“All of this investigation into Larry Geller’s past is bad for us. I can’t prevent the usual routine investigation by Niagara Regional Police; we have to be willing to accept whatever they turn up. If Geller is found, he will be extradited and put in the dock. We are powerless to do anything about that. But we will do whatever we can to delay matters. We only need a week. By that time the bids will …” He stopped. “I’ve told you this already. You see, I can’t predict you, Mr. Cooperman A man like you might turn up a great deal in a week.”
He had apparently ended his argument. He sat back in the chair as though my lines came next and his next cue was several pages off. I didn’t say anything. I was still trying to take in what I’d just heard. When I didn’t fill the silence, Bagot tried again. “Mr. Cooperman, I’ve been told you are a reasonable man.” He paused to see if I would deny it.
“Look, Mr. Bagot, I don’t want to stand in the way of progress. Everybody has to live. You, me, even Larry Geller. I don’t have any quarrel with you. But I can’t see how my digging into Geller’s affairs drops bird-lime on your hat.”
“It’s too complicated to go into.”
“Isn’t it always. Let’s see. Your company and Sid’s are up for a government job. Provincial or federal?”
“What’s the difference?”
“Well, if you said federal, I might think it had something to do with that canal-widening scheme they’ve been talking about in the papers. If it’s provincial, then my guess is that it has something to do with highways. But whatever it is, I can’t see how Geller’s game can hurt you. You’re not letting me in on the whole story.”
“Cooperman, I see that the reports I’ve heard about you are correct. I’ve underestimated you. But hear me out. You must see that the very name Geller will be enough to put the wind up the ministry involved. Our tender may be the best in the box, but no government can afford to get mixed up in a scandal. The opposition parties will jump at a mistake like that. The Geller name could be the axe to topple this government.”
“But Sid Geller isn’t Larry. He’s not even Sid Geller, he’s something called Bolduc Construction.”
“Nevertheless.”
“You’re not giving me all the pieces to play with. There has to be another element. A second breath of scandal maybe?” That made him blink.
“Mr. Cooperman, I’m going to make you a proposition. You have gone to a great deal of trouble in this matter. My associates Geoff, Len and Gordon have not treated you with the degree of politeness that I would have suggested under the circumstances. I don’t know who you are working for, but I would like you to come to work for me. I have here …” and his hand went into his breast pocket and came out with a wallet. He took from it a handful of new bills, “… five hundred dollars for you as a retainer. Treat it as that. Treat it as payment for the insults that you acquired in coming here. What do you say? Is it a bargain?”
This was one of those offers Mario Puzo used to write about, the kind you can’t refuse. I couldn’t see any way of getting any more out of him. Five hundred was a hell of a lot more than I could expect to get from the rabbi and Mr. Tepperman. I remembered the excuses I tried to give to them, all the reasons why the cops are the right people for digging into matters of this kind. They may not get results fast, but a private operator can’t honestly expect to get results at all. I’d been working on the case since Wednesday. This was Friday. I said I’d kick it around for a few days and I did. I didn’t owe Rabbi Meltzer or Saul Tepperman another hour on this case. I reached out and took the money.
“Excellent,” said Bagot, and as soon as I’d pocketed it, it felt anything but excellent. I felt like Damon after saying “Pythias who?” Or like I’d just taken Kogan’s last dime from him. But there wasn’t anything about my feeling that I thought I could share with Bagot.
“Car coming, Glenn.” Geoff went to the window and lifted one side of the green blind. “I can’t see who it is.” He opened the door and went outside. By now I could hear the motor. My hearing was sharper when I wasn’t on the take. If there are ever any Jewish monasteries, at least one will be called Our Lady of Perpetual Guilt.
“It’s the Audi,” Geoff announced over his shoulder as he returned to the cabin. Bagot let out the breath he’d been holding. He got up and walked to the door. Geoff, moving back to give him room, rejoined Len and the still bleeding Gordon at the table. It was like a film director was rearranging the groupings before bringing new characters on stage. The only new character was Pia Morley. She was wearing a rust-coloured suit that was supposed to add a casual note, but once she’d seen me the grin she’d been offering around to the boys closed its shutters for a moment.
“Well, hello, Mr. Cooperman.” Then she gave Bagot a pouting look.
“It’s all right. We’ve had a little talk, Pia, and Mr. Cooperman’s agreed to be cooperative.” Bagot knew the right words to make me wish I had thrown his five hundred into the stove. I wonder whether soldiers who never volunteer for dangerous missions go through life being put off by all sorts of imagined references. Are they embarrassed by every passing birthday? But when you’re bought, you’re bought. You have to take the insults that come with the wages.
“I still don’t think I like it, Glenn. He’s too cosy with the family,” she said, talking about me like I was a spot on the wall the paint wouldn’t cover. “He could tell them things he doesn’t even know he knows.” Bagot looked from me to her. He reminded me of a judge I’d seen. Was Bagot giving a fair hearing, or was he going to believe his five hundred dollars? Pia went on, “He’s been talking to Alex. He’s been seeing people all over town.”
“The boys picked him up outside Tom MacIntyre’s and followed him to a place on Woodland Avenue.”
“You shouldn’t have brought Tom into this, Mr. Cooperman. He plays both sides of the street.” I tried to shrug to show her that I was just a beginner in such things. Bagot had put his arm around Pia’s shoulder.