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that man? I hired you."
"You brought me a situation you didn't like. I sent somebody to take care of
it. Where's your problem?"
"I hired you."
"And only I will do?"
She nodded.
"That's great for the ego, but "
"I didn't pay for some second-rate unknown."
"Interesting. Considering Saucerhead is probably better known than I am." I
looked her hard in the eye for a dozen seconds, until she shifted her
attention to Dean. "I wonder what your real game is," I said softly.
She jerked her attention back to me.
"First you tried to con me. Then you gave me way too much money. If you
wanted to buy a man to impress somebody, anybody who knows me will know
Saucerhead. And be more intimidated by him. I'm a pussycat. Finally, and
dearest to my heart, not five hours after you saw me, somebody tried to kill
me."
Her eyes got big. I had to remind myself she'd said she was an actress.
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"It was a cold-blooded ambush, Jill. Five men, plus whoever did the watching
and running messages. A major effort."
Her eyes got bigger.
"You know an albino half-breed chuko called Snowball?"
She shook her head. It was a very impressive head. She was beautiful when she
was frightened.
"How about a street gang called the Vampires?"
She shook her pretty head.
I had obviously recovered from my unpleasant night, because I was starting to
pant. I slapped myself down. "What do you know? Anything? How about why you
want to play me for a sucker. Or has that slipped your mind, too?"
She got mad again. But she swallowed her anger. She'd decided to clam.
I got up. "Come with me." Sometimes a good surprise loosens them up.
I took her into the Dead Man's room. Her response was cliché. "Yuk! That's
gross!" But that was it.
I fished her retainer out from under the Dead Man's chair, which is the
safest place in TunFaire. "I'll hang onto some of this, for Saucerhead's time
and my aggravation." I took a couple coins in a gesture mainly symbolic, and
handed the rest to her.
She eyed that purse like it was a snake. "What are you doing?"
"You're unhappy. I'm giving your money back and getting out of your life."
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"But & " She went into a huddle with herself. While the committee was in
conference I sneered at the Dead Man. Brought one right in here with you,
Chuckles.
I was trying to get two birds with one big hunk of alum.
There's no prod more effective than bringing a woman into the house. The
prettier the gal the more heated the reaction. Jill Craight could set the
house afire. If he was sandbagging he wouldn't be able to keep it up.
Damn him. He didn't do a thing. And I'd been halfway sure he was hiding out
from the rent collector.
"Mr. Garrett?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm scared. I made a promise. I can't tell you any more till I know who I
have to be afraid of. Take this back. I want you. But if you can't do the job
I'll take what I can get."
She was scared. If she'd been five feet tall and baby-faced, my protective
instincts would have been inflamed. But she was damned near tall enough to
look me in the eye and had no knack for playing helpless. You looked at her
and you wanted to get into mischief with her, but you didn't have much
inclination to take care of her. You knew she could take care of herself.
"If it wasn't for last night I'd give in about now, Jill. But somebody tried
to whack me. Finding out who and why and talking him out of trying again is
going to occupy my time. So Saucerhead is what you get."
"If I must, I must."
"You must." I put her retainer back under the Dead Man. "Now that we're done
yelling at each other and we're all friends again, why don't you come by for
dinner? Dean's culinary skills don't get much exercise."
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She opened her mouth to turn me down, but inclination ran head-on into her
instinct for self-preservation.
She didn't have to be nice to me. That wasn't a condition here. But I'm not
so nice a guy I wouldn't let her find that out for herself. "It would have to
be late," she said. "I do have to work."
"Pick your time. Tell Dean. Give him an idea what you'd like. It'll be better
than anything you've had for awhile."
She smiled. "All right." I think that was the first genuine smile she'd shown
me. She marched off to the kitchen.
I paused, leaned against the door frame, and sneered at the Dead Man. I had
my ulterior motives for wining and dining Jill Craight beyond those I'd been
born with. She still might stir old Chuckles up. I'm also a great believer in
synchronicity.
It was a lead-pipe cinch that, because I'd made a date, Tinnie would suffer a
miraculous remission from the sulks. Somebody from the Tate place would come
to let me know before Jill went home.
Jill came back. "Dean is a nice man."
Was the implication that I was not? "Tricky, too. You got to watch him.
Especially if you're not married. A great ambassador for the institution of
marriage, Dean is."
"But he's not married himself."
A quick vixen, friend Jill. How much had she pried out of him? "Not married
and never has been. But that doesn't slow him down. Come on. I'll walk you
home."
"You sure you can spare the time?"
"It's on my way," I lied. I figured I could use a chat with Saucerhead.
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Tharpe fell in on Jill's far side before we'd walked a hundred yards. She was
startled. I chuckled. "Get used to it."
That didn't excite her. It was one more hint that things were going on that
she didn't want known.
I still had her pegged for a working girl, if a class model of same.
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