do? I must tell Herman. There is nothing else I can do. I won't be party to this. You have done it and you must take the consequences. I'll try to persuade Herman to accept what has happened ... I'll do that." "Herman is an unforgiving, ruthless sonofabitch," Archer said quietly. "He's sure to prosecute. Look, Helga, for old times' sake, won't you give me a hand? After all we were lovers ... I did fix your marriage ... don't you feel you owe me something?"
"No, and you know it! You wanted me married to Herman to be sure of his account!"
"Just try leaning over backwards a little. Look, suppose you tell him I suggested investing in Australian nickel. You agreed. The stock began to rise so we plunged two million into it. Suppose you tell him we were gambling on his behalf. Do you think he would buy that?"
She hesitated. She realized she couldn't send this man to prison: even now the memory of those 'quickies' was too strong. Yes, she thought she could convince Herman this had been a bad speculation that hadn't come off. She would be contrite and promise him it would never happen again. He was certain to give her a tongue lashing but if she ate enough humble pie he would still leave her in control of his affairs, but only if she got rid of Archer. She would have to do that. From now on she would have to deal with some firm like Spencer, Grove & Manly, stuffy people, but highly respectable and their integrity unquestionable. She could no longer work with Archer. She could no longer trust him. She lit a cigarette in the effort to steady her nerves.
"All right, I'll persuade Herman to buy it," she said quietly.
"But I am going to tell him to move the account to Spencer, Grove & Manly. I can't work with you in the future. You understand that?"
"You really think Herman will buy it?" Archer sat forward, relief on his face. "I said so, didn't I?"
"Then why close the account, Helga? There's no need to. If you're sure he'll buy it we are back on square A."
She regarded him as if he were a stranger.
"As soon as Herman arrives I will have a letter for him to asking you to transfer all his holdings and files to Spencer, Grove & Manly." She picked up the list of securities and got to her feet "I don't ever want to see you again," and she walked to the door. "Helga."
She paused and turned. He was lighting another cigar.
"Well?"
"Is that your last word?"
"Yes," and she reached for the door handle.
"Don't run away," he said, a bite in his voice. "We still have things to talk about." He paused, staring at her. "How did you find Larry? He's quite a character, isn't he?"
The Dean of the School of Law where Helga had taken her doctorate had said among many other things that there was a time to bluff and a time to be intelligent enough to know when not to bluff.
Helga had accepted this wisdom during her Law years. When she had bluffed, she had bluffed with a finesse of an expert poker player but when the situation was such she always accepted the inevitable.
The fibre of steel in her would not allow Archer to see the shock his words had on her. Her face expressionless, she turned around, came away from the door and sat down.
"What else is there to talk about?" and even she was surprised how steady her voice sounded.
He regarded her and genuine admiration showed in his eyes.
"I always thought you had guts, Helga, and now I know it for sure. You took that sucker punch like a champion."
"What else is there to talk about?" she repeated woodenly.
"Me and you." He leaned back in the armchair and drew on his cigar. "You see, Helga, I can't let the account get away from me. You don't imagine I would forge your signature and take all that money from Herman unless I was in a desperate fix? I've not only lost Herman's money, but I have lost my own. Things are bad at the office. The fact is so many of the old fossils have died recently, so many accounts have come to a grinding halt since the new US. tax laws that we're scarcely ticking
"No, and you know it! You wanted me married to Herman to be sure of his account!"
"Just try leaning over backwards a little. Look, suppose you tell him I suggested investing in Australian nickel. You agreed. The stock began to rise so we plunged two million into it. Suppose you tell him we were gambling on his behalf. Do you think he would buy that?"
She hesitated. She realized she couldn't send this man to prison: even now the memory of those 'quickies' was too strong. Yes, she thought she could convince Herman this had been a bad speculation that hadn't come off. She would be contrite and promise him it would never happen again. He was certain to give her a tongue lashing but if she ate enough humble pie he would still leave her in control of his affairs, but only if she got rid of Archer. She would have to do that. From now on she would have to deal with some firm like Spencer, Grove & Manly, stuffy people, but highly respectable and their integrity unquestionable. She could no longer work with Archer. She could no longer trust him. She lit a cigarette in the effort to steady her nerves.
"All right, I'll persuade Herman to buy it," she said quietly.
"But I am going to tell him to move the account to Spencer, Grove & Manly. I can't work with you in the future. You understand that?"
"You really think Herman will buy it?" Archer sat forward, relief on his face. "I said so, didn't I?"
"Then why close the account, Helga? There's no need to. If you're sure he'll buy it we are back on square A."
She regarded him as if he were a stranger.
"As soon as Herman arrives I will have a letter for him to asking you to transfer all his holdings and files to Spencer, Grove & Manly." She picked up the list of securities and got to her feet "I don't ever want to see you again," and she walked to the door. "Helga."
She paused and turned. He was lighting another cigar.
"Well?"
"Is that your last word?"
"Yes," and she reached for the door handle.
"Don't run away," he said, a bite in his voice. "We still have things to talk about." He paused, staring at her. "How did you find Larry? He's quite a character, isn't he?"
The Dean of the School of Law where Helga had taken her doctorate had said among many other things that there was a time to bluff and a time to be intelligent enough to know when not to bluff.
Helga had accepted this wisdom during her Law years. When she had bluffed, she had bluffed with a finesse of an expert poker player but when the situation was such she always accepted the inevitable.
The fibre of steel in her would not allow Archer to see the shock his words had on her. Her face expressionless, she turned around, came away from the door and sat down.
"What else is there to talk about?" and even she was surprised how steady her voice sounded.
He regarded her and genuine admiration showed in his eyes.
"I always thought you had guts, Helga, and now I know it for sure. You took that sucker punch like a champion."
"What else is there to talk about?" she repeated woodenly.
"Me and you." He leaned back in the armchair and drew on his cigar. "You see, Helga, I can't let the account get away from me. You don't imagine I would forge your signature and take all that money from Herman unless I was in a desperate fix? I've not only lost Herman's money, but I have lost my own. Things are bad at the office. The fact is so many of the old fossils have died recently, so many accounts have come to a grinding halt since the new US. tax laws that we're scarcely ticking
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