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"A hundred cases," he said. "I bought it for three bucks a bottle. I can get ten here-more if we sell it by the shot. "
"I have to think about this. "
That was a good sign. She was ready to agree, but did not want to rush into anything. "I understand, but there's no time," he said. "I'm a wanted man with a truckload of illegal whisky and I have to have your decision right away. I'm sorry to hustle you, but you can see I have no choice. "
She nodded thoughtfully, but did not say anything.
Lev went on: "If you turn me down I'll sell my booze, take a profit, and disappear. You'll be on your own, then. I'll wish you luck and say good-bye forever, with no hard feelings. I would understand. "
"And if I say yes?"
"We'll go to the police right away. "
There was a long silence.
At last she nodded. "All right. "
Lev looked away to hide his face. You did it, he said to himself. You sat with her in the same room as her father's dead body, and you won her back.
You dog.
{IV}
"I have to put on a hat," said Olga. "And you need a clean shirt. We want to make a favorable impression. "
That was good. She was really on his side.
They went back into the house and got ready. While he was waiting for her he called the Buffalo Advertiser and asked for Peter Hoyle, the editor. A secretary asked him his business. "Tell him I'm the man who's wanted for the murder of Josef Vyalov. "
A moment later a voice barked. "Hoyle here. Who are you?"
"Lev Peshkov, Vyalov's son-in-law. "
"Where are you?"
Lev ignored the question. "If you can have a reporter on the steps of police headquarters in half an hour, I'll have a statement for you. "
"We'll be there. "
"Mr. Hoyle?"
"Yes?"
"Send a photographer too. " Lev hung up.
With Olga beside him in the open front of the van, he drove first to Josef's waterfront warehouse. Boxes of stolen cigarettes were stacked around the walls. In the office at the back they found Vyalov's accountant, Norman Niall, plus the usual group of thugs. Norman was crooked but pernickety, Lev knew. He was sitting in Josef 's chair, behind Josef 's desk.
They were all astonished to see Lev and Olga.
Lev said: "Olga has inherited the business. I'll be running things from now on. "
Norman did not get up out of his chair. "We'll see about that," he said.
Lev gave him a hard stare and said nothing.
Norman spoke again with less assurance. "The will has to be proved, and so on. "
Lev shook his head. "If we wait for the formalities there will be no business left. " He pointed at one of the goons. "Ilya, go out in the yard, look in the van, come back here, and tell Norm what you see. "
