Harry shrugged and shook his head, popping the cap off a beer from the mini bar and making himself comfortable on one of the double beds opposite the TV. Cheryl sat on the edge of the second bed, coat still on, his credit card clutched in her fingers. He shook his head again as the screen lit up and the film began.

She wasn't as bright as she thought if she was counting on that card for protection; he could cancel that with one quick phone call. He turned his attention to the screen and watched silently as the movie played out.

An hour later Harry stopped the player and grunted up off the bed. "That was the worst piece of crap I've seen in some time."

"It wasn't very good was it?" Cheryl smiled weakly.

"Fortunately, I'm not the one that wants it." He stood his empty bottles on the desk and slipped his coat back on. "Okay, missy, here's the deal. Five grand, cash, here and now and a signed guarantee that there are no other copies."

Cheryl sagged inside. She new the film to be worth a lot more than five thousand; Harv had speculated in the twenties at least. And as for copies, well she also knew that this wasn't the only one.

"Well?"

"That's not enough." She said.

"Even you said it was crap." Harry offered.

"It's not the material, it's the age and rarity of the piece. I think- I think it's worth thirty-thousand." She winced at his expression, expecting outrage but instead he laughed.

"You know what I think, Sweetheart, I think you got more balls than most guys I know." He laughed again and slipped the disc from the player. "See this? See where it's going?" He slipped it into his pocket.

Cheryl stood up and pointed his credit card at him. "See this," she aped his sarcasm. "This is the thirty- thousand."

"Good luck with that, sweetie." He pushed past and opened the door.

"Hi, Harry."

"Jesus!" Harry stumbled back, his face red with angry surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Just monitoring the events." Vera strolled casually into the room giving Cheryl an appraising glance.

"Does Aust--?"

Her hand shot out and gripped his arm with such force he could only expel a noisy lungful of breath. "No names, Harry." The command and the blatant use of his own name weren't lost on him as he felt his body go limp. She released his arm and steered him toward the door. "On your way, I'll finish with Miss Barber."

Hearing her name caused Cheryl's jaw to drop and she looked pleadingly to Harry who simply staggered from the room, hauling the door shut behind him.

"Wh- who are you?"

"A friend, Cheryl. A friend." Vera strolled about the room, looking out at the view and taking in the décor. Harry choose this, or you?"

"What do you want? I have to go." She started for the door but in one quick move, Vera beat her to it and leaned back, one leg bent, heel flat on the wooden panel and her head tilted to one side.

"I think you have something that belongs to Harry."

"It's my- it's the money we agreed on."

Vera laughed nastily. "Agreed on? I don't think so, Cheryl. Whether you give it to me now or not, Harry will have cancelled it within the hour. You didn't think that would really work did you?"

Cheryl stared at the card and then at the woman, and then sank down onto the bed, crying.

******

Douglas stood smirking by the window as Harry related his tale of woe to Austin. The meeting had been successful insofar as retrieving the disc but his tirade against Vera was an Oscar performance. When he finished, Austin remained staring at the carpet for some time before speaking. His face seemed to sag and his features appeared to age perceptibly.

"I'm truly sorry about this, Harry. I had Vera's assurance that she would leave this to you and that she wouldn't get involved."

"Yeah well, so much for assurances from that loon! She damned near crippled me to boot."

"I don't understand why-

"Because she's one hundred percent certified, that's why!" Harry slammed his glass down on the trolley and grabbed his coat.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm done, Austin. You got your disc, I'm outta here. Let Dougie there deal with Miss Frankenstein."

Austin clenched his teeth and straightened his shoulders; this latest slur against his daughter was just one too many from Harry. He barked an order to stop, as Harry reached for the door, and moved unsteadily toward him, his fists opening and closing at his sides.

"I didn't send you to negotiate for a disc; we want the original film. Ralston already refused a copy from his source."

"It's what she offered. I can't help that. Was I supposed to say no? Nobody told me not to get something outta the meeting."

"I was relying on what you implied you brought to this operation was some experience and professionalism."

"Yeah? Well maybe you should take that up with your loony tunes female member of the group."

"If you want to be reimbursed for anything up to now you will immediately apologize for those remarks."

"Apologize to who, you? What for?" Harry folded his arms in a belligerent stance.

"I think he means to me, Harry."

The air was sucked from the room as Harry looked toward the dining room and saw Vera leaning nonchalantly against the frame. His arms dropped to his side and he felt his head go light.

"I've ignored enough verbal abuses from you don't you think?"

"Now Vera..." Austin began.

"This is between Harry and me, father."

"Father!" Harry blurted. "Oh shit, hey, listen . . . I didn't know. Honest." He looked to Douglas, pleading. "Tell her, Doug, tell her. We had no idea did we?"

Vera twisted her head and stared at Douglas. "Well?"

"Yeah, hey, it's true. We didn't have a clue. We thought it was kinda strange Austin seemed to tolerate a lotta crap--"

"Crap?" Vera turned the rest of her body and smiled at Douglas.

"Vera, please." Austin tried again.

"Define crap, Douglas."

He felt his palms go all sweaty and he wiped them on the front of his thighs. "I think I just did." He turned beet red and staggered back to the window.

"Oh dear, Douglas was a naughty boy." She made a dismissive sound and rounded on Harry once again. "What do you say, Harry?"

"Sorry, Vera. I'm really, honestly sorry. I- I was out of line. I just got so frustrated--" The sentence died in his throat as Vera seemed to move faster than light, her long fingers clamped to the side of his head.

"Vera! No!" Austin stepped forward and pulled her hand free. Harry's eyes widened and he dribbled onto his chin as he toppled sideways into the door and crashed down to the tile floor.

Austin knelt, feeling for a pulse and sighing with relief, he undid Harry's collar and rolled him onto his side. "You could have killed him, Vera." He stood and looked at Douglas, still cowering by the window. "For god's sake go and clean yourself up. Get out of here."

He waited until Douglas had scurried past and out the door before wiping a tired hand across his eyes and moving to his chair. He looked at his daughter with sad eyes and sighed. "Why did you go after promising you wouldn't?"

Vera posed hipshot and then wiped a toe back and forth across the carpet in front of her. "I just felt that somehow he'd screw up."

"He met the girl and he did get the disc she was peddling, Vera."

"Yes, but the girl had his credit card with his name and an account number that could be hacked and exploited, possibly even lead back to us. He left without it, I just persuaded her to give it up."

"I'm afraid to ask how." He waited, anticipating the worst.

"Let's just say she won't be asking for any more negotiations. Besides, what good is this disc copy, I thought we were chasing the original?"

"Vera, you didn't . . .?"

"No, father, I didn't." She slipped onto the sofa in a languid pose and smiled her inimitable smile.

He sat back, steepling his fingers. "We do want the original but at least we can check whether or not it is what we hoped it would be."

Vera dangled a leg over the arm of the sofa. "So now what, father, what is our next exciting move?"

"First, I think we should see to Harry."