"Look, Mr ...?"
"Jimson!
James Jimson!
At your service, Ma'am!"
"Yes! Of course! M
r Jimson, I'm sorry!
But we've been all through this before ...
Several times in fact!"
"But ... But ... Ms Lauterdale!
My offer is more than reasonable!"
"Indeed it is!
Quite generous, in fact!"
"And so?"
"And so the simple fact of the matter is that my property is Not For Sale!
Certainly Not Now!
Nor will it be at any time in the foreseeable future!"
But ... But ... Ms Lauterdale!"
"Mr Jimson, this property has been in my family for several generations ...
And as far as I am concerned this interview is over!
And so now if you will kind enough to excuse me?
I have certain affairs that require my undivided attention ..."
There appeared to be little to be gained in pursuing the matter futher as it appeared for all intents and purposes
that his every attempt to come to any kind of an agreement had reached an impasse.
And so, having failed utterly, he left.
It was the highway sign that had first caught his attention.
It had been in the middle of the afternoon and ordinarily he would not have been looking for a motel so early in the evening
but the name on the sign had jogged something in his memory ...
The motel was not immediately off the highway exit and he discovered that he had some distance to travel ...
Not far ...
But far enough to have him wondering whether perhaps he had missed a turn at the crossroads a ways back ...
But then suddenly there it was ...
The old hotel standing atop a rise in the background with a rather nondescript modern wood-frame motel building
standing out front just off the road ...
He had pulled off to one side of the parking area and he had been immediately drawn to the old hotel as it stood ,
a silent sentinel to whatever might take place before it ...
As he looked back now in his mind's eye, James Jimson realized that he had been taken by the place from the first ...
This old building, the Bates Hotel was the answer to what had been for him a life-long fantasy!
He knew ...
Right then and there ...
Jimson knew that he had to take possession of this place at all cost and by whatever means it took!
For now through the twilight of time, Jimson suddenly realized where he was!
And as he stood at the foot of the stone steps that lead to the front entrance of the old hotel,
it was as though he could see the image of the his host ...
Peering down at him as he awaited in anticipation of his guests for the night ...
Other men held fantasies of Private Islands ...
Islands that served as hunting preserves where young women served as the game animals ...
Such things may be all right in the realm of fantasy but in anything approaching reality
they would be far and away beyond the capability of any man of ordinary means ...
And perhaps that fact was in and of itself nothing more than a guise ...
A protective coloring ...
A cammoflauge technique by which a man could safely say,
See? This isn't Real! You can see for yourselves that it couldn't be!
And by such devises they brought a level of justification to their own fantasy life ...
But a Small Hotel on the other hand ...
And one that had a History ...
One that had a Reputation ...
While at the same time not being immediately accessible ...
Now this place had definite possibilities!
But now, Ms Nanette Lauterdale had refused to sell ...
What of course James Jimson had no immediate way of knowing -
and what Ms Lauderdale had failed to reckon upon -
was that certain of her business associates were highly in favor of the transaction
and had been favorably impressed by Mr Jimson -
and particularly so by his credit rating ...
Still, Ms Lauterdale had remained adamant ...
"Look! What part of No do you guys find so everlastingly difficult to understand?"
Nanette Lauterdale had been catching a few rays -
sunning herself on a small private deck that was attached to the rear of the room that served as the office for the motel ...
"There's not a soul in sight anywhere, Mr Kent!"
The voice belonged to that of our own Ms Vlady, a female practitioner, as she called it,
whose most recent assignment was to both case the motel -
which was often deserted at this hour of the day -
and then to keep an eye open for any visitors that might appear,
as her employer continued in his negotiations with Nanette Lauterdale.
"According to what I have found out about his financial standing,
Mr James Jimson is more than capable of making good on the offer he has tendered with regard to the motel, Nanette!"
"Jimson's credit whether it be good or bad makes no difference to me, Mr Kent!
The property is simply not for sale and there is nothing to be gained by going over the matter any further!"
"May I remind you, Ms Lauterdale that my associates and I hold the mortgage on this parcel of real estate?"
"Are you threatening me with a possible foreclosure, Mr Kent?
I have been meeting my obligations to your organization faithfully ...
And I think that it would be a long and costly process were our case to enter litigation in a court of law ..."
"I hadn't anything in mind as tedious as a court case, Nanette ...
No, no, Nanette!
What I have in mind is far more expedient ..."
And so saying, Mr Kent calmly stepped aside so that his associate standing immediately to his rear,
could gain a clear shot at Ms Nanette Lauterdale as she reclined in her chair ...
Nanatte Lauterdale's jaw dropped as her body tensed and jerked
in response to the slug that hit her just left of center in the upper chest ....
The stricken woman opened her mouth to scream ...
But the only sound that came was a choking grunt.
"Haw-Unngh!"
And that single grunt was about all that she managed to get as the slug drove into her ...
Ms Lauterdale made a second brave attempt at vocalization as her body seemed to recoil
under the impact of the bullet that had punched into her chest ...
And all too soon it was obvious that the lead in her heart had taken its toll -
for Ms Lauderdale subsided quickly and sagged back into a reclining position in her chair ...
"Do you want me to give her another round, Mr Kent?"
"I hardly think that will be necessary Ms Vlady ...
From my perspective, I should think that Ms Nanette Lauterdale has been most thoroughly and appropriately convinced to see things my way!"
"In that case, I guess that all there is to do now is to cool our heels and wait for Mr Jimson to show up! Am I right, Mr Kent?"
"Indeed!
Oh! And, Ms Vlady?
Would you be so good as give me a hand to tucking Ms Lauterdale away somewhere for safe keeping?
It wouldn't do for Mr Jimson to find a newly-minted corpse as the only resident on his newly aquired property, now would it?"
