attendance, was not the place to start talking about a series of attempts on his life.
The major, who was acting as chauffeur, drove them back to Rasselas. Here Beryl assumed that she'd have the job of seeing Joe safely into his flat and let her surprise show when he said, 'No, that's OK, Starbright here will see me up.'
'You sure?'
'Yeah. You'll want to get back to Desmond. Do me a favour.
Tell Aunt Mirabelle I'm tucked up safe and what I need is twenty-four hours undisturbed sleep.'
The last bit's certainly true.'
'And Beryl, thanks a million. I'm really sorry I mucked up your night. And your carpet.'
He offered to kiss her but she stepped back.
The carpet's easy to put right,' she said. 'Good night, Joe. Good night, Mr. Jones.'
'Fine-looking woman,' said Starbright in the lift. 'Not often I get preferred to something like that.'
'Not even in prison?' said Joe.
The Welshman didn't reply and they completed the journey in silence. In the flat Whitey came out of the bedroom (bleary eyed) to inspect Starbright, decided he was harmless and food less and yelled angrily at Joe for his supper.
Joe winced as he pulled open the fridge door.
'Here, I'll do that,' said Starbright. 'What's he have?'
There's some pork pie. That'll do,' said Joe. 'And help yourself to a beer.'
'No, thanks. Not when I'm riding. Cuppa tea would be nice.'
'Be my guest,' said Joe.
With Whitey provided for and tea and biscuits set with a domestic neatness on a tray, the Welshman took a seat opposite Joe, who was draped like a Roman emperor along his sofa, and said, 'So what do you want to say to me?'
'Just wanted to thank you for saving me from that mugger.'
'I didn't,' said Starbright.
For an awful moment Joe thought he must have got it right all along and the Welshman was about to finish the job. But the man was sipping his cup of tea most delicately, his little finger crooked according to the best tenets of refinement, and generally looking as un menacing as a man of his size and aspect could.
'Sorry?' said Joe.
'I mean, that joker wasn't mugging you, he was trying to off you,' said Starbright.
'Why do you say that?'
'All the difference in the world between putting the fright-eners on to get at your wallet, or even giving a good kicking to warn you off, and what he was doing. Lucky for you he wasn't a pro.'
'He felt professional enough to me,' said Joe, wincing in memory.
'What I mean, isn't it? He'd been a pro, you'd have felt exactly what he wanted you to feel, which if it was a contract would be nothing. Crack, you're dead.'
He said it very mildly in that light high-pitched voice of his, but Joe still shivered.
'So that guy you got sent down for assaulting, he just got exactly what you wanted to give him, did he?' said Joe with an effort at boldness.
'You've taken some trouble to find out about me, haven't you? I'm flattered.'
'No need. What I really want to know is why you've been following me around?'
'Have I?'
'Yes. Don't deny it. I spotted you.'
'Not completely useless then,' said the Welshman half to himself. 'All right, I admit it. Wanted to find out what you're up to, didn't I?'
'But you know what I'm up to. I'm working for Zak.'
'No. I know I'm working for Zak, I don't know who you might be working for.'
'But you were there when she came round to see me,' protested Joe.
'Sure I was, but what I don't know is who recommended you. I mean, she didn't just pick you out of a hat, did she? Maybe someone planted you.'
Joe digested this, then said, 'OK. By the same token, she didn't pick you out of a hat either. In fact, you were definitely picked by somebody else. Doug Endor, wasn't it?'
Jones eyed him coldly and said, 'Doesn't matter who picked me. Zak's my bod.'
'Your what?'
'Bod. Body. The one I look after. That's what I get paid for. While she's in this country I'll earn my wages. And no one's paying me anything more to do anything else. Can you say that, Sixsmith?'
