Page 24 of Creature
Townsend had been veryclear about this—Harry couldn’t let on that he’d known Swan’s namefrom the start.Too direct, my boy. Thisgame needs more smoke and mirrors.Ithadn’t made any sense to Harry, but then, he wasn’t the Bureau’sWest Coast Chief.
“What do you want fromme?” Swan demanded.
“That depends on whetheryou’re the right fellow.” Harry leaned back and crossed hisarms.
“And if I am?”
“Then I have something youmight be interested in buying from me. For the right price, I mightbe interested in selling.”
“What doyouhave to offer thatmight interestme?” Pure contempt in the tone, but Harry was accustomed tothat. What mattered was that the fish was nearly landed.
“Can’t say. Not until Iknow you’re who I’m looking for. If I spill the beans to the wrongpeople, I could end up in prison. And mister, I don’t want to go toprison.” He paused, allowing the hint of a smile to play at thecorners of his mouth. “So tell me. You the right guy?”
“That’s impossible to saysince you’ve told me nothing about the specifics.”
“Tell me what kind ofscience you’re doing.”
“I cannot divulge thatinformation. I too wish to avoid legal entanglements. Which leavesus at an impasse.”
Smoke and mirrors workedfine in the movies, but Harry was tiring of this—and he feared thatfatigue would lead to mistakes. Never sharp even at his best, hiswits grew duller when he was frustrated or weary. And he’d also hadthose drinks. He shook his head. “All I’m gonna tell you is onething: Mr. Lord’s research was going real well. That thing he leftme? It’s a successful experiment.”Sorry,John. Harry hoped his chagrin was wellhidden.
Swan’s eyes widened and hectic blotches ofcolor bloomed on his cheeks. He swallowed a full glass of bourbonin one go. “Do you mean to tell me you possess—” He stoppedhimself, but his jaw kept working.
“I’m not telling youanything until you prove you have the same hobby as Mr. Lord.Otherwise how do I know you’re not a cop or running some kind ofcon?”
“I am neither.”
Harry shrugged. “Look, if you don’t want toplay, fine. There’s another fellow too, you know. In New Jersey. Icame to you first because Portland’s closer to LA, but if you’renot interested, I’ll head East.”
Although Swan looked verymuch as if he wanted to hit someone—or at least down a lot morebooze—his voice stayed even. “I believe Iamthe man you seek, and I’m willingto pay a great deal if you truly have… this object.” He rubbed hisforehead in thought. “All right. Tomorrow I have an unavoidablemeeting in Seattle. I’ll return home the following day. You come tomy house that evening at eight and bring your inheritance. At thesame time, I will show you my laboratory. We’ll provide proof toeach other concurrently. Acceptable?”
The fish was in the net. But Harry didn’texult over it, and his sensation of being dirty and corrupt hadonly increased. Harry had gotten himself into this mess anddeserved whatever happened to him; but not John. As far as Harrycould tell, John was innocent.
“Yeah. Okay.”
Swan wrote his address on the back of abusiness card and slid it across the table. Harry took the card,stood up, and removed his coat and hat from the hook. “See yousoon, Arthur.”
Swan nodded and took another sip of hisdrink.
***
Harry walked a few blocks and found a payphone. This time when he called, Townsend himself picked up. “Yeah,kid?”
“He’s real interested, buthe doesn’t want to tell me anything until he sees Jo—the proof. I’mgoing to his house the night after next. He says he’ll show me hislab.”
“Two nights from now? Ithought he’d be more eager.”
“He has to go to Seattlefor something tomorrow.”
Townsend made ahmmsound.
“Hey, Chief? He didn’tcome right out and confess, but he sure hinted at being up tosomething. Isn’t that enough? Can’t your guys crash his house andsee the lab for themselves?”
“Has he confirmed thathe’s attempting to make creatures like the one we lent you? Becauseif he’s simply digging up bodies with no intent to resurrect them,there’s no federal jurisdiction. And Idon’twant to get into a pissingcontest with the local authorities.”
Harry sighed. “He hasn’t confirmedanything.”
“Then report back afteryou see his lab.”
