128 A Perfect Modus Operandi (1/2)
”Where are they, brother Harper?” asked the Poet.
Harper Lee swallowed nervously and said:
”I don't know. I mean, I don't know exactly. Maybe Bobby has a better idea.”
He glanced at Bobby, who was standing by his side in a nonchalant pose, with thumbs hooked into the pockets of his jeans.
”Why the fuck should I have a better idea?” Bobby said.
”Because they all left on Olga's initiative, and Olga's your girlfriend,” said Harper. ”I was sitting there with them when she came over and asked if they wanted to go with her. Wait, I've just remembered something. She said she was going into town to have a look around.”
”Olga is not my girlfriend,” Bobby said crossly. ”We have a special kind of relationship.”
”Town meaning Fairhaven?” asked the Poet. Jimmy Dow, who was standing behind the Poet's chair, giggled and said:
”Calling Fairhaven a town is stretching it. Stretching it a lot.”
”I assume she meant Fairhaven,” said Harper.
The Poet nodded.
”All right,” he said. ”I'll send a couple of people to ask around in the morning. Hopefully they can get a lead.” He looked sternly at Harper, and added:
”You said you were sitting with them and that you saw them leave, you saw they were taking their things? Why didn't you ask them where they were going, and when they'd be back?”
”I assumed they'd be back within a few hours.”
”You saw them taking their things and you assumed they'll be back within a few hours? That wasn't a very logical assumption to make, brother Harper.”
Harper did some fast thinking. He didn't want to tell the Poet that everyone in his group including himself was afraid of getting robbed by the Poet's people. He said:
”We'd been on the road for a while, and developed a habit of keeping our things close.”
”How much metal did they take?”
”Jake and Li Yang took what they brought with them, and it wasn't much. It was mostly copper. Some silver, a little bit of gold. I don't know about Olga.”
He glanced at Bobby, who said:
”That bitch took half of my gold, nearly two hundred grams. And a full kilo of silver.”
”That's a lot,” said the Poet.
”I know,” Bobby said. ”And I'll get it back. And while I'm getting it back, I'll skin that bitch alive.”
”You'll have to find her first,” observed the Poet. ”All right. It's very unfortunate that this has happened. Your explanation is not very convincing, brother Harper. But I'll give you the benefit of doubt. Brother Bobby, from what you said I understand you have been robbed.”
”Fucking right I've been robbed,” said Bobby. ”I'm going to kill that bitch.”
”When we find her, we'll hand her over to you so that you can deal with her at your leisure,” said the Poet. ”Make no mistake, we WILL find her, sooner or later. Hopefully still in possession of your gold and silver.”
”No, brother Bobby. You mentioned you were an experienced plumber, and I've got an important job for you. As important as locating your girlfriend.”
”She wasn't my girlfriend.”
”Whatever. You can be sure we'll find her. We'll talk again tomorrow morning, brothers. Make sure you get a good night's sleep, there'll be plenty to do.”
As soon as they'd left the Poet's trailer and Harper made sure no one was listening, he said:
”Bobby, you told me you had nearly a full kilo of gold. And I just heard you tell the man Olga stole half, and that the half was less than two hundred grams.”
”I lied,” said Bobby. ”I'm not giving them all my gold. If you're smart you won't, either.”
”There will be trouble if they find out you're cheating them.”
”We're in trouble already,” Bobby said. ”That dude of yours, that Jimmy. How could you ever trust him? He's a double-faced motherfucker.”
”Aren't we all,” said Harper.
”What the fuck does that mean? You calling me a liar?”
Harper sighed.
”No, Bobby, I'm not. Listen, you really have no idea where they could have went?”
Bobby shrugged.
”They went to town, and went on from there,” he said.
”I know that much, too,” said Harper. ”But where is there?”
At that very moment, Olga, Li Yang, and Jake were in Morello's penthouse office. Morello was saying:
”So, summing up, this is the deal: you can stay here until you can move into the cabin. But in return, I become a partner in your mint. It's not like I'm asking for a free ride, I can get my hands on a lot of copper. Some tin and silver, too. Bear in mind that I'm also starting a colony. It will be a big, strong colony. You'll be happy to have that colony as your ally in the New World.”
”Mr. Hardin said he runs a tight ship,” said Jake. ”Mr. Hardin said he won't tolerate any armed conflict. Unless of course it is initiated by himself, for the greater good.”