I arrived at the bar a few minutes before midnight. The bar was very long and somewhat crowded. The lights were soft, and the carpet was very thick and springy to the feet. I went over to the barman, ordered two bottles of scotch, and paid.

"Can I get you anything else, sir?" he said.

"Not really, but you would do well to hustle up this, babe Delphina. I got one or two words for her." I said, trying to act casual.

I looked around for an empty table and went over to sit.

Delphina Hudson came from behind the curtained door. When she saw me, her face hardened. She walked over to my table, moving lightly and gracefully.

She was a good-looking babe with curves in the right place and thick, long black hair. "Oh, it's you," she said disdainfully as she pulled the chair and sat down. "What do you want?"

"My name is Carlos Parker." I lied because the police are still looking for me using my real name, so I wasn't talking any chances.

"I have been making inquiries about you, Miss Hudson." I said, trying to sound casual, "I hear you are quite a character."

She didn't say anything but waited and wondered just how much I had found out about her.

"You have brains, they say, and you're not overhonest. You're a reckless character, miss Hudson, but you have courage and nerve, and you're tough." I looked at her and smiled.

She still didn't say anything, so I continued.

"They tell me that you have been in San Luis Beach for eighteen months. Before that, you worked for the Central Bonding Agency in New York as one of their detectives. A detective who works for a bonding company has excellent opportunities for blackmail. Perhaps that was why they asked you to resign.

"Some months later, you decided to set up on your own as a private investigator. You obtained a license from the state attorney on a forged affidavit of a character, and you came to Venezuela because it was a wealthy country, and the competition was negligible. You specialized in divorce work, and for a time, you prospered. But there are also opportunities for blackmail, so I understand. Someone complained to the police and there was an investigation. But you are very tricky, and a fluent lier miss Hudson, and you kept out of serious trouble. Now the police want to run you out of town. They are making things difficult for you. They have revoked your license, and to all intents and purposes, they have put you out of business. At least, that's what they think, but you and I know better."

I leaned forward, lifted the glass, and swallowed the last Scotch, She still didn't care to say anything.

"Although you are still trying to operate as a private investigator, you can't advertise nor can you put your name on the door. The police are watching you, and if they find you are still taking commissions, they'll prosecute you. Up to now, although you have passed the word around amongst your friends that you will accept a client without asking questions, no one has hired you, and you're down to your last nickel. That's why you decided to work in this dump just to rise a few bucks and move to another country. Am I right, Miss Hudson?"

"Yeah, you are right." she said and eased herself further back in the chair.

She became curious. But there was a lot more to her than being curious. Her little black eyes warned me she was geared for quick thinking. Although she had a small slender body, she was immensely strong, and I had a feeling that if ever she got her hands around my throat, she could squeeze blood out of my ears.

"Don't waste your talent in this dump of a bar, Miss Hudson," I said. "I have a job for you."

We looked at each other. There was a pause long enough for you to walk down the passage and back.

Then she said, "What kind of a job?"

"A tricky job, miss Hudson. It should suit you." She chewed that over. Well, I knew what I was buying. I had only myself to blame.

"Why pick on me?"

I touched the hair-line mustache with my thumb

"Because it's that kind of a job."

That seemed to take care of that.

"Go ahead and tell me," she said. "I'm all yours." I let out a little puff of breath. Probably I thought I was going to be trouble with her.

"Let me tell you a story as I heard it today. I said, "Then I'll tell you what I want you to do."

"Just last month, I heard that my poor stepfather father was unwell, Mr Jackson Carson, I don't know if you've heard of him?"

"Are you crazy almost everyone knows the late Mr Carson, isn't he the stepfarther to Mr Cooper?" she said in her Spanish accent.

"Yeah, Cooper his my stepbrother, I was unable to come and see the poor fella, I had some problems up my sleeve and by the time I got here, he had already passed away and Cooper had already inherited what rightly belongs to me, he has taken over the properties and wealthy which rightly belongs to me."

"And why should i believe you?" she asked.

"Because I am his first and only son, they must have thought I was dead all those years I stayed away." I told her

She pulled out a gold cigarette case, opened it, and laid it on the table. "I see you would like to smoke, Mr Parker."

I thanked her. Cause if there was one thing I wanted more than a drink, it was a smoke.

"I told him to give me half of the shares, but he doesn't want, his adamant when it comes to money. I hired a lawyer to help me get my shares. When I told him he became angry and lost his temper and anything might have happened. Perry was viciously angry and threatened me. He told me he would get even with me for making him look like a fool before his friends and the lawyer. He was in an ugly mood and frightened me. There was no doubt he meant what he said. I was so sure that I was going to win the case. But to my surprise, I don't know how he bought off the lawyers and the judges and forged the paper, and the case was in his favor."

"Why can't you just kill him yourself and get away with it?" she said sarcastically.

"I would do it if it's that easy, but you see, Perry is a very influential guy. His death would bring up a lot of investigation, not only that he has four ex policeman following him everywhere, eighteen savege guards surrounding the premises. So if i want my inheritance back, I have to play it cool and keep a low profile. "

"So what do you want me to do?" she asked.

I fished from my inside pocket a roll of money big enough to choke a horse. Which Gorman lend me, I peeled off one hundred dollar bill and laid them fan shape on the table. She hitched her chair forward and took a closer look at the notes.

"I want to hire your services, miss Hudson," I said, lowering my voice. "Tomorrow, moming Perry will be going to Bogota for 4 days to attend a conference which will last for a day and after that they will just partying"

She stubbed out the cigarette gracefully and said, "So far, I couldn't figure out where I come into any of this."

"Perry wants to get married so badly. That's the only way he'll be able to have full access to the inheritance, and right now his still looking for someonetomarry. So when he does find a lady, i want it to be you. Can you do that simple job, Miss Hudson?"

"Alright Mr Parker I will do it, but you just have to trust me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Listen, I am going to do it all right but am going to do my own way, or else there is no deal, is that clear, Mr Parker?"

"Sure, no problem, but I need to see results and fast."

"You don't have to worry about that, Mr Parker! I know exactly how to do my job," she said and got steady to her feet, picked up the one hundred dollar note, and said, "See you after four days, Mr Parket," and walked away.

The bar man brought another bottle of
scotich, "suppose you help yourself?" he said.

I thanked him. "Would it be against the rules if you joined me?" I asked.

The barman shook his head. "I gave up drinking three years ago." he said.

"How extraordinary. You must tell me about it one of these days." I filled my glass. "it's quite astonishing to meet such an iron like you. I must congratulate you."

The barman said, "You'll excuse me, sir," and went away down to the far end of the bar.

Next to me was a tall man who was talking in a completely inaudible voice to a very attractive woman, who appeared to be wearing nothing at all under an extremely tight green dress.

The tall man prevented me from seeing as much of the woman as I wished. By leaning forward, I could see her head and a little of her figure; by leaning back, I could just see her neat little behind, perched on the stool. I wished the tall man would go away.

After several more drinks, I felt it was time I went back. I climbed off the stool, paid the bill, and went through a glass door leading outside.