“But she said she was with Mr…” the door-guard began.
“Shut it, Len!” white tux cut him off. He looked us up and down. “I know who she is. I seen her face enough in that rag she writes for. Lies, all lies. But who are you, pretty-boy? And who gave you the side parting?”
Eve cut in. She dropped the accent and the attitude. “He’s hired for the evening. He watches my back, Gambatti.”
The name was no surprise to me. Eve had planned this all along. How did she know he’d be here tonight? Maybe Gambatti was always here.
“Better mind the front too, missy.” He leered at Eve’s cleavage and got a reverential chuckle from his boys.
“That’s enough, Mister Gambatti,” I said moving between him and Eve and sliding my hand under her arm. “We’re leaving now.”
“Good. Saves having you thrown out. Len, see them to the door. Find out how they got in. Make sure it don’ happen again. And get these idiots out of my sight.”
He pointed at his disabled men.
“Smile and walk,” I said to Eve. I slipped the Beretta into my side pocket.
We began to move forward, slowly. The circle of goons parted and we stepped between them, like an honour guard. The hushed crowd moved back as we made to the door. The bride and groom. Though no one was tossing confetti and no one was smiling. Except us, in a forced sort of way.
“What a story!” she hissed.
“You are a mad woman.”
“You did the violence!”
“You knew he’d be here. Why didn’t you say?”
“You’d have gone all pompous and talked me out of it. I’d have missed a story.”
“Pity you can’t use it.”
“Don’t be crazy. This is front page.”
“What exactly?”
“Look around.” She had a point. The room was awash with money. Until we’d interrupted play these chattering socialites were bent over spinning wheels or sitting at green baize tables studded with cards.
“Eve, we’ve just poked a tiger with a stick. He’ll rip our heads off!”
“He wouldn’t dare. I’m too public.”
“I’m not. And I have to work in this town. I have enough enemies.”
We reached the front door. Two big men held it open for us and glared at us as we sailed past. I thought about tipping them but they might not have seen the funny side. I felt my back itch all the way down the stairs and out into the road. I prayed they wouldn’t think it smart to put a bullet in my back. As we made our leisurely getaway I turned to her. She had to know.
“Speaking of enemies. Someone is having you followed.”
It got no more than a tightening of her lips but it was enough to tell me she wasn’t as surprised as she now made out.
“Don’t be silly. People don’t like my column, but it doesn’t make them my enemy.”
“They’ve been following you for at least two weeks.”
She stopped and shook her head. “Don’t be so melodramatic, Danny.”
I stood in front of her. I took her hands. “Princess, they could have been around long before that, but I was so… well, let’s say I had my blinkers on.” I smiled at her. “I could have missed them.”
“You are crazy, Daniel McRae. Why would anyone follow me? Where are they, then?”
She swivelled her head round looking for them. “Yoohoo! Come out, come out wherever you are!”
The sarcasm surprised me. Why was she being so perverse? After what we’d just been through? “You won’t see them. They’re good.”
She poked me in the chest. “I think you’re seeing things. But if you want to play big brave protector, that’s OK. Take me home, my hero.”
I did, and we made love, but something had changed. She clung to me in the night as though tomorrow was D-Day and I was leaving for France. And over scraped toast, marge and meat paste in the morning she was cool. As though she’d stepped back from me and was watching from a distance.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
“Is it the story? You want to splash Gambatti’s name around? Go ahead. It’s your skin. But I’d rather it stayed on your back. I love your back.”
“It’s not Gambatti.”
“Are you worried about being followed?”
“Danny! Let’s stop this! I am not being followed. All right?”
“Why are you so angry? I’ve never seen you like this.”
“You’re upsetting me with all this stupid detective talk.” She saw she was getting to me and her face softened. “Just a bit hung over I expect.”
It was a hangover that didn’t improve. Over the next few days, she made excuses and wouldn’t even see me, far less make love to me. When we finally met I couldn’t get through to her. She would smile but not with her eyes. It was as though a sadness had settled on her that she couldn’t share. We still had the watchers but she wouldn’t believe me. Didn’t even want to talk about them. I guess that’s what made me do it.
It had been a week since we’d made love and we were walking towards her office after a desultory sandwich and tea at the coffee house on the Strand. I had used up all my weak attempts at humour and we were quiet with each other. I wanted to shake her and find out what was going on in her head. But I was scared what I’d hear. Then I saw one of them. He was keeping pace with us on the other side of the street. I waited till a bus came between us. I scuttled round the back of it, sidestepped a car and grabbed the man by his lapels as he turned to face me.
“Who are you! Just who the fuck are you, pal? Why are you following us?” My face was an inch off his. I watched the shock turn into amusement.
“What the hell’s going on, buddy? You limeys drink too much at lunch time, you know that?”
His American accent threw me. I began to loosen my grip. “You’ve been following us for weeks. Don’t give me that phoney yank stuff!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, buddy. Now, unless you take your goddamn hands off me, I’m going to call the police.”
“Danny! Danny! What the hell are you doing?” Eve was running across the road, careless of the traffic. She reached me. Her face was red and angry. She dragged me away.
“Sorry, mister. Sorry. He’s OK. Just had a bad day.” She hauled me along the pavement. “What are you doing? You’ve gone mad, Danny. I don’t know you any more. This is crazy.”
“I’m crazy? What’s happened to you? We had it all. We were good. Are good. But you’re in trouble. Don’t you see it? I know what I’m doing. This is my job, Eve!
Trust me!”
“Stop it! Stop it! There’s nothing!”
We were shouting at each other. Tears were running down her face. I scraped them from mine. I knew I had to shut up or lose her. But all I could do was go on and on about how I needed her and how I feared for her. Every word I said was killing us, sending me further from her. Her eyes were full of pity. I rambled to a halt, my chest heaving and my tears blinding me.
She spoke softly now. “Danny, we need a break. From each other. Just let it go.”
“No, oh no. Please…”
“We must…”
“We mustn’t. Don’t do this.” I gripped her arms. I couldn’t let her go. If we parted now, it was for good.
“I have to. I have to go. Just give it a few weeks. Don’t call. Don’t come round. Just give us time.” She pulled free and was already turning away. I should have held her, hugged her to me till the madness left us. But all I could do was stand like a dummy, watching her go. Watching the best thing in my life walk away from me.
I don’t know how I got home, but I picked up a bottle of Red Label on the way. I threw my jacket off and
