“That depends on the camera,” Stein said.
Dorothy took the camera from her purse and handed it to him.
"My God,” Stein said. “A Leica I-C. Looks brand-new.”
“Is it a good camera?” Frade said. “More to the point, can we take pictures with it tonight?”
“Is it a good camera? Yeah. About as good as they come. You have film?”
Dorotea handed him four film cassettes, which he examined quickly.
“Jesus, this is hard to come by, too. ASA 200. Very fast. No problem with this. We just take the shades off the lamp.”
“You know about photography, Siggy?”
“My father’s in the camera business—motion and still—in Los Angeles.”
They watched as he loaded film into the camera with a practiced skill.
“Okay, let’s go,” Stein said when he’d finished.
Frau Frogger was sitting stiffly in a wooden chair, her hands folded in her lap.
Fischer and Stein were rearranging the light fixtures in the room to Stein’s satisfaction.
“Just her, or the librarian, too?” Stein asked when they finished with the lighting.
“How many pictures can you take?”
“These are thirty-six-exposure rolls; there’s two of them.”
“Priority one is her with Fischer and La Nación,” Frade said. “When you’re sure you have her, then we can take more with him. And what the hell, with me, too.”
“I protest,” Frau Frogger said in Spanish, then repeated it in German.
“One more word
out of you, señora,” Dorotea said coldly, “and we will take photographs of you without clothing.”
Frau Frogger snorted.
Dorotea slapped her face very hard.
“Hey!” Clete protested without thinking.
“You tell me that I can, Cletus, and when we finish taking her picture, I’ll take her out onto the pampas myself.”
Frade’s first reaction, of course, was surprise that Dorotea had slapped the woman. That was really out of character for Dorotea.
His second reaction was husbandly pride.
God, what a wife! She understands we have to keep this woman afraid, and is doing whatever is necessary to do it.
His third reaction, somewhat slow in coming, was far less pleasant.
Jesus Christ! That was no act. She slapped that woman with hate!
Confirmation of this came from the looks on the faces of Fischer and Stein and Enrico. Stein and Fischer had seen what Frade had seen—and were shocked and repelled. Enrico’s face showed approval.