over. Herman's account is about the one thing that keeps us solvent."
"You should have thought of that before you turned thief and forger," Helga said harshly.
"I had no alternative. I was in too deep. It was either sink or swim ... I'm not
the sinking type."
"That I can believe."
"The fact is I don't intend to lose the account. You and I are going to continue in partnership, and I'll tell you for why. We are both cheats: I am a thief and forger and you are a whore. Neither of us would get any mercy from Herman. If he found us out, we wouldn't survive. You would lose sixty million dollars and I'd go to jail. That's why we are going to remain partners." She sat very still. "What are you threatening me with?" she asked.
He studied her, then nodded his approval. He reached for his briefcase, opened it and took out an envelope.
"This," he said and flicked the envelope on to the table. It skidded across and landed in her lap.
Her hands, still steady, took the envelope and lifted the flap. She drew out a glossy photographic print that was still a little damp. She studied it, keeping her expression under control although she felt as if ice water was running down her back.
In the photograph, she was lying on her bed, naked, and exposed, her hand on Larry's trouser zip, while he appeared to be tearing off his jacket. In spite of her control, she felt the blood draining out of her face. She returned the print to the envelope and put the envelope on the table
"Thief, forger ... and now blackmailer," she said unsteadily. "At last, I'm getting to know you."
He smiled: a thin smile, but a smile.
"I've already called myself all those names, Helga. I have now got beyond shame. I'm just not going to sink, and I have persuaded myself the end justifies any means. After all, you yourself are no saint, are you?" "How did you get this photograph?"
"Do you really want to know?" He sank lower in his chair. "It was a long term operation and a technical achievement. A week ago I went to the villa ... you remember I have a key ... and I concealed a camera in one of the window recesses. The camera was focused on the bed. I had an electrician with me. He worked on the sun lamp switch by the bed. Larry had only to touch the switch to set off the camera shutter, the flash light and trip the fuses. It was quite a performance."
She drew in a long, slow breath, trying to control her rising fury.
"You mean you hired an electrician to make this blackmail trap?" He lifted his hands.
"My dear girl, you don't imagine I'm clever enough to do a job like that? But don't worry. He was very well paid. He just thought I was eccentric ... you know the Swiss." "And you got someone to process the photograph?"
"Now, come, Helga, I'm not stupid. I hired a dark room of a local photographic store. I did the processing myself. I'm rather good with a camera."
She sat for a long moment absorbing what he had told her, then she said, "And Larry?"
"He's quite a character, isn't he?" Archer drew on his cigar and stared up at the ceiling. "I knew for certain I would have trouble with you. When the money went down the drain, I knew I had to find a means of controlling your first impulse to rush to Herman and tell him what had happened. I also knew Herman would prosecute. Everyone has a weakness that can be exploited in one way or another. We have known each other now for some ten years. I know your weakness." He looked at her. "You have been married to an impotent cripple for four years ... a little more. You will inherit sixty million dollars so long as you behave yourself but I was certain you weren't living like a nun. I decided to bait a hook for you. Frankly, Helga, with any other woman I wouldn't have attempted it: the trouble, the money spent, the rushing here and there would have been too long odds, but with you, I felt it was worth a try. I knew you were arriving in Hamburg to pick up the car. Two days before you arrived I flew to Hamburg and began to look
"You should have thought of that before you turned thief and forger," Helga said harshly.
"I had no alternative. I was in too deep. It was either sink or swim ... I'm not
the sinking type."
"That I can believe."
"The fact is I don't intend to lose the account. You and I are going to continue in partnership, and I'll tell you for why. We are both cheats: I am a thief and forger and you are a whore. Neither of us would get any mercy from Herman. If he found us out, we wouldn't survive. You would lose sixty million dollars and I'd go to jail. That's why we are going to remain partners." She sat very still. "What are you threatening me with?" she asked.
He studied her, then nodded his approval. He reached for his briefcase, opened it and took out an envelope.
"This," he said and flicked the envelope on to the table. It skidded across and landed in her lap.
Her hands, still steady, took the envelope and lifted the flap. She drew out a glossy photographic print that was still a little damp. She studied it, keeping her expression under control although she felt as if ice water was running down her back.
In the photograph, she was lying on her bed, naked, and exposed, her hand on Larry's trouser zip, while he appeared to be tearing off his jacket. In spite of her control, she felt the blood draining out of her face. She returned the print to the envelope and put the envelope on the table
"Thief, forger ... and now blackmailer," she said unsteadily. "At last, I'm getting to know you."
He smiled: a thin smile, but a smile.
"I've already called myself all those names, Helga. I have now got beyond shame. I'm just not going to sink, and I have persuaded myself the end justifies any means. After all, you yourself are no saint, are you?" "How did you get this photograph?"
"Do you really want to know?" He sank lower in his chair. "It was a long term operation and a technical achievement. A week ago I went to the villa ... you remember I have a key ... and I concealed a camera in one of the window recesses. The camera was focused on the bed. I had an electrician with me. He worked on the sun lamp switch by the bed. Larry had only to touch the switch to set off the camera shutter, the flash light and trip the fuses. It was quite a performance."
She drew in a long, slow breath, trying to control her rising fury.
"You mean you hired an electrician to make this blackmail trap?" He lifted his hands.
"My dear girl, you don't imagine I'm clever enough to do a job like that? But don't worry. He was very well paid. He just thought I was eccentric ... you know the Swiss." "And you got someone to process the photograph?"
"Now, come, Helga, I'm not stupid. I hired a dark room of a local photographic store. I did the processing myself. I'm rather good with a camera."
She sat for a long moment absorbing what he had told her, then she said, "And Larry?"
"He's quite a character, isn't he?" Archer drew on his cigar and stared up at the ceiling. "I knew for certain I would have trouble with you. When the money went down the drain, I knew I had to find a means of controlling your first impulse to rush to Herman and tell him what had happened. I also knew Herman would prosecute. Everyone has a weakness that can be exploited in one way or another. We have known each other now for some ten years. I know your weakness." He looked at her. "You have been married to an impotent cripple for four years ... a little more. You will inherit sixty million dollars so long as you behave yourself but I was certain you weren't living like a nun. I decided to bait a hook for you. Frankly, Helga, with any other woman I wouldn't have attempted it: the trouble, the money spent, the rushing here and there would have been too long odds, but with you, I felt it was worth a try. I knew you were arriving in Hamburg to pick up the car. Two days before you arrived I flew to Hamburg and began to look
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