Pale Gray for Guilt by John D MacDonald

Author:John D MacDonald [MacDonald, John D]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense
ISBN: 9780449125953
Publisher: Fawcett
Published: 1968-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Ten

On Thursday evening I reached Preston LaFrance by phone at his home in Sunnydale. I taped it so that Meyer and I could study the playback.

“McGee? Trav? I’ve been wondering all day—”

“Too much has been happening, Press. I might say that things are shaping up a little better than I’d hoped. I might have some good news for you when I’m able to get up there.”

“I need some good news, and you can believe it. When are you coming up.”

“I’ll have to let you know. That money we talked about. Have you got it set aside?”

“Let me get one thing straight. I get to know about what’s going on before I have to go ahead and buy that damned thing for three or four times what it’s worth, don’t I? I mean I get a chance to make a decision based on what you tell me?”

“Naturally. But as you must realize, I’m not in this thing for that kind of a profit.”

“I can figure that out for myself all right. Okay, I’ve got that money set aside, in case I want to go along.”

“You will. I’ll have the papers all drawn and bring them along. But one thing has come up which worries me a little, Press.”

His voice tightened up. “What? What?”

“Have you had any recent contact with Santo?”

“No. No reason to. Why?”

“I think it would be a very good thing if you make certain he never hears about any kind of deal between you and me.”

“I don’t understand what you—”

“Did you hear anything about somebody topping your offer that same day title reverted to Mrs. Bannon, and I bought it from her?”

“I sure did, and it puzzled the hell out of me. It come through Steve Besseker here, and he won’t say who made it.”

“I have it on pretty good authority that Besseker was representing Gary Santo.”

“What! The hell you say! Steve?”

“Santo sent some woman up to give him his orders, apparently. A tall redhead.”

“By God, somebody was kidding Steve about seeing him over in Broward Beach with a big good-looking redhead sometime just before Christmas.”

“It was probably the same day I bought the Bannon property. And it strikes me that the way things are going, Santo would want to know if there is any present or pending agreement between you and me, and he might have asked Besseker to find out.”

I could hear him breathing, and then he said softly, “Well, I’ll be a son of a bitch! The very next day he asked me if I knew you, and if maybe you were acting for me because, like Whitt Sanders said, that Bannon woman certainly wouldn’t have sold to me no matter what I offered her. What’s going on, McGee?”

“I’m afraid he’s gotten wind of the deal I’m trying to pull off, and it would sting him a little. I suppose Besseker will keep him posted on every move you make. Well, we may have to move a little faster than I planned. Santo will hear about you buying the Bannon place from me as soon as the sale is recorded.

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