Part 10. Gerald.


	Mike and Malcolm entered the Bit & Bridle.  Mike gawked at the pony girl
being outfitted by her owner as Gerald greeted them.

	"Good evening, gentlemen.  Do you have guests arriving soon?"

	"Guests?" asked Mike.

	"We can't go in without ponies," Malcolm told him, then turning to
Gerald, "Good evening, Gerald.  No, we're not staying.  We're looking for
Sebastian.  Have you seen him this evening?"

	"No, I'm afraid he hasn't been in.  He does usually visit us on
weekends.  If he comes in, I'll tell him you would like to speak with him."

	"That won't be necessary, Gerald."  Malcolm handed Gerald a twenty
dollar bill.

	"While I appreciate your generosity, I may not take your money."

	"I didn't realize there was a club policy against tips."

	"There is no such policy."

	"I see.  So it conflicts with a prior obligation."

	"I'm glad you understand, sir."

	"What if I doubled the amount?" Malcolm asked.

	"I'm sorry, sir, but that would be dishonest.  I wish you had come to me
first."

	"Alright, then," Malcolm said, stuffing a fifty into Gerald's pocket. 
"This is for the future.  The next time you get such a request, tell them what
you just told me."  Malcolm followed the first fifty with a second.  "And that's
to let us know when you've made your report."  A third fifty followed.  "And
that's to keep the whole thing confidential."

	"I quite understand, sir."

	"Thank you, Gerald."

	"Thank you, sir."

	Mike and Malcolm departed.  "I'd say we're on the right track," Malcolm
commented.

	"How do you figure?  What was that all about?"

	"Sebastian paid Gerald to let him know if I came looking for him.  Also,
Sebastian hasn't been here all weekend, which is unusual for him.  Fortunately,
he only paid Gerald to report my activities to them.  He didn't pay Gerald not
to report his own activities to us."

	"How do you come to that conclusion?"

	"Gerald just told us."

	"But he hardly said anything."

	"He said more than he needed to when he refused my bribe.  He could have
just said no and clammed up, but he let us know there was no rule against tips. 
When he admitted to a prior obligation, he let us know that he would have to
report our inquiry, but in doing so he also let us know he was not prohibited
from reporting the fact that he would make such a report."

	"Wasn't telling us that kind of dishonest?"

	"Not to Gerald.  He probably got handed a tip with the request to report
any inquiry on my part.  When I tried to tip him to prevent that report, Gerald
revealed the conflict.  He hadn't been paid to conceal the fact that he was
reporting our inquiry."

	"So why didn't he just come out and say it?"

	"You have to understand Gerald.  He lives an implied life.  Nothing is
said unless it can be inferred.  That's what caught my attention.  He was
uncharacteristically blunt when answering some of my questions."

	"So why give him all that other money."

	"He told me to.  When he said he wished we had gotten to him first, he
let me know that I could shut down any future reports by giving him money now to
turn them down, so I just covered all the bases.  He'll let me know when he
hears from Sebastian."

	"But if he turns Sebastian down on his next bribe, won't that tip him
off?"

	"That's what the third fifty was for.  I don't know how he'll do it, but
he'll shut Sebastian down without raising suspicion.  Don't worry about Gerald. 
I'm pretty sure he doesn't like Sebastian very much, although you'd never get
him to say so."

	"So now what?"

	"So now we wait to hear from Gerald.  Tomorrow we'll try to get ahold of
your friend Brad, but right now I want to go by Amy's again.  I'm afraid it
might not be a coincidence that I can't find her and Sebastian is trying to keep
track of me."