The Vivero Letter

by Desmond Bagley

  Jack looked uncomprehendingly stubborn. It wasn't done that way, it never had been done that way, and he didn't see why it should be done that way. I was in trouble because unless Jack saw it my way we could never get on together.

  We were interrupted by Madge. There's a lady to see you, Mr. Wheale.'

  'Did she give a name?'

  'It's a Mrs. Halstead.'

  That gave me pause. Eventually I said, 'Ask her to wait a few minutes, will you? Make her comfortable -- ask her if she'd like a cuppa.'

  I turned back to Jack. One thing at a time was my policy. I knew what was the matter with him. If he became farm manager and the policy of the farm changed radically, he'd have to take an awful lot of joshing from the neighbouring farmers. He had his reputation to consider.

  I said, 'Look at it this way. Jack: if we start on this thing, you'll be farm manager and I'll be the more-or-less absentee landlord. If the scheme falls down you can put all the blame on me because I'll deserve it, and you're only doing what I tell you to. If it's a success -- which it will be if we both work hard at it -- then a lot of the credit will go to you because you'll have been the one who made it work. You are the practical farmer, not me. I'm just the theoretical boy. But I reckon we can show the lads around here a thing or two.'

  He contemplated that argument and brightened visibly -- I'd offered him a way out with no damage to his self-esteem. He said slowly, 'You know, I like that bit about doing away with the garden produce; it's always been a lot of trouble -- too much hand work, for one thing.' He shuffled among the papers. 'You know, sir, if we got rid of that I reckon we could work the farm with one less man.'

  That had already been figured out -- by the computer, not me -- but I was perfectly prepared to let Jack take the credit for the idea. I said, 'Hey, so we could! I have to go now, but you stay here and go through the whole thing again. If you come up with any more bright ideas like that then let me know.'

  I left him to it and went to see Mrs. Halstead. I walked into the living-room and said, 'I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.' Then I stopped dead because Mrs. Halstead was quite a woman -- red hair, green eyes, a nice smile and a figure to make a man struggle to keep his hands to himself -- even a grey little man like me..

  'That's all right, Mr. Wheale,' she said. 'Your housekeeper looked after me.' Her voice matched the rest of her; she was too perfect to be true.

  I sat opposite her. 'What can I do for you, Mrs. Halstead?'

  'I believe you own a gold tray, Mr. Wheale.'

  That is correct.'

  She opened her handbag. 'I saw a report in a newspaper. Is this the tray?'

  I took the clipping and studied it. It was the report that had appeared in the Western Morning News which I had heard of but not seen. The photograph was a bit blurred. I said, 'Yes, this is the tray.'

  That picture is not very good, is it? Could you tell me if your tray is anything like this one?'

  She held out a postcard-size print. This was a better picture of a tray -- but not my tray. It appeared to have been taken in some sort, of museum because I could see that the tray was in a glass case and a reflection somewhat ruined the clarity of the picture. Everyone seemed to be pushing photographs of trays at me, and I wondered how many there were. I said cautiously, 'It might be something like this one. This isn't the best of pictures, either.'

  'Would it be possible to see your tray, Mr. Wheale?'

  'Why?' I asked bluntly. 'Do you want to buy it?'

  'I might -- if the price were right'

  I pushed her again. 'And what would be a right price?'

  She fenced very well. 'That would depend on the tray.'

  I said deliberately, 'The going price has been quoted as being £7,000. Could you match that?'

  She said evenly, 'That's a lot of money, Mr. Wheale.'

  'It is,' I agreed. 'It was, I believe, the amount offered by an American to my brother. Mr. Gatt said he'd pay the price at valuation.'

  Perhaps she was a little sad. 'I don't think that Paul . . . my husband . . . realized it would be as much as that.'

  I leaned forward. 'I think I ought to tell you that I have had an even higher offer from a Mr. Fallon.'

  I watched her closely and she seemed to tighten, an almost imperceptible movement soon brought under control. She said quietly, 'I don't think we can compete with Professor Fallon when it conies to money.'

  'No,' I said. 'He seems to have a larger share than most of us.'

  Has Professor Fallon seen the tray?' she asked.

  'No, he hasn't. He offered me a very large sum, sight unseen. Don't you find that odd?'

  'Nothing that Fallon does I find odd,' she said. 'Unscrupulous, even criminal, but not odd. He has reasons for everything he does.'

  I said gently, 'I'd be careful about saying things like that, Mrs. Halstead, especially in England. Our laws of slander are stricter than in your country.'

  'Is a statement slanderous if it can be proved?' she asked. 'Are you going to sell the tray to Fallon?'

  'I haven't made up my mind.'

  She was pensive for a while, then she stirred. 'Even if it is not possible for us to buy it, would there be any objection to my husband examining it? It could be done here, and I assure yon it would come to no harm.'

  Fallon had specifically asked that Halstead should not be shown the tray. To hell with that! I said, I don't see why not.'

  This morning?' she said eagerly.

