The Collected Mystery Stories by Lawrence Block

Author:Lawrence Block [Block, Lawrence]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9780752825441
Amazon: 0752825445
Goodreads: 1122391
Publisher: Orion Books
Published: 1999-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

YOU COULD CALL

IT BLACKMAIL

He was in the garden when the phone rang. It rang several times before he remembered that Marjorie had taken Lisa to her piano lesson. He walked unhurriedly back to the house, expecting the caller to hang up before he reached the telephone, but it was still ringing when he got to it.

“David? This is Ellie.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Why?”

“Your voice. Is something wrong?”

“Everything’s fine. No, everything’s not fine.”

“Ellie?”

“I’d like to see you. Could we meet for lunch?”

“Yes, of course. Just let me think. Today is what? Monday. I’m supposed to come into the city the day after tomorrow to have lunch with someone at Simon and Schuster. I hope I remember her name before I see her. I’m sure I could get out of it.”

“No, don’t do that. It doesn’t have to be lunch. If we could meet for a drink?”

“Sure. Not that it would be any problem to cancel lunch. Let me think. There’s an Italian place called the Grand Ticino on Thompson off Bleecker. It’s always quiet during the day. I must be the only person who goes there, and I don’t get there more than once or twice a year.”

“How do you spell it?”

He spelled it. “Two o’clock Wednesday? I’ll call what’s-her-name and move lunch back to noon.”

“Two is fine. I hope you remember her name.”

“Penny Tobias. I just did.”

The luncheon with Penny Tobias did not go well. Its unstated purpose was clear to both parties in advance; Simon & Schuster was interested in enticing David Barr away from his present publishers, while he in turn was not entirely averse to being enticed. Things would have gone well enough if he hadn’t had Ellie Kilberg on his mind. But ever since her call he had been writing any number of mental drafts of the conversation they would have, and he couldn’t stop doing this while Penelope Tobias stuffed fettucine into herself and rattled on about the glories of the S & S spring list. He wasn’t genuinely unpleasant, but he was certainly inattentive and was positive it showed.

A few minutes after one she broke a long silence by signaling abruptly for the check. “I certainly don’t want to keep you,” she said.

“Penny, I’m sorry as hell.”

“Oh? Whatever for?”

“My manners. I have to meet an old friend in a little while and I guess it’s bothering me more than I thought it would.”

“You mean it’s not me? Here I was all set to switch to a new brand of mouthwash.”

He was twenty minutes early for his meeting with Ellie. The waiter, an elderly man with stooped shoulders, astonished him by greeting him by name.

“Mr. Barr, we never see you no more.”

“I live up in Connecticut now.”

“All alone, Mr. Barr?”

“A lady’s meeting me for cocktails, but I’m very early and I don’t think I can hold out until she gets here. I think an extra dry Martini with a twist.”

He made the drink last. At five minutes of two the only other customers settled their bill and left, and perhaps a minute later Ellie appeared.

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