politician’s lackey and he would rather solve problems through honourable compromise, both parties thinking they had come out of it without losing face.
“Nothing gets into print. We get the photographs and negatives, but of course we’ll have no way of knowing if you’ve kept the odd one or two.”
“No, you won’t,” I said.
“It’s of no matter. In a modern society it’s important to have an insurance policy which covers the unanticipated as well.”
“You’re a wise man,” I said.
He didn’t register the sarcasm, or else he didn’t want to hear it. I knew that he knew that I would accept the offer. What did the whole business actually mean to me? It meant a good deal of money, but I had all the money I needed. It meant that I would have to swallow a fair share of pride, but it wasn’t exactly a case that learned lawyers with expertise in freedom of speech legislation would study for years to come. They were hardly the kind of photographs that ideologists would use in defence of freedom of the press. They were photographstaken because they would excite people’s curiosity and appetite for scandal. They were photographs which would fan the flames of righteous indignation, but they wouldn’t change anything one way or the other. And, personally, I couldn’t care less which politicians were in power. I thought it over while the little bureaucrat waited patiently.
“When can I get out?” I asked.
He hesitated. So there were certain complications.
“In 24 hours. Maybe sooner.”
“Why not now?”
“We should at least make it look as if the formalities have been observed, and that means getting you released by the judge. Frankly, we’ve leant on him a bit to get you in. I don’t think we’d be doing ourselves any favours by putting more pressure on him.”
“You mean he takes his responsibilities seriously?” I said.
“Perhaps.”
“I think it smells fishy.”
They had, all things considered, found me with amazing speed.
He paced the cell for a few moments. Watching him, I realised just how little space I actually had. A few steps back and forth. I knew I would go mad if I had to sit alone in a tiny cell for months.
“The business with the judge is genuine. But then of course we might want to have the photographs and negatives in our hands before we, as it were, drop the case. We don’t want any, and I mean not any, press coverage,” he said.
“I’m in solitary.”
“It can be arranged. You’ll be given access to a telephone tomorrow morning. You can have newspapers, a radio, a television, whatever food you choose, all the exercise in the yard you want, but the detention order remains in force until, let’s say, appropriate authorities appreciate that the case is bound to be thrown out because of the nature of the evidence.”
He flung his arms wide. What he was saying was: “This is the deal, I haven’t got anything else to offer, I can’t go any further. If I have to go further, then I’ll need to go and get new instructions.”
“OK,” I said.
“We’ve got a deal?”
He was surprised, but what else could I do? What had he expected? That I would shout and scream? Demand immediate release? I was familiar enough with the world he and I operated in to know that although he might be presenting me with a proposal, the bottom line had already been calculated and the figures had to add up.
“We have.”
“It’s a pleasure to do business with you,” he said, and held out his hand.
I shook it. He let me keep the cigarettes and the lighter. They left, wishing me a good night and saying they would see me again in the morning, and I smoked one more cigarette before lying down on the bed and falling asleep. I didn’t feel completely comfortable with what I had agreed to, but it was probably the best solution. Oscar would be a little disappointed about the money, but of course he would understand that photographs of an old lecher and a beautiful Italian actress
“Nothing gets into print. We get the photographs and negatives, but of course we’ll have no way of knowing if you’ve kept the odd one or two.”
“No, you won’t,” I said.
“It’s of no matter. In a modern society it’s important to have an insurance policy which covers the unanticipated as well.”
“You’re a wise man,” I said.
He didn’t register the sarcasm, or else he didn’t want to hear it. I knew that he knew that I would accept the offer. What did the whole business actually mean to me? It meant a good deal of money, but I had all the money I needed. It meant that I would have to swallow a fair share of pride, but it wasn’t exactly a case that learned lawyers with expertise in freedom of speech legislation would study for years to come. They were hardly the kind of photographs that ideologists would use in defence of freedom of the press. They were photographstaken because they would excite people’s curiosity and appetite for scandal. They were photographs which would fan the flames of righteous indignation, but they wouldn’t change anything one way or the other. And, personally, I couldn’t care less which politicians were in power. I thought it over while the little bureaucrat waited patiently.
“When can I get out?” I asked.
He hesitated. So there were certain complications.
“In 24 hours. Maybe sooner.”
“Why not now?”
“We should at least make it look as if the formalities have been observed, and that means getting you released by the judge. Frankly, we’ve leant on him a bit to get you in. I don’t think we’d be doing ourselves any favours by putting more pressure on him.”
“You mean he takes his responsibilities seriously?” I said.
“Perhaps.”
“I think it smells fishy.”
They had, all things considered, found me with amazing speed.
He paced the cell for a few moments. Watching him, I realised just how little space I actually had. A few steps back and forth. I knew I would go mad if I had to sit alone in a tiny cell for months.
“The business with the judge is genuine. But then of course we might want to have the photographs and negatives in our hands before we, as it were, drop the case. We don’t want any, and I mean not any, press coverage,” he said.
“I’m in solitary.”
“It can be arranged. You’ll be given access to a telephone tomorrow morning. You can have newspapers, a radio, a television, whatever food you choose, all the exercise in the yard you want, but the detention order remains in force until, let’s say, appropriate authorities appreciate that the case is bound to be thrown out because of the nature of the evidence.”
He flung his arms wide. What he was saying was: “This is the deal, I haven’t got anything else to offer, I can’t go any further. If I have to go further, then I’ll need to go and get new instructions.”
“OK,” I said.
“We’ve got a deal?”
He was surprised, but what else could I do? What had he expected? That I would shout and scream? Demand immediate release? I was familiar enough with the world he and I operated in to know that although he might be presenting me with a proposal, the bottom line had already been calculated and the figures had to add up.
“We have.”
“It’s a pleasure to do business with you,” he said, and held out his hand.
I shook it. He let me keep the cigarettes and the lighter. They left, wishing me a good night and saying they would see me again in the morning, and I smoked one more cigarette before lying down on the bed and falling asleep. I didn’t feel completely comfortable with what I had agreed to, but it was probably the best solution. Oscar would be a little disappointed about the money, but of course he would understand that photographs of an old lecher and a beautiful Italian actress
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