  I lied in my teeth. 'I'm afraid not -- I don't have it here. But it could be here this afternoon. Would that suit you?'

  'Oh, yes,' she said, and smiled brilliantly. A woman has no right to be able to smile at a man like that, especially a man involved in tricking her into something. It tends to weaken his resolution. She stood up. 'I won't waste any more of your time this morning, Mr. Wheale; I'm sure you're a busy man. What time should we come this afternoon?'

  'Oh, about two-thirty,' I said casually. I escorted her to the door and watched her drive away in a small car. These archeological boffins seemed to be a queer crowd; Fallon had imputed dishonesty to Halstead, and Mrs. Halstead had accused Fallon of downright criminality. The in-fighting in academic circles seemed to be done with very sharp knives.

  I thought of the chemistry set I had when a boy, it was a marvellous set with lots of little bottles and phials containing powders of various hue. If you mixed the powders odd things were likely to happen, but if they were kept separate they were quite inert.

  I was tired of meeting with inertness from Fallon and the Halsteads -- no one had been forthright enough to tell why he wanted the tray. I wondered what odd things were likely to happen when I mixed them together at two-thirty that afternoon.

  IV.

  I went back and had another go at Jack Edgecombe. If he hadn't actually caught fire, at least he was a bit luminous around the edges, which made arguing with him less of an uphill struggle. I chipped at him a bit more and managed to strike another spark of enthusiasm, and then packed him off to look at the farm with a new vision.

  The rest of the morning was spent in the darkroom. I cut up the length of 35 mm film, which was now dry, and made a contact print just to see what I had. It didn't seem too bad and most of the stuff was usable, so I settled down and made a series of eight by ten prints. They weren't as professional as those that Fallon had shown me, but they were good enough for comparison with his.

  I even printed out my failures including those that had happened when the electronic flash popped off unexpectedly. One of those was very interesting -- to the point of being worthy of scrutiny under a magnifying glass. It was a real puzzler and I badly wanted to set up the tray and take more pictures, but there wasn't time to do it before my visitors arrived.

  The Halsteads came fifteen minutes early, thus demonstrating their eagerness. Halstead was a man of about thirty-five who seemed to be living on his nerves. I suppose he was handsome in an odd sort of way if you go for the hawklike visage; his cheekbones stood out prominentl
y and his eyes were deep sunk in dark sockets so that he looked as though he were recovering from a week's binge. His movements were quick and his conversation staccato, and I thought he'd be a wearing companion if one had to put up with him for any length of time. Mrs. Halstead seemed to manage all right and maintained a smooth outward serenity which shed a calmness over the pair of them and compensated for Halstead's nerviness. Maybe it was something she worked hard at.

  She introduced her husband and there was the briefest of -social chit-chat before a sudden silence. Halstead looked at me expectantly and twitched a bit. 'The tray?' he enquired in a voice which rose a bit more than was necessary.

  I looked at him blandly. 'Oh, yes,' I said. 'I have some photographs here in which you might be interested.' I gave them to him and noted that his hands were trembling.

  He flicked through them quickly, then looked up and said sharply, 'These are pictures of your tray?'

  'They are.'

  He turned to his wife. 'It's the right one -- look at the vine leaves. Exactly like the Mexican tray. There's no doubt about it.'

  She said doubtfully, 'It seems to be the same.'

  'Don't be a fool,' he snapped. 'It is the same. I studied the Mexican tray long enough, for God's sake! Where's our picture?'

  Mrs. Halstead produced it and they settled down to a comparison. 'Not an identical replica,' pronounced Halstead. 'But close enough. Undoubtedly made by the same hand -- look at the veining in the leaves.'

  'I guess you're right.'

  'I am right,' he said positively, and jerked his head round to, me. 'My wife said you'd let me see the tray.'

  I didn't like his manner -- he was too damned driving and impolite, and perhaps I didn't like the way he spoke to his wife. 'I told her there wasn't any reason why you shouldn't see it. At the same time there doesn't seem any reason why you should. Would you care to enlighten me?' He didn't like resistance or opposition. 'It's a purely professional and scientific matter,' he said stiffly. 'It forms part of my present research; I doubt if you would understand it.'

  Try me.' I said softly, resenting his superior and condescending attitude. 'I can understand words of two syllables -- maybe words of three syllables if you speak them very slowly.'

  Mrs. Halstead chipped in. 'We would be very grateful if we could see the tray. You would be doing us a great service. Mr. Wheale.' She wouldn't apologize for her husband's unfortunate manner, but she was doing her best to drop some polite social oil into the works.

  We were interrupted by Madge. There's a gentleman to see you, Mr. Wheale.'

  I grinned at Halstead. Thank you, Mrs. Edgecombe; show him in, will you?'

  When Fallon walked in Halstead gave a convulsive jerk. He turned to me and said in a high voice, 'What's he doing here?'

  'Professor Fallon is here on my invitation, as you are,' I said sweetly.

  Halstead bounced to his feet. 'I'll not stay here with that man. Come along, {Catherine.'

