Now You See It... Part 4

Carried in his right hand was a tropical-weave summer hat, in his left a monogrammed leather attache case, list price $450 at me very least. Harry Kendal was a man who always did well for himself.

His first words were, "Here I am, babe."

The expression of alarm on Brian's (Ca.s.sandra's) face as

Now You Soe It.. 27

he whirled gave me renewed hope- Not knowing, as I've said, what Brian had in mind to do with Ca.s.sandra, I hoped that this unexpected surprise might, at least, undo what seemed to be a part of it-his imitation of Ca.s.sandra.

So I watched, smiling (inwardly, of course), as Harry, grinning (outwardly), cried, "Whoa! Sorry! Didn't mean to startle you!"

"I-" Brian broke off instantly. Obviously, he knew this wasn't going to work beyond a first brief s.p.a.ce of time. He cleared his throat and reproduced his sister's voice again, saying, "I didn't hear your car drive up."

'Took a cab," Harry told him (her). "Walked in from the highway. Just opened the door." His sleazy smile was now in evidence. "Thought I had that privilege."

As he spoke, he placed his hat and attache case on the chair nearest him and, glancing toward me briefly, raised a limp hand in salute to my irrelevant existence.

I did not return the greeting.

Now he moved toward Brian, who-very abruptly- turned back toward the mantelpiece, his heartbeat no doubt accelerated markedly. (The realization did my heart good.) Brian tried to ignite another match, his mind probably fish- ing for a quick way out of this dilemma.

Harry reacted with a frown of surprise to "Ca.s.sandra"

turning her back on him and stopped to look at her quizzi- cally. "How you doin'?" he inquired.

I saw Brian swallow nervously; Harry couldn't see it from his vantage point. "I'm fine," he said. Ca.s.sandra's voice, of course-

"Where's me Marster?" Harry asked.

"Walking," Brian answered. Was he feeling breathless, giddy? Lord, I hoped so.

"Glad to hear it," Harry responded-

1 may have imagined it but I think that Brian tightened

28 Richard MathesoR

even more, hearing Hanys tone of voice with its intimation of "'moving in" on Ca.s.sandra now mat he knew her hus- band was not about

Brian glanced across his shoulder, and I felt a rare glow of pleasure as I saw that he saw mat, indeed. Harry was mov- ing in on him.

Heart in throat (I trust), he moved quickly to me picture window overlooking me lake and corded shut me drapes.

Instant gloom pervaded the room; to Brian's advantage, of course, I realized with a twinge of frustration.

Harry grunted. "That certainly makes the room a lot more cheerful," he said. He watched Brian return to the mantelpiece for another try at lighting those candles. Then he added, "However, it does make me room a lot more inti- mate."

I wonder if he heard the faint groan which I heard in Brian's throat. Had Brian made it even worse for himself?

Noting Harry "on the move" once more, he hastily lit the three black candles and, as though he didn't notice Harry's stalking approach, moved swiftly behind me desk and turned on the lamp, the illumination of which was cast only downward.

Harry stopped again, now looking piqued; I enjoyed the sight- "Whafs wrong?" he asked.

A quick and trembling breath in Brian's lungs. "Nothing,"

he said.

Then an idea obviously occurred to him; a rare occur- rence, I believed at that time. "Listen, I have to go upstairs for a minute-"

His voice broke off in utter shock as Ca.s.sandra (who had, fortuitously, put on a pair of noiseless slippers since the shoes she'd been wearing-always too small by dint of van- ity-had been pinching her feet) started into the room, a bottle of champagne in her hands.

Never have I seen a faster reaction- Catching sight of

Now You See H.. 29

Harry, she whirled with the skill of a dervish and vanished in an instant. Harry never noticing; he was moving toward the desk now, saying, still piqued, "Wait a minute, babe."

He stopped in his tracks as Brian, growing desperate, moved around the other end of the desk and headed for the entry hall.

"Y/ait a minute," Harry told him (her). He was more man piqued now, he was positively pettish- Brian stopped, not turning; I enjoyed an imagined vision of his heart expanding and contracting like an overdriven bellows.

"What is wrong?" demanded Harry.

"Nothing," insisted Brian.

'''Well then, turn around for Christ's sake," Harry or- dered her (him).

Brian hesitated, doubtless tearing that the game was ended before it could start; whatever the game was. Then, slowly, he turned to confront the stem-faced Harry.

"Look, I don't like this, babe," said Harry. "I took a cab here all the way from Boston just-because you asked me. I'm not here to sell encyclopedias." Daresay he thought that was a telling sting.

Brian's spirits must have been flagging by men. "I know," he said. "I'm sorry. I-"

Again he broke off as a panel in the wall behind Harry opened soundlessly (a frippery I'd had installed when the house was built) and he saw-as I did-his sister signaling to him frantically.

Brian, by now, was too rattled to hide his reaction, and seeing Brian's eyes shift. Harry turned to see what he was looking at. Eureka, I thought.

Then I scowled (although my face remained the same) as Ca.s.sandra closed the panel instantaneously; Harry saw nothing. Scowling (visibly), he turned back to Brian, really angry now. "What the h.e.l.l is going on?" he demanded.

30 Richard Matirson

Brian dearly had no glimmer as to what he should say or do. Harry starting toward him seemed to petrify his limbs.

Until, as Harry nearly reached him, a fit of frenzy seized his bones and he moved-lunged might be more the word-to the display poster of THE GREAT DELACORTB and picked it up. "Have to move mis," he muttered, barely in Ca.s.sandra's voice-

"Oh,for Christ's sake," Harry said, observing Brian carry the poster to the area in front of me moving panel. Abruptly then, he turned away, disgusted. "Screw it, babe," he said.

"I'm going back to Boston."

"No," said Brian.

Hastily, he stepped behind the poster. Harry couldn't see, but I could; as tile panel was reopened quickly, Brian and Ca.s.sandra made the switch and Brian shut the panel d.a.m.n! I thought.