offer. This had prompted her to start looking more closely at the financial detail of the agent's relationship with Zak.
'He plays things like this pretty close to his chest, but I had a secret weapon. Our Eddie. He accessed Endor's private accounts and the Bloo-Joo account and I got a lot of pointers to what was going on, but nothing so definite I could show it to the law. Or even to Zak. Trouble is she's a really loyal person. I know that better than most. That was the mistake I made. 'Stead of talking to her straight, I started trying to persuade her in simple commercial terms she'd be better off with someone else. At least two of the top sports agencies in the world are keen to sign her up, and with them the sky's the limit. But all that that did was push Zak's loyalty button. Endor had taken her on when she was nobody and it would be a pissy thing to do to drop him soon as she started making it big. As for me, I was being disloyal too, ratting on the guy who was paying my wages. More I argued, more I must've sounded like sourpuss Mary, the lousy loser.'
Joe thought he could see how this might happen. Zak was no dumbhead, she knew what a deal of resentment must be swilling around inside her sister, which was why she had this deep down fear she might be mixed up in the betting scam. So anything Mary said about Endor would be looked at sideways and backwards. But now Mary claimed that she'd finally got copies of papers in Endor's private files which proved beyond doubt that the agent was on the fiddle.
That's what you were celebrating when I listened in on you in the locker room?' grinned Joe, and had the satisfaction of seeing Mary blush. 'OK,' he went on. 'One thing's clear, Endor knows you're on to him else he wouldn't be getting so het up that Naysmith couldn't find a way round Zak's get-out option. Wouldn't have mattered too much if he could have got the Nymphette deal through before they split. I'd guess that an agent still keeps collecting for the old deals he set up even after he's been fired. But someone else will get the benefit of all his wheeling and dealing there and that must really have hurt. That's what probably pushed him into this gambling fix. Zak might be waving him goodbye, but at least he'd make a killing by getting her to throw the race, plus the satisfaction of seeing her humiliated before her home crowd.'
They considered this analysis for a moment.
Mary said, 'I guess I wasn't as fairy-footed as I thought, tiptoeing around his records.'
'Don't blame yourself. He's really sharp,' said Joe.
Like Naysmith, he thought. Both top guns in their villainies. Both guys with the kind of brains which worked out how to land soft even as they were falling off a skyscraper. And Joe Sixsmith nailed them both!
With a little help from his friends, he added modestly.
'So what do we do now?' said Abe. 'We'd decided we didn't want to lay this stuff on Zak before the race. Now it makes even more sense to wait. Ironic if explaining why it's OK to win should upset her so much she loses.'
This was more or less what Endor had said, recalled Joe. Sharp cookie.
'Could she lose?' he asked.
'This is no knock-over,' said Abe. 'She's up against some top names who wouldn't be unhappy at knocking the home favourite off her perch. She'll need to be close to her best.'
'OK,' said Joe. 'I'll talk to her. Tell her it's all sorted, no problem, all details later.'
And I'll make sure she understands none of her family are involved, except on her side, he added to himself.
'And Endor?' said Mary. I'll talk to him, shall I? My pleasure.'
'No,' said Joe. 'I'll do that too. Better not to let it look personal, OK?'
Mary looked ready to give him a row but when Abe said, 'He's right, lover,' she caved in. Oh, the power of true love, thought Joe.
That just about wraps it up,' he said. 'Now we'd better all head for bed else none of us is going to be around to see Zak run!'
At the door, Mary came up to him and said, 'All that crap I spewed out earlier, I'm sorry, OK?' And kissed him.
In the lift he felt Beryl looking at him. 'What?' he said.
'Nothing,' she said. 'Just that for a short, balding guy without regular employment, you sure get a lot of kisses.' 'I had a deprived adolescence,' he said. 'Come here.'
Twenty-Eight.
Unlike the lifts on Rasselas, which moved so slow a man could write a couple of chapters of his memoirs between floors, the Kimberley's hit the ground too quick for the embrace to develop into anything. But there was a moment outside Beryl's flat when a kiss that started as Good night was rapidly transmogrifying to Hellol Then Beryl gently but firmly pushed him away.
'Rain check, Joe boy. You did good tonight. You don't want to mess it all up by sleeping in in the morning.'
'You seen the time?' he said. 'It is morning!'
But she was right. He went home, set every alarm clock in the house, climbed into bed and fell into a sleep which was instantly disturbed by the telephone ringing.
'Just thought I'd make sure,' said Beryl.
He looked at his bedside clock. Three hours had passed. He felt worse than he had before.
A hot and cold shower put him on the road to recovery and the Full British Breakfast left a passable imitation of normality.
The streets were unnaturally quiet as he made his way to the Oto house. Luton was obviously groaning under a gigantic communal hangover. Leaning on the gate post outside the house was a familiar figure.
'You look terrible,' said Starbright. 'You're too old to be up all night celebrating, boy!'
