it all sorted out yet, but as far as I can gather it went something like this:
'Turner called that copper, Segur, and he got there first. Turner told him about the duel and claimed he didn't know why La Valere did it, except he was barmy. Said he must have meant to kill Ashford. So Segur pinched the two of them for murder and took them off. Then somebody else stepped in-never mind who-and Segur was taken off the case. They decided that you killed Ashford, and Turner and those two birds yelled bloody murder you didn't but by that time Pucelli and Duclos had been released. The last I heard, they'd disappeared. My guess is, they're looking for you, son.'
Craig nodded.
'If they are, they'll come to London. Bound to. But they'll have a rough time finding you. We'll see to that. They've only got one lead. Your girl. They might trace her to Hakagawa's, but beyond that they'll never reach her because nobody knows where she is. Anyway, we'll keep an eye on her and you can stay here till we get them. It shouldn't take long.'
'She'll have to stay here too,' Craig said. Loomis shook his head.
'I can't do that,' he said. 'Sorry.'
'Why not?' asked Craig. 'Regulations? Are you running a monastery or something?'
'I'm tied hand and foot,' said Loomis.
'You want her for bait,' Craig yelled. 'You lying bastard. You want her out in the open where they can see her.'
'Suppose I did? She won't get hurt,' Loomis said. 'My wife did.' 'That was different.'
'Was it? She was my responsibility too, remember. I'm going back to Tessa. If anybody's going to be bait, it'll be me.'
'You'll only make it more dangerous for her,' Grierson said. 'Use your head, man. Nobody wants to hurt her. You're the only one they're interested in. If they do get to her, it'll only be to find out where you are.'
'Yes,' said Craig. 'And Duclos has such a delightful way of finding out.' He stood up. 'Maybe I'm risking her life,' he said. 'All right. But I'll tell you something. I'm not a vain man, and I don't think I'm a boastful one, but I know this. Tessa would rather take her chances with me than be safe by herself. If I went to her and asked her she'd send me away, because she'd think it would be safer for me. So I'm not going to ask her. I'm going back to her. Now.' He looked hard at the other two. 'I've got a broken finger,' he said. 'But you'd better not try to stop me.'
His good hand disappeared inside his coat.
'John. For Christ's sake,' said Grierson.
Loomis chuckled, a fat, comfortable sound. 'You really brought a gun with you?'
Craig brought it out, pointed it at the floor, at a spot halfway between the other two.
'You know, Craig, you're almost too good,' said Loomis.
'Tessa made me carry it,' Craig said, and Loomis chuckled again.
'That's better,' he said. 'Shows you're human. Like the way you worry about your girl. You've gone and got yourself involved-just like I told you. You have to draw up a balance sheet. All right. Go and see her. If you get yourself killed, it won't make things any worse for us. It may even make them better. The only reason I asked you to stay here was that I didn't want it to happen.'
Craig's gun disappeared under his arm and he went out.
'He didn't even wait to say goodbye,' Loomis said and chuckled again.
The red telephone on his desk shrilled out, and he picked it up, still chuckling. A voice quacked urgently, and his chuckling ceased. He swore vilely into the mouthpiece and banged down the phone.
'She's gone,' he said. 'Bolted down the tube like a rabbit down a burrow. We've got a woman tailing her. That Sanderson person. You'd better get after Craig quick. Got a gun?'
'In the car,' said Grierson.
'All right. Get him-and stay with him. Keep calling in. Sanderson's pretty good. She should stay with the girl all right.'
Grierson nodded, and ran for it, leaving Loomis to sit back in his chair and swear aloud. If Pucelli had got to her, he would kill without mercy, without caring who died, so long as Craig was among them.
CHAPTER 21
Sanuki Hakagawa knew very well where Tessa was. The two women had become friends in a short time, and when Tessa had been moved to Regent's Park it had been unthinkable that Sanuki should not be told. Not many people, and few of them are women, can bear to be alone as Loomis was alone. If Grierson had been in London when Loomis had moved Tessa to Regent's Park he would have told Loomis so, and asked for another woman, Sanderson perhaps, to go with her. But Grierson had been in Provence, and Loomis had had her moved out with dire warnings of what would happen to her if she told a living soul where she was. And of course she had told a living soul, just one. Sanuki. The only friend she had. Sanuki had to be told so that she could call Tessa up and Tessa could talk about Craig and how wonderful it all was.
When Sanuki telephoned that day, it was no surprise. Tessa had been going to call her anyway, to tell her that Craig was back and life was more wonderful than ever. Then suddenly it wasn't. Sanuki had news of the men who were hunting Craig. But she had hung up, and when Tessa had tried to call back, the line was busy. She had grabbed a coat, missed a taxi and run for the tube, and Sanderson had gone with her. Sanderson was good; a placid matron who exuded an air of domestic success, as if Yorkshire puddings rose for her at a snap of her capable fingers. She could follow anywhere because she belonged anywhere, and Tessa should have been easy. Yet she missed'her.
Tessa stood by the tube door throughout the journey and was out at South Kensington and running before Sanderson could move, and when Sanderson tried to follow, everything went wrong. The place was jammed solid, a fat man got in her way at the barrier, and she wasted seconds dancing around him, and Tessa caught the last taxi. It raced up the Cromwell Road and Sanderson went to a phone booth to hear Loomis swear.
When Craig went back to the flat in Regent's Park and found Tessa was gone, he told himself that it was stupid to worry. She might have gone shopping after all. When the phone rang, he scowled. He didn't want to talk to Loomis any more. He had enough on his mind. On the other hand, Loomis might have news. He picked up the receiver.
Duclos said, 'She's here with us, Craig. Listen!'
And then Tessa's voice, shrill, hysterical, saying, 'Don't listen to them, darling. Don't do anything-' The sound of a blow, a gasp of pain, and silence.
'You believe it was her?' Duclos asked.
'Yes,' said Craig.
'We don't want her, we want you,' Duclos said. Craig was silent. 'If you don't do as we tell you, she will suffer,' Duclos went on. 'I promise you she will suffer. It all depends on how much you like her.'
'I like her enough,' said Craig.
'That's good. I have two other friends of yours too. Japanese friends. They would suffer too-if you-'
'What do you want?'
'Come and see us,' Duclos said. 'At your Japanese friend's house. Bring with you the money you stole from us. Come alone-or the girl will die. You realize that?'
'Yes.'
'There are other things also that you must pay for. You know that, too?'
'Yes,' said Craig. 'But the girl has to go.'
'You're all we want,' Duclos said. 'You and the money. Come now.'
Craig hung up, then stiffened as the doorbell rang. He went to the door, unlocked it without opening it, and went into the bedroom. After a moment, he saw Grierson come in and look around the hall, then go into the dining room. Slowly, silently, Craig bent and put down the Woodsman on the bedroom carpet, where Grierson could see it. When he came into the bedroom, Grierson went to the gun at once, and stooped to pick it up. Craig struck, hard and accurate, with the edge of his hand. Grierson pitched forward on his face and Craig looked at him for a moment,
