Nothing was happening on this side of the house. Erin had confined herself to that beachfront room and I played it boringly safe for now.
An hour passed. I watched the clock, imagining Koko tearing her hair.
Of all the jobs I had done as a cop I had always hated surveillance. It’s bad enough when you have a partner to talk to; alone, it’s a killer. But I waited, slumped in my seat, only my eyes moving from the road to the house and back again.
He finally came at ten-thirty. I saw his lights far down the road and I got down deep in my seat. Gradually his lights washed over my car and went away as he turned into his drive. I eased up and looked over the edge of the window. He had pulled under the house and his taillights shone out at the road. I heard the door slam and saw his shadow moving around to the beachfront steps.
When he had gone into the house I got out of my car and walked up the drive. I stopped at his car and opened one of the doors, just enough for the momentary flash of light to confirm the ‘83 Pontiac, two-tone blue. The literary lion had come home to his den. Now came the tricky part: getting close enough to learn something useful without getting caught.
Again I went up the stairs and across the porch. I stood flattened against the wall, two feet from the open window, but so far nothing was going on: no sounds, not even a hint of talk from some other room.
Suddenly the door opened and Erin stepped out. I held my breath. If she moved away from the house or went even partway to the edge of the porch, she couldn’t miss seeing me when she turned around. But a sound drew her back into the room and I heard Archer say, “These goddamn airlines, it’s getting so I hate to fly. How was your flight?”
“It was okay. It got me here.”
“I guess I’m lucky mine was only two hours late. Did you have any trouble finding the key?”
“Right where you said.”
I heard him move again, coming closer to the window: then the clink of a bottle on glass. “How about a drink?”
“Only if it’s a very short one, please.”
“Name your poison.”
“Gin and tonic.”
I heard the sound of pouring and ice. Someone sat down, probably Archer, in the easy chair just to the left of the window. “Come on, Erin,” he said. “Relax.”
I pictured them looking at each other over their drinks, fencing with their eyes.
“Cheers,” Archer said.
A moment passed.
“Do you want to get down to cases now?” Erin said.
It had begun pleasantly enough but suddenly the mood got darker. Archer said, “I’ll tell you when I do. I’ll tell you how it’s going to go too.” There was no missing his intent: he was putting her in her place, letting her know who was boss.
“What’s wrong with you?” he said. “You fly all the way from Denver and now you act like you can’t wait to get out of here. Do I really bother you that much?”
It took her a moment to answer that. “I wouldn’t drive you around if you did, would I?”
“As a matter of fact I’ve been wondering about that. The night of Lee’s party, for example, how it came to be you who picked me up.”
“You found that unusual?”
“Considering how we parted after my book tour a few years ago.”
She said nothing.
“I should apologize for my lack of manners back then,” he said.
“There’s no need for that.”
“What if I feel a need?”
“Don’t, please. It’s not necessary.”
“You must like having that to hold over my head. Does it empower you having seen me in a bad light? Do you think you’ll get a better deal that way?”
“Let’s just talk business, Hal.”
“I am talking business and you’re starting to make me angry again. Do you think it’s easy for a man like me to apologize? About anything?”
“Look, Hal…I told you before, we’re fine.”
“But you’re lying, precious. Besides, maybe you’re not so fine with me.”
“If that’s the case, I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry, all right. Because now I’ve got something you want.”
“Which we haven’t even seen yet. I don’t know whether this was written by Richard Burton or the man in the moon.”
This was followed by another awkward silence. Then Archer said, “I’m not gonna give anything away. You’re good-looking, precious, but not that good,” and the tone changed again.
“You know what?” Erin said. “I’ve just decided I’m not in the mood for this.”
“Now there’s the Erin I know. She takes no prisoners. She goes straight for the gonads.”
“Do you want to talk or not?”
“I don’t know, what’s your offer?”
“You know what the offer is.”
“It’s not enough.”
“Then let’s hear your counteroffer.”
“Double it for starters. And you be a lot nicer than you have been. A lot, lot nicer.”
“That’s not going to happen, Hal.” “What isn’t?”
“Either condition. Double would be five times what anybody else would pay. And I will be civil and professional and that’s all you’ll ever get from me. I hope we’re clear at least on that.”
“Don’t put too high a premium on it, sweetheart. It’s just possible that I wouldn’t want anything you’ve got.”
“Then we’re making progress. We have our first item of agreement.”
“You really are one cold, calculating bitch.”
“Another comment like that and I’m on the next flight back to Denver.”
“So who’s stopping you?”
I heard her get up. She moved across the room and came toward the door.
Incredulous, he said, “You’d actually walk out of here? With all that’s at stake…”
“You’ve got a lot more at stake than I do. And the answer is yes. Keep a civil tongue in your head or I’m gone.”
He laughed without amusement. “You really are something else.”
She waited.
“All right, let’s talk,” he said.
She sat. “Start with the offer you’ve got. It’s already generous, as I’m sure you know.”
“That’s your opinion. How much is a lifetime worth? And let’s dispense with the notion that doubling it would be five times anything. There’s no telling what something like this would sell for in a well-publicized auction.”
“I’ve looked at recent auction records.”
“There are no auction records for this and you know it.”
Silence. Finally he said, “We’re talking unique, precious.”
“Maybe it’s so unique it doesn’t exist. You haven’t shown me anything yet.”
Archer laughed. “Now who’s wasting time?”
“Then show it to me. I’ll have to see it anyway, before anything real can happen.”
“Let’s get in the same ballpark first. If I put this at auction it’ll go through the roof.”
“It could also go for much less than you think.”
“Then call me on it.”
More silence.
“I didn’t think so,” Archer said.
“Not to beat a dead horse, but there are reasons why I don’t want this to become public.”
“That’s why you’re going to pay me, isn’t it, precious?”
“I can go up some. Not a lot. Certainly not double.”
“That’s too bad. Double’s where I start.”
“You’re wasting your time. And don’t call me precious again.”
I could almost see him shaking his head when he laughed. “I’ll bet you are one tough cookie in court, cookie.”
“You don’t want to find out.”
“That sounds like a threat. Are you threatening me, Erin?”
“Just agreeing with you.” She sighed suddenly and said, “We’re getting nowhere.”
Abruptly she got up: I heard her walk across the room. “Thanks for the drink. It doesn’t look like we’ll be able to do business but it’s always such a pleasure seeing you.”