The Big Enchilada

that something funny was going on, I became very interested—for myself. It was the smell of big money. I like that smell.”
    “You think that something funny is going on? What? If you tell me, perhaps I can disabuse you of the idea, and you will stop wasting your time.”
    “Okay. Maybe you can.” I didn’t mind telling him what I knew. My only problem was making it seem like I knew more than I did. “I think it was funny that the take-over by Megaplex suddenly fell through.”
    “You obviously do not know much about business, Mr. Hunter. There is nothing unusual there. Mergers are considered and then rejected all the time.” He was smiling.
    “But it is unusual that the person responsible for the arrangements is blackmailed into queering the deal.” I grinned back at him.
    Acker’s smile froze, but he responded smoothly. “If what you say is true—and I doubt it—I know nothing about that.” He sure was good.
    “Then it must just be coincidence that right after the deal fell through, you came up with the money to buy out the company. You didn’t have money like that.”
    “But I did have a silent partner. That, too, is very common.”
    “Why would he want to own Medco? The company was going under.”
    “On the contrary. The former owner had lost interest in the company, and as a consequence it was poorly run, but it had significant growth potential. As managing director I saw the potential, and I was able to secure the backing to take over and implement my ideas. In a very short time Medco’s situation has been considerably improved.”
    “Has it? It doesn’t look to me like anything’s happening here. Everyone’s asleep.”
    “Things are slow at this particular moment, but I can assure you that our balance sheet is very healthy.”
    “So your backer’s confidence in you has been justified?”
    “Completely. It may be immodest of me to say so, but that is the case.”
    “Who’s your partner?”
    “If I told you, he would no longer be silent.” Acker smiled in mock apology.
    I was getting nowhere. I could continue to fence with Acker all day and it wouldn’t change. I had to take a shot.
    “Domingo is not so silent, and he’s getting louder all the time.”
    No reaction. Acker had complete control, but somehow the atmosphere in the room changed. The tension increased, or something, and I thought my remark had hit home, but Acker was tough.
    “Domingo? Domingo? That’s another name about which I know nothing, I’m afraid.”
    “No? He’s the one behind the Black Knight Club. He specializes in kinky sex and blackmail. He’s probably got something on you. I’m sure your wife would like to know what.”
    “Really, Mr. Hunter, you are most entertaining, but I’m afraid your imagination is too good. I’ve never heard of this Black Knight Club, and certainly no one is blackmailing me. My charming wife would like to, I’m sure, and that’s why she hired you—” He quickly caught himself and smiled. “—if, as you say, she did. But you will find nothing. I am merely a businessman.”
    “There are all kinds of businesses, Acker, and I’m going to find out just what yours is.”
    Acker raised his shoulders and let them fall. “If you wish to persist with this foolishness, I doubt that I will be able to stop you. Of course, you will find nothing, but I am a man who values his privacy. Therefore, I’ll make you a proposition. If you will desist in this pointless investigation, I will pay you whatever you were going to get from my wife, plus, shall we say, a bonus of two thousand dollars. I think that is fair. What do you say?” He pulled a checkbook from his desk and opened it up.
    “Thanks, Acker.”
    “Then you agree?”
    “No. I was thanking you for making a stupid move. You’re smooth, but you just mad& a mistake and confirmed my suspicions.”
    “What do you mean?” A shadow passed behind his pale blue eyes.
    “Men with nothing to hide don’t pay two grand to buy off an investigation.”
    “But I said I value my privacy, and—”
    “Nor do they hire other P.I.’s to look after the first.”
    “I thought it would be interesting to thwart my wife’s plans.”' A note of urgency was creeping into his voice.
    “So you admit you hired Argyll. Did you also have him killed? Or was that Domingo? Or his big gorilla, Mountain Cyclone?”
    “I do not know what you’re talking about.” He had to work hard to keep his voice level, and I noticed his knuckles were