The 16mm Caper

Chapter 15

Harry entered the coffee shop on the second level from the hotel. It was a narrow, curving room of open space with a counter laden with mainly breakfast goodies and a steep central staircase down to the tables on the ground floor. He bought a coffee and stood by the condiment station, looking down at the young woman in the red toque. She had placed herself in a corner where she could watch both the street and the hotel entrance and as Harry studied her he smiled at the nervous fingers twisting her coffee cup on the saucer. He descended the stairs and walked to her table, pulling out a chair and sitting down facing her. Cheryl started and looked at him with a measure of concern.

"I'm expecting someone." She said pithily.

"I know. Me." Harry sipped his coffee, watching her. "You have something you're interested in selling?"

"Are- are you Mister Hughes?"

Harry snorted and leaned back. "No, darlin', Mister Hughes doesn't take meetings with strangers in coffee shops."

"Well that was my underst--"

"Understand this, sweetheart, I represent Mister Hughes and I make or scrap the deal." He took another sip. "So, what have you got?"

"I spoke to a woman who said I'd be dealing with--"

"Did I not just make myself clear? You deal with me or you don't deal. Now what have you got?"

Cheryl grasped the strap of her purse and hunched her shoulders. "I have a DVD of the movie we discussed."

"With you?"

She gave a nervous smirk. "Hardly. I've seen enough films to know you don't leave yourself without some protection."

"This isn't a film, honey. I don't buy goods I don't see." Harry pushed his chair back and made to get up.

"Wait! Wait - how do I know you- you haven't even asked how much I want."

Harry sat back down and clasped his hands in front of him, leaning across the small table. "I don't care how much you want, sweetheart, I'll tell you what I'll pay when I see the goods."

"But- but how? It's on a disc."

"We'll grab a room here and use their equipment."

Cheryl blanched at the suggestion. Taking a room in a hotel with any man, especially this man was not in her things to do guide.

"Well? You interested in dealing or has this all just been a waste of my time? Let me tell you something, sweetheart, my employer doesn't take kindly to being jerked about and he has a very long reach if you follow my drift."

She swallowed hard and bit her lip. "Well... I guess that's the easiest way then."

"Good, I'll get a room." Harry started to rise.

"I want some kind of protection." Cheryl blurted.

Harry gawked. "We're looking at a video not hookin' up."

"I meant- I mean- how do I know you won't just take it from me?"

He got up and pushed the chair in. "That's it. I'm outta here. Nice spending this time with you, darlin'." He grinned inside, knowing then that she had the disc with her.

"Okay, okay!" Cheryl got up and came around beside him. "Get the room but I want something for my protection."

"Like what, for Christ's sake?" Harry started away and she followed.

"Your wallet."

"What!"

"Something from your wallet - or your car keys."

"Get stuffed, sweetie."

"Your employer will be very upset when I call back and tell him how you behaved in this negotiation."

Harry paused and faced her, a new look was required at old Cheryl, he thought. As frightened as she still was, she was going to tough out her position and if he wanted the disc without any trouble it seemed like he would have to play her game - for a while.

"Fine, let me get the room and you can hold my credit card."

"That's not enou--"

"Hey! Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it." They climbed the stairs and went to the hotel front desk.

******

Peter sat on a stool beside Harv and watched with dismay as Harv shredded the disc in his industrial shredder.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, how many copies can you make without harming the film?"

"Trust me, this is my business. As we speak there are no copies of the film remaining. I've prepared the extra material to be added and as soon as we review it and you approve, I'll burn two new ones. One for you and one for me and then the film goes to a safety deposit box in the bank."

"Whoa, who's safety deposit box?"

"The company's." Harv looked at Peter, questioningly. "Something wrong with that?"

"Only the obvious. I don't have access and it is my film."

"Thought it all through, my friend. Our lawyer will provide a letter to you or your lawyer describing the item and stating that you have supervised recovery privileges at any time."

"Supervised."

"Yeah, our lawyer or the bank manager would witness what you remove from the box."

Peter squirmed on the stool. "You know, Harv, I think I'd just rather take the original with me."

"Uh, huh. Don't trust me?"

"It's not that, it just seems too- too complicated. I mean it's my film and don't get me wrong, sharing a percentage with you is fine but I'd just like to have uhmm, possession."

"Fine. Let's look at what I've done, see what you think and we'll make the copies."

"Don't be angry about this, Harv. I want to keep our relationship on good terms."

"No problem. Actually, it's a relief not having the responsibility. I can get by with a copy but the original shouldn't be left hanging around." He switched on his computer and loaded the video.

The work had knocked him out. Harv had added special features gleaned from film archives over the Internet and true to his word, he'd created a masterpiece of restoration. One copy remained with Harv, and his copy of the new DVD, along with the film and the poster, were now in his backpack, securely strapped over his shoulder as he made his way to his apartment.

The fact that he now had the restored film in his possession made him uneasy and all the way home he fretted about where to keep it safely. Peter thought about the dinner with Mary and the Brewers when they had discussed the film and all the strange stuff going on around it and the idea struck him that Dylan might be able to help out.