Maybe even after that.
“Before we go any further,” Johnson rose and reached for his hat, “let’s take a look at that print.
I don’t know if we can—”
I knew what he was thinking. Amateurs. Home movies. Feelthy peekchures, mebbe?
We got the reels out of the hotel safe and drove to his laboratory, out Sunset.
The top was down on his convertible and Mike hoped audibly that Ruth would have sense enough to get sports shirts that didn’t itch.
“Wife?” Johnson asked carelessly.
“Secretary,” Mike answered just as casually.
“We flew in last night and she’s out getting us some light clothes.”
Johnson’s estimation of us rose visibly.
A porter came out of the laboratory to carry the suitcase containing the film reels. It was a long, low building, with the offices at the front and the actual laboratories tapering off at the rear.
Johnson took us in the side door and called for someone whose name we didn’t catch.
The anonymous one was a projectionist who took the reels and disappeared into the back of the projection room.
We sat for a minute in the soft easychairs until the projectionist buzzed ready.
Johnson glanced at us and we nodded.
He clicked a switch on the arm of his chair and the overhead lights went out.
The picture started.
It ran a hundred and ten minutes as it stood.
We both watched Johnson like a cat at a rathole.
When the tag end showed white on the screen he signaled with the chair-side buzzer for lights. They came on. He faced us.
“Where did you get that print?”
Mike grinned at him. “Can we do business?”
“Do business?” He was vehement.
“You bet your life we can do business. We’ll do the greatest business you ever saw!”
The projection man came down.
“Hey, that’s all right.
Where’d you get it?”
Mike looked at me.
I said,
“This isn’t to go any further.”
Johnson looked at his man, who shrugged.
“None of my business.”
I dangled the hook.
“That wasn’t made here.
Never mind where.”
Johnson rose and struck, hook, line and sinker.
“Europe!
Hm-m-m. Germany.
No, France.
Russia, maybe, Einstein, or Eisenstein, or whatever his name is?”
I shook my head.
“That doesn’t matter.
The leads are all dead, or out of commission, but their heirs… well, you get what I mean.”
Johnson saw what I meant.
“Absolutely right.
No point taking any chances.
Where’s the rest—?”
“Who knows?
We were lucky to salvage that much.
Can do?”