Whiff Of Money

'You are an amusing rogue, Girland. There are times when I actually find myself liking you. How would you like to pick up ten thousand dollars?'

'Have you been drinking?' Girland lifted his eyebrows. He sat on the settee, then stretched out lengthwise, and eyed Dorey with a shade more interest. 'Ten thousand? Not from you ... that would be too much to believe.'

'Ten thousand and expenses,' Dorey said, sensing that Girland, like a hungry trout, was now beginnng to nibble at his bait.

'Could be you just might end up with fifteen or even twenty thousand dollars. Does it interest you?'

Girland laced his fingers at the back of his head. He stared up at the ceiling for some moments, then said, 'You know something, Dorey? You are not very subtle. You are sure I am for sale. Well, I am not. Every so often you and I get into this kind of huddle and you wave a bait under my nose and I fall for it. So what happens? I pull your chestnuts out of the fire and always land in grief myself. No... I'll get by without your ten thousand dollars. I'm not interested.'

Dorey smiled.

'What's the matter with you, Girland?' he asked. T thought you still had some guts.'

'This kind of talk I love! So now, apart from all this money you're offering, I also have to have guts.'

'Let's stop this fooling!' Dorey said, his voice sharpening. 'Time is running out. Do you want this job which will pay a guaranteed fifteen thousand dollars or don't you?'

Girland studied Dorey thoughtfully.

'Guaranteed?'

' That's what I said.'

'How is this fifteen thousand to be paid?' 'Five thousand tomorrow and ten thousand when the job is done.'

Girland shook his head.

'No, Dorey, I don't go along with that, but I might if you paid ten thousand tomorrow and ten thousand when the job is done. Yes ... I just might be tempted on those terms.'

Dorey snorted and got to his feet. ,

'You've heard my terms. I can get anyone to do this job, Girland. Don't imagine you are the only man...'

' Save it,' Girland said and closed his eyes. 'Nice to see you looking so well considering your age. Thanks for coming.

Good-bye.' Dorey hesitated, then sat down again.

'One of these days, Girland, I'm going to fix you and fix you good. It's time you spent a few years in jail...'

'Are you still here?' Girland opened his eyes. 'The trouble with you, Dorey, is you take life too seriously. It's fatal. Okay, stop looking like an outraged crocodile . . . have we a deal or haven't we?'

Dorey choked back his wrath. This was too important to waste further time haggling. Sherman had all the money in the world. He would be furious if he got to know that Dorey was quibbling about money, but it stuck in Dorey's throat to give this insolent layabout such a sum.

'Yes ... we have a deal,' he said finally.

Girland eyed him.

'Ten thousand tomorrow morning, and ten thousand when I have fixed this job?'

Dorey drew in an exasperated breath.

'Yes.'

Girland swung his legs off the settee and sat up. His face was alert now and his eyes bright.

'Gome on... tell me. Just what is this job?'

Dorey picked up the movie projector....

'Do you understand how to work this? I don't. I want you to see a film.'

'Oh, sure.' Girland got to his feet, set up the projector, wound on the film and then pulled the long, gold-coloured curtains over the big studio window.

'Nice, aren'tthey?' he said, fingering the material. 'Again, thanks.'

'Get on with it!' Dorey snapped. T can take just so much from you, Girland, but I warn you...'

'Dorey! That's temper!'

'Look at this film and stop behaving like a delinquent!'

Girland laughed. He switched on the projector, throwing the picture on his white wall. He flopped back on the settee and watched what went on on the film.

When he realised the kind of film he was looking at, he muttered, 'Dorey! You surprise me!' Then he said nothing further, but sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees, watching the girl and the hooded man in their shameless act.

Finally the film ran off the spool. Girland got up, turned off the projector and pulled back the curtains.

He returned to the settee and lay on it.

'Go ahead and talk. I don't imagine you brought this thing along for me to see for fun. What's it all about?'

' There are three other films like this,' Dorey said. T must find them. I also, want to find the girl in the film. That's the job, Girland. Do you think you can trace these films and find the girl? Try to be honest with me. The films were taken in Paris so I presume the girl is here too. How about it?'

Girland rubbed his hands on his knees as he studied Dorey.

'What's the rest of it?'

'That's as much as you need know,' Dorey snapped. 'You will be paid.

'Oh, cut it out! If I handle this, I want the whole photo. Why are you mixed up in this?'

'That's not your business, Girland. I want you to trace these other three films and find the girl... that's what you're being paid for.'

Girland got up, took a cigarette from a pack on the table and lit it.