The Soft Centre

Karsh stared at Hare as if he thought he had gone out of his mind.?‘He’s been eating too much,’ he said to his wife. ‘His brains are clogged with food.’ Lucille said, ‘From where then do we make our very interesting profit?’

Hare smiled at her.?‘From Valerie Burnett… who else?’

Karsh sat bolt upright in his chair. His ferrety face became tense.?‘Now, wait a minute…’

Hare stopped him by raising his big doughy hand. ‘This is the chance of a lifetime, Sammy. The Burnerts have money, and Travers is worth millions. Do you imagine he would want his son-in-law to stand trial for murder? Do you imagine Travers would allow his son-in-law to spend the rest of his days in a Criminal Asylum?’

Karsh shifted uneasily.?‘While we are asking questions,’ he said, ‘have you ever heard of a little word called

“blackmail”? Have you any idea what kind of rap blackmail draws?’

‘Have you ever heard of half a million dollars?’ Hare said, hunching his massive shoulders and staring at Karsh. ‘Travers will jump at the chance of buying the lighter and the jacket for half a million. You see… I’ll handle it. You leave this to me.’

‘Not me.’ Karsh got to his feet. ‘Oh no. I’m getting along pretty well as I am. I’m not going to be locked up in a cell for fourteen years just to please you.’

‘You won’t be pleasing me,’ Hare said quietly. ‘You will be on the receiving end of half a million dollars.’

Karsh started for the door, paused, then came slowly back to his chair.?‘You really think you can swing it?’?‘I know I can. Think about it, Sammy. So far the cops haven’t an idea it is Burnett. With the evidence we have got, he hasn’t got a prayer. He’ll be put away in a squirrel house for life. Travers would pay more than half a million dollars to avoid that. You leave it to me, Sammy. You’ve done your share, now I’ll do mine, and we split the take.’

‘Don’t I get in on the split?’ Lucille asked, her thin face ugly with greed.

Karsh glared at her.?‘You’re my wife… remember?’?‘It’ll be split three ways,’ Lucille said, ‘or it doesn’t get split at all.’

The two men stared at her, then Hare, who knew his daughter, said with a resigned sigh, ‘So it’ll be split three ways.’

CHAPTER FIVE

Lee Hardy slowed his Cadillac when he came in sight of the entrance to the Park Motel. Pulling into a lay-by, he stopped the car.

‘Okay, boys, stick around, but keep out of sight,’ he said. ‘I may not need you, but it’s my guess I will.’

Jacko Smith belched gently as he heaved his gross body out of the car. Moe Lincoln, smelling of a new perfume Jacko had given him, slid out after him.

‘Enjoy the moon,’ Hardy said. ‘You don’t do a thing until I give you the nod.’?‘That’s fine with us, dear,’ Jacko said. ‘We’ll be right here if you want us.’

Leaving them, Hardy drove on towards the motel. The time was five minutes after ten and he found Henekey waiting for him. As Hardy walked into the stuffy little office, Henekey who had seen him park his car, was standing by his desk.

‘Come on in, Mr. Hardy,’ Henekey said. ‘Glad you could come.’

Hardy walked across to the chair opposite Henekey’s desk and sat down.?‘You said urgent personal business,’ he said, his voice harsh. ‘I hope for your sake you haven’t brought me here on a bum steer. What is it?’

Henekey sat down. His heart was thumping, and there was a film of sweat on his face. ‘Something I thought we should talk over together, Mr. Hardy. Something you wouldn’t want to discuss over an open line.’

‘What is it?’ Hardy repeated.?‘Sue Parnell,’ Henekey said. His eyes went past Hardy to the window and then to the door. His hand, now behind him, rested on the butt of his gun.

‘She’s nothing to me,’ Hardy said.

Henekey hesitated, then he forced a smile.?‘Well, that’s fine. Then what she told me must have been all lies. Okay, then I’m very sorry, Mr. Hardy, I’ve given you this trip for nothing. I can go now and talk to Terrell.’

The two men stared at each other, then Hardy rubbed his hand over his smooth, closely shaven chin.

‘You could be talking yourself into trouble,’ he said, a rasp in his voice.?‘Not me,’ Hardy said with more confidence than he felt. ‘I’m old enough to take care of myself. I had the idea Sue Parnell did mean something to you, that’s why I didn’t talk to the cops. I thought we might do a deal. But if she doesn’t mean anything to you, then I still have time to talk to Terrell without getting into trouble.’

‘Just what are you getting at?’ Hardy demanded, sitting forward.?‘I’ve known Sue now for more than two years,’ Henekey said. ‘We had a business arrangement. Whenever she had a business date she didn’t want to take to her home she came here. Sure, I could get into trouble… immoral earnings and all that, but I reckon Terrell would forget about that if I told him about you.’