Read Kill as Directed for Free Online Page B

I?”
    â€œOver a period of thirty-five years I have had to make replacements, of course: employees had died, grown old, retired. You’re old Dr. Welliver’s replacement, I hope—I sincerely hope, Harry. For both our sakes.”
    Something in the fat man’s tone made Harry’s scalp prickle. “Does Mrs. Gresham know about all of this?”
    â€œOf course not. Karen is my wife, not a business associate. But to get back to you, Harry. I’ve studied you; I’ve had you most carefully investigated. I know all about you: about your father’s struggle to make you what he couldn’t be; about your compulsive drive for success and wealth—all about you, Harry.”
    â€œMy God, how …?”
    â€œMy staff is made up of experts—each of whom knows only an essential few of his colleagues, by the way, as you will be my expert in your field, knowing virtually none of the others. I even know of your recent loan.…” The fat man opened a drawer of his desk, extracted a rectangle of blue paper and tossed it across to Harry. “Your loan has been paid. That’s the cancelled note. I cannot afford to have any member of my little official family in debt. You see, Harry, just by agreeing to this little conference, you’re ahead thirty thousand dollars.”
    Harry stared at the blue rectangle.
    â€œPut it away, Harry,” Gresham said. “Or tear it up.”
    Dr. Harrison Brown looked up from the blue paper so tightly held in his hand. “What do you want of me?” he croaked.
    â€œDon’t look at me that way, Harry. I’m not the Devil, and I’m not asking you to sell your soul.”
    â€œWhat do you want of me?”
    â€œPut that note away, will you?”
    Harry stuffed it into a pocket. “What do you want of me, Gresham?”
    â€œAbsurdly little, in fact. You’ll continue to build up your practice independently, but to give you freedom from financial worries I’m going to put you on an annual retainer—ostensibly for being my family physician. You’ll be called on no more than five or six times a year for the confidential jobs—they don’t happen often; sometimes a full year’s gone by without the need for a job like the one you did on that woman.”
    â€œSo much for so little? That can’t be the whole thing, Gresham—”
    â€œBut it is. I’m willing to pay handsomely just to know that I have a doctor I can depend on in an emergency.”
    â€œI’ve got to get to my office,” Harry said, rising. “I have office hours—”
    â€œI’ve already had your office girl called, Harry. You’re delayed. Important case. And it is, isn’t it?”
    Harry sank back, staring at him. Gresham puffed on his cigar.
    â€œNow, Harry,” he said briskly, “I want you to understand how this thing works because, even though you’re a minor cog in the machine, even the minor cogs are important to keep the machine running smoothly.
    â€œGresham and Company, Import and Export, has been in business for seventy years. We’re a firm of excellent reputation, doing a good business in a lawful manner. However, certain key people secretly pick up the narcotics I need in Europe and the Orient; and the other key people deliver it to me together with the legitimate goods we import. We never take chances. We never smuggle in big shipments, for instance, because we don’t have to. We’re in business day in and day out, and so small quantities can be brought in day in and day out; no splurges, no large purchases, nothing that attracts attention; never any trouble in thirty-five years. Is that much clear?”
    â€œYes.”
    Gresham deposited a long ash delicately in a tray. “Distribution and sales naturally pose more dangerous problems. I’ve already indicated that the selection of the client is done by experts. The client must be of