“Nobody said he sent Greerson,” Sally said.

“Lady Tsung, do you know something? Is there another player in the game?”

Sally shrugged. “Possible. It’s also possible that Greerson was working for Haesslich all along and you just haven’t run into him till now. Even if I help, even if I coax Kham and his gang to play along, you boys are facing a real mess. It’s going to take a lot of muscle to put Haesslich out of business.”

“Then you will help.” Ghost made his question a statement.

Without a word. Sally rolled to her feet and strode to the kitchen counter to pour herself a cup of soykaf. Then she turned, leaned back against the counter, and drank off half the cup. Cradling the mug in both hands, she stood thinking for a moment or two.

“What about Lofwyr?” she said to Sam. “He sent you down to do his dirty work. Maybe he’d lend a hand, or at least finance some of this show.”

“I can ask,” Sam said.

To Dodger, it sounded as though Sam wasn’t really sure he could. He would try because Sally had asked him to. The Elf wondered just what Sally expected to get out of this.

“Welcome to the team, Lady Tsung.”

“Not so fast, Dodger. Let’s wait and see if that Quebecker wizworm is going to put his money where his maw is. I’ll play if he will.”

46

Jacqueline noted the line through which the call was coming. It was the one set aside for Verner. He must have finally discovered the nature of his opponent. While initiating the trace, she checked the calendar. Two days ahead of prediction.

She launched the simulator that would present her Karen Montejac persona on a half-second delay, just enough time For the simulator program to match the image’s facial movements to her words.

“Yes, Mr. Verner,” she said, opening the line.

She had to give the boy credit, He was quick to hide his surprise at being named as she came online. “I want to speak with Lofwyr,” he said.

“I’m sorry, but he is unavailable at the moment. May I give him a message?”

‘I want to speak to him personally,” Sam insisted. “Tell it’s about our deal.”

“Do you wish to cancel?”

“No.” His confusion and distress were evident to her practiced eye. “Look, I just need to talk to him. Things are different than he said they’d be, and I want to talk to him about Drake.”

“I see,” she responded with cool secretarial efficiency. “One of our arbitrators will be in touch. Six this evening at your current location?”

“Ah, yeah. Six is fine.”

“Very good, then. You will see Mr. Enterich.”

“But you don’t know where I am.”

“Mr. Enterich already has the information, sir, and I am sure he can provide a satisfactory response to any complaint you may have. Anything else, sir?”

“No, I guess not.”

“Then have a good day, Mr. Verner.” She broke the connection before she burst out laughing. She did enjoy it when the marks had no idea what was going on. Controlling her mirth, she opened a line to Lofwyr. The golden-scaled head appeared on the screen, and the Dragon fixed her with a stare. “Verner has reported. Lord. He will meet Mr. Enterich on the Drake matter at six, Seattle time.”

The Dragon stayed on only long enough to pronounce the result, “Satisfactory.”

Crenshaw nodded and Ridley kicked the door. The frame splintered and a section tore away, taking the lock plate, still fiercely resisting, with it. The door swung open to reveal a room screened from the afternoon sun by heavy drapes. Illumination came from a pair of red bulbs sitting baldly in cheap floor lamps supposed to look like candle Scones.

Startled, a naked fat man scrambled up from the bed. His companion, a petite Asian woman, stayed where she was, wide-eyed in surprise and just as unclothed. She had no choice; she was tied spread-eagled to the bedposts.

Crenshaw let Ridley and Markowitz precede her into the room. The detective stopped just clear of the door, but the razorguy stalked in, catching the naked man as he lunged for his clothes.

“Now, now, John,” Ridley said, grabbing the man by his hair and hauling his head back. The razorguy smiled as the man sagged in his grip, yelling in pain. “You shouldn’t leave before we get acquainted.”

Ridley pulled the John upright again and pumped two quick punches into his abdomen. The man doubled over, choking and starting to vomit. Ridley twisted the man’s hair, forcing the john to spew away from him. When the man had retched himself dry, Ridley shoved him at the door. The man stumbled toward it, arms folded over his middle.

“Want these?” Ridley taunted, holding up the man’s abandoned clothes. His laughter echoed in the hall as the man fled. “Oh, yeah. A real man.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Markowjtz said.

“Oh, no?” Ridley gave him an innocent look. “You did the dossier, Marky. You know how tough he gets. With women, anyway. Maybe he’d have tried to take us all on. I mean, he could have hurt A.C. I was just taking a little precautionary measure.

“You’re sick, Ridley,” Markowitz said.

“Leastways I don’t have to tie them down to get a girl. What about you, Marky? Ever manage it without a few straps?”

“Dump it, you two. We’re here on business.” Crenshaw turned to the woman on the bed. “We came to talk to you, Candy.”

Candy stretched her neck, trying to reach the strap release with her teeth, but Crenshaw slapped her cheek and pulled the release out of reach.

“Not just yet, dear.”

“I got nothing to say to you.” Candy’s eyes burned with hate, but she held still. “You guys just cost me 500 nuyen, and if you don’t buzz now, Alfie’s gonna set his stompers on your tails.”

“Let him try, babe.” Ridley held up his forearms and cocked his wrists inward. Nine centimeters of chromium steel blade snapped out from imbedded sheaths, glistening in the red light. “I eat stompers for breakfast, then go out for a real meal.”

Crenshaw sat on the edge of the bed. “You see, Candy. In his crude way, my associate has expressed a truth. We have no need to fear your friend Alfie’s bullies, as we are quite capable of protecting ourselves. You, on the other hand, have no one to protect you from us. You won’t need it, though, if you’ll just tell us what we want to know.”

Candy set her jaw and turned her head away.

“We know that you’ve been seeing a corporate manager by the name of Konrad Hutten.”