  'Wait a minute, Paul. What about the tray?'

  That brought Halstead to a dead stop. He looked uncertainly at me, then at Fallon. 'I resent this,' he said in a trembling voice. 'I resent it very much.'

  Fallon had been as astonished to see Halstead as Halstead had been to see him. He stood poised in the doorway and said, 'You think I don't resent it, too? But I'm not blowing my top about it like a spoiled child. You were always too explosive, Paul.' He advanced into the room. 'May I ask what you think you're doing, Wheale?'

  'Maybe I'm holding an auction,' I said easily.

  'Umph! You're wasting your time; this pair hasn't two cents to rub together.'

  Katherine Halstead said cuttingly, 'I always thought you bought your reputation, Professor Fallon. And what you can't buy, you steal.'

  Fallon whirled. 'Goddammit! Are you calling me a thief, young lady?'

  'I am,' she said calmly. 'You've got the Vivero letter, haven't you?'

  Fallon went very still. 'What do you know about the Vivero letter?'

  I know it was stolen from us nearly two years ago -- and I know that you have it now.' She looked across at me. 'What conclusions would you draw from that, Mr. Wheale?'

  I looked at Fallon speculatively. The chemicals were mixing nicely and maybe they'd brew a little bit of truth. I was all for stirring up the broth. I said, 'Do you have this letter?'

  Fallon nodded reluctantly. 'I do -- I bought it quite legally in New York, and I have a receipt to prove it. But, hell, these are a fine pair to talk about theft. What about the papers you stole from me in Mexico, Halstead?'

  Halstead's nostrils pinched in whitely. 'I stole nothing from you that wasn't mine. And what did you steal from me -- just my reputation, that's all. There are too many thieving bastards like you in the profession, Fallon; incompetents who build their reputations on the work of others.'

  'Why, you son of a bitch!' roared Fallon. 'You had your say in the journals and no one took any notice of you. Do yon think anyone believes that poppycock?'

  They were facing each other like fighting cocks and in another minute would have been at each other's throats had I not yelled at the top of my voice, 'Quiet!' They both turned, and I said in a calmer voice, 'Sit down both of you. I've never seen a more disgraceful exhibition by two grown men in my life. You'll behave yourselves in my house or I'll turn the lot of you out -- and neither of you will ever get to see this bloody tray.'

  Fallon said sheepishly, 'I'm sorry, Wheale, but this man got my goat.' He sat down.

  Halstead also seated himself; he glared at Fallon and said nothing. Katherine Halstead's face was white and she had pink spots in her cheeks. She looked at her husband and tightened her lips and, when he maintained his silence, she said, 'I apologize for our behaviour, Mr. Wheale.'

  I said bluntly, 'You do your own apologizing, Mrs. Halstead; you can't apologize for others -- not even your husband.' I paused, waiting for Halstead to say something, but he maintained a stubborn silence, so I ignored him and turned to Fallon. 'I'm not particularly interested in the ins-and-outs of your professional arguments, although I must say I'm surprised at the charges that have been made here this afternoon.'

  Fallon smiled sourly. 'I didn't start the mud-throwing.'

  'I don't give a damn about that,' I said. 'You people are incredible. You're so wrapped up in your tuppenny-ha'penny professional concerns that you forget a man' has been murdered because of that tray. Two men are already dead, for God's sake!'

  Katherine Halstead said, 'I'm sorry if we appear so heartless; it must seem peculiar to you.'

  'By God, it does! Now, listen to me carefully -- all of you. I seem to have been dealt a high card in this particular game -- I've got the tray that's so damned important. But nobody is going to get as much as a sniff at it until I'm told the name of the game. I'm not going to operate blindfolded. Fallon, what about it?'

  He stirred impatiently. 'All right, it's a deal. I'll tell you everything you want to know- -- but privately. I don't want Halstead in on it.'

  'Not a chance,' I said. 'Anything you want to tell me, you do it here and now in this room -- and that applies to you, Halstead, too.'

  Halstead said in a cold rage, This is monstrous. Am I to give away the results of years of research to this charlatan?'

  'You'll put up or you'll shut up.' I stuck out a finger. The door's open and you can leave any time you like. Nobody is keeping you here. But if you go, that leaves Fallon with the tray.'

  Indecision chased over his face and his knuckles whitened as he gripped the arms of the chair. Katherine Halstead took the decision from him. She said firmly, 'We accept your conditions. We stay.' Halstead looked at her with a sudden air of shock, and she said, 'It's all right, Paul; I know what I'm doing.'

  'Fallon -- what about you?'

  'I guess I'm stuck with it,' he said, and smiled slowly. 'Halstead talks about years of research. Well, I've put in quite a few years myself. It wouldn't surprise me if we both know all there is to know about the problem. Heaven knows, I've
been falling over this pair in every museum in Europe. I doubt if the pooling of information is going to bring up anything new.'

  'I might surprise you,' said Halstead sharply. 'You have no monopoly on brains.'