Errors and Omissions by Paul Goldstein

Author:Paul Goldstein
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780307387011
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2007-07-10T00:00:00+00:00

“Please come in, Harry. Would you care for something to drink? Fruit juice? Sparkling water? We were just discussing your Golden Age. The 1950s. The blacklist.”

Seeley quickly sorted through the implications of this “old friend’s” presence in Mayer Bermann’s library. Bermann wanted Seeley to go to Germany to get Max Kanarek’s signature. Harry Devlin did not. Bermann had plied him with art, charm, and philosophy. Devlin had warned him that the studio was getting reckless.

“You are surprised, Mr. Seeley, that my adversary should come to visit me at my home? Mr. Devlin and I have been acquainted for a great many years. Our relationship dates to when I was making my start in the industry and Mr. Devlin was trying to put a law practice together by representing labor unions.”

When, Seeley thought, you owned a single, failing movie theater in Albany, New York, and Harry Devlin was the bag man who carried your payoffs to his bosses in the rackets.

Seeley said to Devlin, “Why are you here?”

Devlin gave him a bland look. “When I told Mr. Bermann of your interest in finding Max Kanarek, he kindly invited me to join the two of you. But”—Devlin glanced at the empty glass on the bar—“it looks like you started without me. You misled me, Mayer. You said your driver wasn’t picking Michael up until nine.”

“You should take your vitamins, Harry.” Bermann placed a hand on Devlin’s shoulder. “I specifically told you eight o’clock. But, yes, Mr. Seeley and I have been speaking. He will be traveling to Germany to secure Max Kanarek’s statement that he is the author of Spykiller.”

Devlin said, “Fifty years is a long time. Why is it suddenly so important for Kanarek to acknowledge his authorship? Why hasn’t he come forward already? Why don’t you go after him yourself?”

Seeley was certain that Devlin knew the answers to his questions. Why was he baiting Bermann?

“I have already told Mr. Seeley that Mr. Kanarek will not speak to me.”

“Why would Max Kanarek refuse to speak to the man who has shown him such consideration? The man who has been sending him money all this time?”

Devlin wasn’t expecting answers. The questions were to make Seeley understand that a trip to Germany to get Max Kanarek’s signature would be futile. This was why Devlin had come.

“Mr. Seeley will tell you that I have already explained how difficult Max Kanarek can be. But Mr. Seeley is an accomplished lawyer and is accustomed to dealing with such people.”

“Did you tell him about Max’s novels? What number is he up to now? Seven? Eight? As soon as he completes one, Michael, he puts it on the shelf and starts the next one. He won’t show them to publishers. Can you imagine that? All that work and no one gets to read the book.”

Bermann said, “I could never understand why someone would do that. If a director spends two, three years making a movie, he wants to release it. He fights to release the film.”

Bermann’s evasion didn’t distract Seeley.

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