The Erection Set

“Although it has little or nothing to do with our previous situation.”

“None at all,” I stated. I tasted my drink and put it down again. I never did like Martinis.

“You might be interested to know I have uncovered certain information about your past,” he continued.

“Oh?”

“There was a woman of nobility in Europe..

“There were two,” I interrupted calmly, “although you’d hardly get them to admit to it.”

“Certain evidence is in existence.”

“I heard about those photos. I also heard that the guy who took them is dead. A hunting accident with the husband of the countess he tried to shake down. The husband insists the woman in the photo is not his wife.”

Alfred’s mouth had the upturned comers of a rattlesnake smile. “There are other things.”

“Perseverance. That’s what I like about you, Alfie boy.” I picked the olive out of the Martini, ate it and got up.

“You’ll be hearing about the movie details in a day or so. Should be fun.”

Nobody bothered to say good-bye when I left. Only Marvin Gates rose to walk me out. Somehow he still looked like one of those old-time directors, his eyes a little bleary now, his walk unsteady.

Harvey, the butler, met us in the foyer and held out my coat and hat, then retreated to the pantry. Marvin gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder and let the big smile he had suppressed all evening come through. “Good show, old man. It’s a great thing to see them on the run. The ladies have changed considerably since your last visit.”

“Who put you wise, buddy?”

One eye crinkled in a wink. “We drinkers exchange confidences out of sheer boredom. Seems like Lucella awoke to hear voices and came downstairs to catch the play. Needless to say, she hurried back up again at the final curtain and seemed to find it all very amusing. As a matter of fact, I’m sorry I missed it. That night I was ... ah, engaged myself. Nothing quite as exciting as your scene though.”

“Now everybody’s got a secret,” I said.

“Indeed we have. A lovely one to be let out at the proper moment.”

“When will that be?”

“After it has been savored to the last. Ah, yes. I have the distinct impression that everybody is sitting on a time bomb.”

“Enjoy yourself,” I told him.

“Totally,” he said.

I heard the cough from the bushes just as I reached the car and spun, dropping to the ground on one knee with the .45 in my hand. The voice had a note of sudden fear when it said, “It’s me, sir. Harvey.”

“What a way to get yourself killed,” I told him.

He came out of the shrubbery while I stuck the gun back, a little shaken by what he had seen. “I’m sorry sir. I didn’t mean ... but I thought you should know.”

“What is it?”

“Have you anybody waiting for you, sir?”

“No. Why?”

“A car has circled the grounds several times. Right now it is parked about fifty yards south of the main gate drawn back into the trees. The occupant is across the road watching the house.”

“How’d you spot him?”

“I didn’t, sir. It was my nephew.” He fidgeted a moment, then: “Well, his family is rather impoverished. Every week I manage to see that he gets a supply of groceries to take home.”

“Toting privileges?”

“Something like that, sir, if you don’t mind.”

“No sweat.”

“He saw the car and thinking it was the police, waited to see what was happening. The person never left so he came in the old way.”

“Why bother telling me about it?”

I saw his eyes drop to where I had put the gun. “I’m rather glad I did now, sir.”

“The old way out still big enough to get a car through?”

“Possibly. It is pretty well overgrown but the gardener takes the refuse out through there with the small tractor.”

“Okay, Harvey. And thanks.”

“Sir ... will there be any trouble?”

“Not now,” I said.

Sergeant Tobano had glowered through two cups of coffee, listening to me, saying nothing, but never taking his eyes from mine. Outside the all night restaurant the sun was filtering through the heavy air, pressuring the light onto the city. The couple with the jangling hangovers had left and two hippie types took their seats, but not before the counterman had scooped up the change they had left as a tip.

“We got a rumble on the Guido brothers,” Tobano told me.

“You’ll be getting more.”

“What are you getting out of this?”

“Out is what I’m getting. Nobody seems to believe me.”

“Can’t blame ’em, with your history. The packages on you are pretty thick.”

“People must like to speculate.”

“Crap.”

“Look, I’m giving you what information I have. What else do you want?”

Those searching eyes beaded up again. “I don’t know. When I get an informer like you I want to check it out. All-the way.”

“Then you damn well better hurry.”

“Kelly,” he said deliberately, “time is funny. It has a way of taking care of things all by itself. Sometimes we can help it along and sometimes all we have to do is wait.”

“Too much time gets people knocked off.”

“Isn’t it a little late to be worried about that?”

I dunked the end of my doughnut, washed it down with the rest of my coffee and lit up a cigarette. “I’m not worried about myself.”

“Innocent bystanders?”

“A few.”