The Griffon, Chapter 6

The more we talked about the production history of that sweet ride downstairs, the more excited I felt myself getting. I took a sip of coffee and tried to wrangle in my emotions. I needed to be interested but indifferent if I was going to close this deal.

“You said that there were ten made.”

He tilted his head forward slightly in affirmation.

“What can you tell me about the others?”

“They are all identical to the one down in the lobby save in color. In addition to the midnight blue model, we also have two in pearl white, one in gunmetal grey, one in plasma green, two in metallic tangerine, two in the same color red as the roadster across from it, and one is unpainted.”

He was rattling this off like a salesman. Aside from the roadster, I had no idea what most of those colors looked like but ‘gunmetal grey’ I knew and it seemed like my style.

“Do the cars work?”

“Do you mean are they fully functional and road-worthy?”

I nodded.

“Indeed, they are, Mr. Helmqvist. Anyway, what is this all about?”

“Where are the other nine?”

“Griffons?”

I nodded once again.

“In storage. From time to time, we bring one or more out to take to various events.”

“You asked me when I would start and what my fee is?”

“Yes,” he answered with slight annoyance. “And I am wondering if you ever plan on answering that question.”

“I’ll start today, right now in fact, and my fee is the grey Griffon.”

“You want one of our cars as payment for services rendered? That seems a bit excessive, don’t you think?” he asked in his butler voice, which had gone up an octave or two. I choked back a laugh.

“I have to admit that I was as surprised as you are to hear me say that. However, given the circumstances, I think that it is a fair payment.”

I realized that I was now, more or less, blackmailing him just like those other people and the irony was not missed by me. Nevertheless, I really wanted one of those cars and I didn’t see how he could refuse.

“I am not sure ‘fair’ is an accurate descriptor, Mr. Helmqvist, and I am afraid that I cannot agree to it.”

“Then you’ll have to find someone else to clean up this mess. And, I’ll tell you right now, that if these guys are half as good with a computer as I think that they are, your choices will be the police, the army, or another hacker. Or you can pay the twenty million….”

I paused and leaned back in my chair before continuing.

“But if you pay, they’ll be back for more. You know it and I know it.   They will take you for all that you’re worth and then some.”

That last bit got him. I was right and he knew that I was right. I suspected that that is why he called someone like me in the first place. Blackmailers have a habit of getting greedy but he couldn’t call on the police to nip it in the bud. Haynesworth, and Nash, would be in nine kinds of trouble.

“The way I see it, Mr. Haynesworth, one car and the peace of mind knowing that your secret is safe is a lot less than what the blackmailers have in store for you.”

Haynesworth sighed and slumped into his chair.

“How do I know that you aren’t just as greedy as they are? Perhaps this was all a mistake. Perhaps the DA was wrong about you.”

“Naw, the DA wasn’t wrong about me. I’m not going to keep dipping into your pockets, Haynesworth.”

“How can I be certain that you are telling me the truth?”

“Because I’m one of the good guys,” I answered with a wink.

“The good guys don’t usually offer ultimatums, Mr. Helmqvist.”

“I didn’t say that I was a saint,” I said with a shrug of my shoulders and up turned palms in a gesture of innocence. “Anyway, if you want a better deal than that then go to the cops, but I need to make a living in this racket. So those are my terms.”

“The gunmetal grey Griffon?”

I nodded.

“Very well,” Haynesworth said with another sigh. “If you take care of my problem, then the car is yours.   If you fail to deliver, however, I fear that you will find me a very disagreeable person to deal with.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” I said and brushed aside the thinly veiled threat. “I’ll get whoever is behind this before you have to pay them one credit. I do need one more thing though.”

“What’s that?” he answered in a wearisome tone.

“Admin access to your systems. I’ll need it to poke around and try to pick up a lead on the blackmailers.”

That, technically, was a lie. I didn’t need admin access to his system. I was fairly certain that I could hack my way in as easily as whoever was trying to shake down Haynesworth. However, if I had a legitimate user ID and password, it would speed things up; not to mention that I didn’t necessarily want my client to know the extent of my abilities.

Haynesworth produced a business card from a small leather case that was tucked away in his breast pocket and scribbled a few things down on the back of it.

“This will give you access to anywhere within our system. I cannot stress to you the importance of not losing that card.”

“I won’t let it out of my sight. You have my word,” I replied and stood up. “I believe we are done for now. And, like I said, I’ll have this wrapped up nice and tidy with a bow on top in no time.”

He stood, as well, and offered his hand to shake on the deal.

“I am counting on that,” he said after we released grips. “I’ll have your payment waiting for you.”

“Excellent,” I replied as I grabbed my trilby and made for the exit. “And let me know when these clowns contact you again. Wherever they want the money transferred to might be of some help to me.”

“How shall I do that?”

“Just call my office. My assistant will take care of the rest.”

“Can she be trusted?”

“Pam? She’s a synthetic. She can be trusted to a fault.”

“Very good, Mr. Helmqvist. And don’t disappoint…”

I didn’t catch the end of that statement. I was already out the door and on my way to the elevators, I bid Haynesworth’s assistant a good day. A second glimpse at the Griffon on my way out convinced me that selling my soul to some corporate bastards might, just might, be worth it.