The Soft Centre

The snap of Terrell’s voice came clearly to Karsh who winced. Hare listened, breathing wheezily, then he said, ‘Sure, Chief, I know all that. That’s why I’ve called you. But I won’t get in your way. Sammy will be like a newspaper man. Sure, sure. I give you my word. He’ll just ask a few questions here and there, then write a report. If he does come up with anything, you’ll be the first to hear about it.’ He listened again and looked across at Karsh, lowering one fat eyelid. ‘All I’m trying to do, Chief, is to earn an honest buck. You can’t object if Sammy goes down to the Motel and looks around. That’s all he’ll do.’ He listened again. ‘Okay, Chief. I give you my word. I told her we didn’t take murder cases, but she wants a report… don’t ask me why.’ His voice suddenly hardened. ‘I’m within my rights, Chief. I’ll take full responsibility, and there’ll be no stepping out of turn. Okay, Chief,’ and he hung up. He sat for some seconds staring at the telephone, then he reached for a cigar. ‘He can’t stop us, Sammy, but watch it. He’s ready to drop on us if we play it wrong.’

‘That’s terrific,’ Karsh said sarcastically. ‘You know what? I guess I’ll read all the newspapers and make a report from them. I’ll stay right here in the office, then I can’t go wrong.’

Hare considered this, then reluctantly, he shook his head.?‘She’s no fool. If we’re going to collect the rest of the cabbage, we’ll have to do better than that. You go to the Park Motel. That’s all I’m asking. See this guy Henekey: talk to one or two people there: get some local colour, then come back and we’ll cook up something that will convince her.’

Karsh got to his feet.?‘I wonder why I ever married you,’ he said to his wife. ‘This caper could and me in jug!’ ‘Wouldn’t I be happy!’ Lucille said, her thin face lighting up. ‘Imagine being without you for a couple of years!’

‘Now, children,’ Hare said disapprovingly. ‘that’s no way to talk. You get off, Sam. See you tonight.’

Karsh grunted. He made a face at Lucille who made a face back at him, then he left the office.

‘I’ll never know why I married that heel,’ Lucille said bitterly. ‘One of these days I’ll put ground glass in his food.’

Hare chuckled.?‘Relax. He’s a smart boy. We wouldn’t be making much money if it wasn’t for him.’

But you don’t have to sleep with him,’ Lucille said, getting to her feet.

Hare repeated, ‘He’s a very smart boy,’ and then drew some papers towards him as he re-settled his bulk in his chair.

Lucille returned to her tiny office. Sitting down in front of the typewriter, she stared moodily out of the window.

*****

It took Tom Henekey forty-eight hours to make up his mind what to do about Lee Hardy. The reason for his long hesitation was that he was sharply aware of the danger he could walk into if he handled Hardy badly.

Hardy wasn’t the kind of man anyone took liberties with He had an organisation. He kept clear of any trouble himself, but he had been known to give the nod to Jacko Smith when someone was being a nuisance, and that someone walked into a beating that left him a hospital case.

Jacko Smith was a character who cooled angry tempers faster than any other strong-arm man on the race tracks. He was a mountain of soft white homosexual flesh with mouse-coloured hair that grew low over a narrow forehead, a fat baby face and a lisp. He went around with Moe Lincoln, a handsome, lean, vicious Jamaican who had been known to throw a knife with deadly effect at twenty yards range. Whenever there was trouble on the race tracks, Jacko and Moe were there too, and the trouble lasted only for a few seconds. There was a time when these two had to resort to violence to quell trouble, but now their mere appearances had an immediate cooling effect, and they had only to stand and stare for any combatants to evaporate like ghosts. Jacko’s lead pipe and Moe’s knife had inflicted too many injuries for troublemakers to need further proof of their deadly efficiency.

Henekey knew he was risking a visit from these two if he needled Hardy, but after weighing the pros and the cons, he decided the pay off would be worth the risk.

So a little after eleven o’clock while he was sitting in his hot little office, he reached for the telephone and called Hardy’s office.

Hardy, himself, answered the call.?‘This is Tom Henekey,’ Henekey said. ‘I run the Park Motel, Ojus. I’d like you to drop around here tonight: say at ten o’clock.’

There was a long pause which encouraged Henekey, then Hardy said, ‘What’s it all about?’ ‘This is an open line,’ Henekey said. ‘Shall we say urgent personal business?’?‘If you have business with me,’ Hardy said, a sudden rasp in his voice, ‘you come to my office.’