— You ready to go Christina?
— What? Oh. What's the use yes, I mean my God Oscar think about it will you? He wasn't just a smart lawyer and a sweet natured man a real man, he was our friend! seizing up her coat for the door, — think about it! and leaving him there in the throes of battle among the notorious burying beetles over the corpse of a mouse nicely scraped and embalmed by the victorious couple for their young to eat and then eating the young when they hatched to ensure the survivors of enough food for a stalwart new generation to start the whole thing all over again, inducing a stupor that lasted till he heard his name in full cry with a bang at the doors.
— Mister Crease? when he finally got them opened to the glad hand of — your friend Jack Preswig, a foot in the doors shuddering closed against him — no wait, hold on! May I come in? wedging his foot more firmly — all right then but let me explain, I'm in a new line of work Mister Crease and I think you can use me, won't cost you a dime just let me explain. I got out of the law, just to set your mind at rest, nothing but dog eat dog thought I'd better quit while I still had a spark of decency left in me. It's the biggest swindle ever invented, a regular cesspool of human greed, the side you see of people makes you ashamed of the human race I'll tell you, your best friends will eat you alive and I finally just couldn't face that man in the mirror so I got out, kept a few contacts because without them you're dead and that's where I heard about this problem you're having. I see the old red baron parked in the weeds out there but I hear this new car you leased is up for repossession because you can't make the payments and I think I can save you a lot of headaches, let me explain Mister Crease won't cost you a nickel. You get the bank and the loan people and the insurers after you they'll have you for lunch, destroy your credit rating job prospects liens foreclosure everything near and dear they're cannibals Mister Crease, they're all cannibals now here's how we work. It's a dark green Jag XJ6, five forty nine a month on a thirty six month lease, right? got all the particulars right here, you just leave it standing right here in the driveway with the keys handy, wake up some morning and it's gone, call the police report a stolen vehicle and you're home free. What? didn't hear you, what?
— Go away.
— You don't pay a thing no, must have misunderstood me I just said it won't cost you a penny that's the beauty of it. They're the ones who pay, I just said they're all cannibals aren't they? All the same breed let them chew each other's bellies out, you just blow the whistle on your stolen vehicle I'll take care of the paper work and you don't ever have to give it another, who's this? not yours too is it? as a small black car pulled up, — not the lady of the house is it? for the bulk already clambering up the steps red, with what forty years before might have been a cheerleader's smile and wave of the hand, in tooth and claw.
— I hope you're not showing this person the property, Mister Crease? We wouldn't want to see you make a hasty decision you could regret later, would we. I have a gentleman waiting in my car who is prepared to make a very attractive offer. He's a friend of the lovely little family who are going to be your new neighbors right up the driveway, I think they plan to start clearing the site this week and he'd like to get himself located here as soon as possible, he's flying out to the coast tonight and…
— What's he offering.
— He is thinking in the neighborhood of, who are you? Who is this person, Mister Crease?
— My name is Preswig, Madame. Jack Preswig, I'm an attorney, I've represented Mister Crease in other legal matters and we've just finished discussing a transaction where he stands to benefit substantially, now what is your client's offer.
— He's a very busy man and doesn't like to waste time haggling with third parties Mister Prestig, and so I'll be brief, he has to fly out to the coast tonight for a very important meeting and he…
— What's his offer.
— I know it's slightly below the sum we discussed on my last visit Mister Crease, when I met your charming wife and that dear old man, your father wasn't it? But my client is a very busy man, he makes deals in the millions every day I'm sure you'll recognize his name when you see it and he's offering two million seven on the spot.
— You can't be serious Madame, or possibly I misunderstand? You must be referring to another of Mister Crease's holdings and not this magnificent property before our eyes? I have a client in my practice, three of them in fact, who are looking around the area and wouldn't blink at five million, a high prestige neighborhood like this there's another million right there. You saw the sign at the gate out there strangers requested not to enter? All these exclusive old enclaves are gone, this is not the kind of subdivision you're used to dealing with Madame, the place has been in the Crease family for generations and it's plainly not a distress sale, Mister Crease obviously doesn't need the money but I don't think he can consider any…
— Mister Crease excuse me, let me say that my…
— He really can't consider anything less than five mil…
— My client, Mister Crease, is prep…
— Five million six.
— Mister Crease, my client is prepared to write a check on the spot. There won't be a day wasted on banks, mortgages and all those silly time consuming details, his attorneys will take care of the title insurance and the usual formalities and I think we can have a closing almost overnight, I think I mentioned that he's a very busy man he has a dinner meeting with some top industry executives out on the coast tonight and…
— Let's not waste any more of Mister Crease's valuable time standing out here in the cold, Madame. He won't consider a laughable sum like your two million seven for a minute. You couldn't build a place like this today for less than ten, just look at the gentle curve of these slate roofs it's all handwork, every single slate, you don't find workmanship like that anymore it's practically a landmark, two million seven? It's worse than laughable Madame, it's an insult, go down and tell your client Mister Crease takes it as a gross insult. If he wants to make a serious offer we can give you another minute to get his best price, I'm a busy man myself so will you please hurry? and he drew closer watching her unwieldy efforts to do just that down the cascading steps, his foot wedged more firmly in the door with — I'll tell you Mister Crease, a real stroke of luck I was here for this, these real estate people almost make you ashamed of the human race, a regular cesspool of human greed it's all the biggest swindle ever invented right down there with your insurance racket nothing but dog eat dog, I've got to leave any minute now a big commission right down the line but don't listen to anything less than five million firm, if he wants it he'll take it, just get a look at her she's just told him she thinks she can talk you down to four million a real steal at the price they're cannibals all of them, don't see how she can face herself in the mirror, what do you say.