The 16mm Caper

Chapter 37

The receptionist glanced up as the woman crossed the foyer with long, determined strides. She stopped and grinned down at the young woman and asked for Ralston Hughes.

"Do you have an appointment?" She asked, leafing through her calendar.

"Yes. With Ralston Hughes."

"I'm sorry I don't see anything here, what is your name, please?"

"Just tell him there's someone to see him."

"I'm afraid Mr. Hughes is too busy for--"

Vera leaned across the desk and took the woman's arm, watching her expression run from surprise to excruciating pain.

"Just tell him, sweetheart."

Vera listened with amusement as the woman announced her and the annoyed response over the intercom. She patted the woman's hand, which flinched and caused her to make a noise even though nothing hurt, and strode toward Ralston's office.

"Who the hell are you?" Ralston slowed his temper, taking in the surprising image of the woman entering his office. "Do you have a name to go with that body." He leered, resting nonchalantly on his golf club.

"I do." She continued right to the front of his desk, turned and leaned against it, her ankles crossed and arms folded.

Ralston laughed and swaggered around beside her asking, "Do I have to guess?" Then stood directly in front of her, both hands resting on the club.

"I don't really care what you do after you give me the film that Peter Rabb just sold to you." Her smile reminded him of something hungry, something dangerous and hungry.

"What makes you think I'd do that?" He backed away and changed his stance to one of a more defensive posture.

"The knowledge that it would be easier on you if I didn't have to make you." She batted her eyes teasingly and he frowned.

Ralston walked back around his desk and sat, unsettled by the fact that she didn't even bother to turn. "You know what, whatever your name is, you can just take your saucy ass outta here, I'm a busy man."

Vera tossed her head back and laughed then stood away from the desk, turning slowly to look at him. "Last chance the easy way, Ralston." The smile never changed.

He aimed the head of the club at her and swore, reiterating his warning to get out of his office. In a blinding move, Vera grabbed the end of the club and shoved it back, ramming the handle into Ralston's chest hard enough to tip him off his chair then she swept around and stood over him, one foot on either side of his hips.

"It's not polite to point." He gasped for breath and rubbed his chest, grunting from the pain. "The film, Ralston."

"Screw you!"

He started to sit up, but she placed a boot heel across his throat and pressed him back down. His eyes widened as he felt the pressure increasing on his neck and his hands grappled with her legs, frantically trying to pull her away. A crunching sound filled his head and he opened his mouth shouting silently.

The heel pressure increased, and the next sound was a snap as his eyes rolled up into his head and his hands dropped to the floor. Vera stood hard for a moment and then removed her foot, shaking her head at the result.

"Too much macho attitude there, Ralston." She scanned the room and then began her search, taking all of five minutes to come up with the film and the poster art. "Mission completed."

Her smile returned as she strode from the office, nodded pleasantly to the receptionist and told her that Mr. Hughes was all choked up by her visit and wanted some time alone. The young woman matched her nod with a puzzled expression, watching her leave.

******

Peter sat across from the bank manager shaking his arm to generate some feeling while Dylan explained that the bank draft was to be deposited immediately and the funds cleared before the end of the day. The manager smiled slickly and explained that it would be impossible to verify the account in less than five working days.

Dylan smiled back and said that that was fine, they'd take their business to an institution that could get it done, reminding the manager that a deposit of one half a million dollars was a tidy bit of business for a small branch.

"I understand your urgency, but it just isn't possible, Mr. Rabb. We just don't do things that way."

"Too bad for you then." Peter stood and retrieved the draft from the manager's reluctant fingers. "I'm sure we can find someone to assist us on a more timely basis."

The manager rubbed his forehead and then his hands. "Look- uh- let me make a call before you go. Maybe I can have your request expedited." Dylan and Peter exchanged glances and then nodded, pointedly looking at their watches. Ten minutes later an e-mail arrived on the manager's computer confirming the funds for immediate release. He grinned and clapped his hands together as if having performed a magical feat.

"Good work," Peter said. "Just deposit it minus thirty-five thousand in cash, and we'll be out of your hair."

"That's a considerable amount of cash, Mr. Rabb, perhaps--"

"Perhaps you should just get it and stop wasting our time, sir." The manager blinked and wet his lips. "Big bills are just fine." Peter added.

"What was that about? What's the money for?" Dylan fumbled with his seat belt as Peter steered off the bank parking lot out into traffic.

"It's a taste for all the partners, partner. Five grand each just to celebrate. We'll work out a split later; today is party day."

"Let's not drop our guard too soon, Peter. That dame from outer space is still out there." He looked away out the window at the passing traffic. "I wonder what happened at Hughes' place."

******

Harry sat in the car and watched the activity around the entrance to Hughes' building. Police and paramedics scurried about wrapping tape around poles and running gurneys into the building. Douglas dashed back from the scene and got in the limo.

"Well?"

"I'm soaked already. We are royally screwed."

"What?"

"Hughes is dead. Killed by an unknown woman according to the receptionist. The man I spoke to said she found him on the floor of his office after meeting with a woman who refused to give her name, called nine one-one and then fainted dead away. She's on the first gurney they loaded into the van."

"Vera." Harry said wearily. "Time to get our money and run, Douglas. This is turning to deep shit." He pointed to the TV van unloading equipment and swore. "This'll be on the news any minute and when that dame comes around the word will begin to leak out very fast."

"We don't even know if Rabb met with him or not." Douglas said, steering past the confusion of vehicles.

"And I don't care any more. If he did, Vera got the material. If he didn't, she simply satisfied her urges."

"I'm still thinkin' of givin' her a taste of her own medicine." The limo drifted around a corner and accelerated up a long grade.

"You are a damn fool but that's your choice. Just don't expect any help from me."

"Who says I need it?"

"Only anybody on the planet that's met Vera." Harry's sarcasm put a clamp on Douglas's mouth, and he concentrated on guiding the big car over the bumpy streetcar tracks.