be done my way. Remember that. When I ordered you to give me five references in return for twenty-five dollars and you refused, I paid the young woman five hundred dollars for the same information. I was teaching you a lesson. I hope you got it.”
Harsh reached out a hand and his fingers felt on the table for cigarettes. Dumb bastard, Harsh thought. He pulled a cigarette out of the pack and put it between his lips. I’ll be goddamned if I ever heard the like of this.
“Mr. Brother, you gave me something to think about, I admit that.”
“When I give an order, it must be obeyed without question or haggling. That is what I am trying to establish. Do you understand?”
“I don’t know how you could say it any plainer, Mr. Brother.”
“But do you comprehend?”
“Sure.”
“I doubt it, Harsh.” Brother’s eyes were contemptuous. “I do not think you are very good at comprehension.”
“If you want to think so, okay. You could be wrong, though.”
“No, Harsh. I have had you investigated thoroughly.”
Harsh lifted his hand, removed the cigarette from his lips, and looked at it. He did not want the man to see his expression. “I heard there was a private detective from Kansas City snooping around. Was he your boy?”
“One of them. One of about twenty.”
“I don’t know what you thought that would get you.” Harsh rolled the cigarette slowly in his fingers.
Brother smiled with dislike. “It got you something, Harsh.”
“It did? How is that?”
“It enabled me to arrange to protect you from the police in the matter of D. C. Roebuck.” The man’s teeth were small white chisel edges under his lifted lip. “Providing you cooperate, of course.”
Harsh closed his eyes. For a moment he thought he was going to faint. His hand holding the cigarette lay limp on his chest.
“Harsh, I am going
Let the bastard hear what he wanted to hear. Maybe it would mean getting to the bottom of things that much faster.
SIX
If Harsh retained any doubts about Brother being an oddball, they were removed when Brother paid a second visit. Harsh was lying with his eyes closed trying to doze. Four or five hours had gone by and he had more or less calmed down. He knew he needed rest. When he heard the door open, he supposed the nurse was back, and he kept his eyes shut until he heard the newcomer pick up the briefcase and heard the zipper rasp as it opened. Harsh lifted his head.
Brother was removing the little wire recorder from the case, and looking at Harsh with an expression of contempt. Without speaking he placed the recorder on the bed and turned one of its knobs. The recorder whirred as it rewound. Brother adjusted the knobs again. The recorder began to talk, playing back what Brother and Harsh had said on their first meeting. Then came what Vera Sue and Harsh had said to each other. The device evidently had a triggering mechanism so that it only recorded when there was sound being made in range of the microphone.
Brother shut it off. His lips twitched with amusement. “The young lady made a fool of you.”
Harsh had decided he was not going to let the man get his goat. “Did she?”
“She showed you up.”
“Well, if you say so.”
“Harsh, I can tell you something that may make you feel better. She did not have any idea of asking five hundred dollars for those names. Or asking anything. I merely made her the offer and she grabbed it.”
Harsh gave this some thought. “Can you prove Vera Sue didn’t make a fool out of both of us?”
“How is that?”
“You paid her five hundred dollars for something worth nothing. What does that make you? I may have been a dope, but I didn’t pay out five hundred for the privilege.”
Brother shook his head. “You miss the point.”
“I guess I miss it, all right. What is the point?”
“Everything has to be done my way.”
“That is the point?”
“Exactly. Everything has to be done my way. Remember that. When I ordered you to give me five references in return for twenty-five dollars and you refused, I paid the young woman five hundred dollars for the same information. I was teaching you a lesson. I hope you got it.”
Harsh reached out a hand and his fingers felt on the table for cigarettes. Dumb bastard, Harsh thought. He pulled a cigarette out of the pack and put it between his lips. I’ll be goddamned if I ever heard the like of this.
“Mr. Brother, you gave me something to think about, I admit that.”
“When I give an order, it must be obeyed without question or haggling. That is what I am trying to establish. Do you understand?”
“I don’t know how you could say it any plainer, Mr. Brother.”
“But do you comprehend?”
“Sure.”
“I doubt it, Harsh.” Brother’s eyes were contemptuous. “I do not think you are very good at comprehension.”
“If you want to think so, okay. You could be wrong, though.”
“No, Harsh. I have had you investigated thoroughly.”
Harsh lifted his hand, removed the cigarette from his lips, and looked at it. He did not want the man to see his expression. “I heard there was a private detective from Kansas City snooping around. Was he your boy?”
“One of them. One of about twenty.”
“I don’t know what you thought that would get you.” Harsh rolled the cigarette slowly in his fingers.
Brother smiled with dislike. “It got you something, Harsh.”
“It did? How is that?”
“It enabled me to arrange to protect you from the police in the matter of D. C. Roebuck.” The man’s teeth were small white chisel edges under his lifted lip. “Providing you cooperate, of course.”
Harsh closed his eyes. For a moment he thought he was going to faint. His hand holding the cigarette lay limp on his chest.
“Harsh, I am going
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