William Bayer - Blind Side

"Whatever she is, she isn't that," I said.

"Trust her?"

"I do now-yes."

"But then you're not the best person to judge her, are you, Geof)"

I had to agree with him about that.

"Okay, I got maybe nine points I want to make. First, normally I'd say double the demand to show we mean business, But we can't do that here because the original demand for a million was way too much. Still, now, we've got to stick to it. Show the slightest sign of weakness and we're dead.

"Second, we have to enforce compliance by giving the enemy (and that's what they are, Geof, the enemy-don't ever forget it!) a whole array of unpleasant alternatives. Fine to threaten them with the cops, but that isn't enough. Murder rap's good, but not sure. Find their other weak spot, threaten them there. That's how we make them pay."

o what's their other weak spot?" I asked. xposure. The tabloids. That's what'll make Darling Guy wears a mask, he's afraid of being seen. So for that. We got pictures, we can show the world he is. See, there's our basic threat: disgrace.

n this same area, call it point three, we exploit that weakness to unnerve him. I'd like to see you stake him out, then ambush him with your camera. Even money says he won't be able to take it, that you can make him cover up. Do that-and you're in charge. Then you'll hold the whip."

"That means going back to New York."

"You're going to have to do that anyway. Thing is, Geof, if you shoot him like I say, he gets to look you in the eye and see you're serious. Easy for him to come to a meeting prepared to stare you down. But take him by surprise, and every shot will be like a blow across his face.

I smiled. I liked that. In fact I liked Frank's whole approach. He had a grip on the thing, which made me feel good, and that I'd been right to bring it to him.

"This Mrs. Z-she's another weakness. As are the Duquaynes, if they're as fashionable and well known as you say. they didn't do any murders, but they don't want to go down with people who did. If we approach them right, we can get them to pressure Mrs. Z. And that may help us divide her from Darling."

f didn't get what Frank was saying.

"Darling and Mrs. Z are accomplices."

"Yeah, right now they are. But for how long? He's got money, she doesn't, which means he's got to pay for both of them, and that breeds resentment-on both their parts. If he hadn't whacked Sonya, she wouldn't be in trouble. If Kim hadn't gotten ideas, he wouldn't be getting blackmailed. Doesn't matter that they're allies, each has got a problem with the other. The more we can exploit that, the more we weaken them and increase our chances."

"What next?"

"Send them a message. they have to understand what happens if they don't comply. The best message is a demonstration-like sending that kid to throw lye at your door. We're going to have to do a violent act to make them see we're serious, something comparable to breaking Rakoubian's lenses. That was a stroke of genius, Geof. Best move you made."

"What kind of violent act?"

"We'll think of something."

I must have moaned, because, when Frank glanced at me, his eyes were a little sharp.

"This isn't a game."

"I know that."

"Intellectually maybe, but not yet, not in your heart. What old Edward G. said in that movie-that's the way they're going to think. They're going to give very serious consideration to killing you, Geof-to killing all of us. Which brings me to point number five: Play for keeps. I'm talking now about mental attitude. This is combat, and they're the enemy, and there's no middle groundit's us or them. Go into this, you're going into lawless territory where you have to be prepared for treachery and also to kill. I mean really be ready to do it, Geof, because that split-second when you're thinking, Should I kill this guy or is there some other way? will be the split-second when, without compunction, he'll be killing you.

He went quiet after that, and I fell silent too. I didn't doubt that everything he said was true. I only wondered whether I had the character for it. I was a photographer. I didn't know if I had a warrior's blood.

"Actually," he said, "it won't be so bad. I'll always be there watching your back. I want you to take pictures too. The more you take, the more they'll fear you because photographs are their nemesis. And with pictures, if things go wrong, you'll have material to take to Scotto. The cops would rather put away a decadent killer like Darling than a one-time amateur blackmailer like you."

"Okay," I said, "what's number six?"

"Neutralize the cops. You've handled them pretty well so far, but you can't leave them hanging the way you did. From your description Scotto sounds good, but Ramos may be even better. Good cops are relentless-that's why they choose the work. they like the chase and they like the capture. So when you go back to New York, you're going to have to handle them with care.

"Another thing you're going to have to do is sacrifice Rakoubian. Sounds harsh, but the guy deserves it. He deserves whatever he gets." ?"

"What do you mean-'sacrifice'.

"Squeal on him. Have Kim tell Mrs. Z he took the pictures. they may kill him for that, which wouldn't be such a bad thing-you'll be rid of the one person who might try to extort from you later on. Also7 you'll give Once they Darling and Mrs. Z an outlet for their rage.

do something to him they may feel a lot less anger toward you." I thought about that, and, funny thing, the longer I thought about it, the better I felt. Rakoubian had been willing to see me killed. Whatever happened to him now came with the territory.

Okay," I said.

"What's next?" ily a guy like

"An idea I have about Darling. Norma that would insulate himself. If he wanted to get rid of Shadow he'd contract out the job. He didn't. He tortured her. Which tells you what a'twisted animal he is. But there's more. See, it's pretty clear he had some help, someone to drive her body to Newark, and those two street. Which means there're guys who chased Kim on the nd no matter people around who know what he did, a

they probably don't like him what kind of goons they are,

n-'oying it they're for hurting girls and e j – Guys like that, if caught, they'll spill their guts, and Darling's got to know that too. That has to keep him up at night, as does the prospect that under certain conditions Mrs. Z may very well-squeal herself. Okay, what does that tell us? That he may have as his objective the liquidation of all these difficulties at once. I mean killing you, me, Kim, his associates, Mrs. Z, everyone who ow@ver.yone. Now, if he does decide to go that route, if he sees that as his only way out, he can't use surrogates, he'll have to do it himself. And that means exposing himself on the field of battle.

,,Which brings me to my final point: choose the battlefield. Ultimately, in a deal like this, there comes the payoff-and-exchange when the parties have to meet. That's the most dangerous time, the time we're most vulnerable, the time we want to control the territory. Can't be the base. Key West's your base-the place you take the Money and hide out. And New York's no good-it's their territory as much as yours. Which leaves New Mexico. Resolve 't out here, my stamping grounds, and we'll have a big advantage."

I'd been listening so intently, I didn't notice that just before Santa Cruz he had turned off the road to Santa Fe and driven a mile or two along the route to Tierra Amarilla. He stopped the car.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Get out. Take a look."

I got out, looked around, didn't see much of anything.

"You can't tell now," he said, "but right here',-he made a mark with his boot heel in the dirt beside the road-"this is the very spot."

floo ked at him. He was grinning.

"Can't help it Geoff. I couldn't resist. This is where Ansel set up his tripod." He motioned to some ruins in a field on the left side of the road.