'Marler,' she said, 'Denise checked out of the hotel less than an hour ago. Drove off by herself…'
'What?'
It was rare to be able to gauge his reactions from his expression. Now he looked staggered, mystified.
'She didn't leave a forwarding address. So we have no idea where she's gone, why she left so suddenly, anything.'
'And she didn't say a word to me. Don't understand it.'
'There may be quite a simple explanation,' Tweed interjected. He looked at Marler. 'Paula, Bob and I are having dinner with Sharon downstairs this evening. I'd like everyone to leave this to me,' he warned. 'At a suitable moment I'll bring up the news about Denise. Incidentally, I shall be playing a power game, so don't be surprised when I say something odd to our hostess. My objective now is to disturb the enemy. I think I can use Sharon without her realizing it.'
'Shouldn't we pass on this strange business about Denise to Pete Nield and Harry Butler?' Marler suggested.
'I was going to ask you to do just that. At the moment they're testing out the new Audis with their snow tyres. I had an interesting chat, by the way, with Ed Osborne down in the lobby.'
'You must have enjoyed that,' Paula commented.
He apparently let slip that soon he's moving on to Freiburg at the edge of the Black Forest. He even gave me the name and the address of the hotel he'll be staying at. The Schwarzwalder Hof.' He looked at Paula. 'Before dinner could you phone up the place, book rooms for all of us? I've scribbled details of the hotel and its address on that pad over there.'
'Book rooms? In our own names?'
'Yes. Exactly. Tell them we may arrive tomorrow, but they're to. hold the rooms until we do arrive. We'll pay for them even if they're unoccupied for a day or two.'
'Is this a good idea,' Paula questioned, 'all of us in the same hotel in the Black Forest area?'
'Yes. I think we'll need as heavy a force close together as we can muster.'
'Before I forget,' Newman began, 'I had a drink with what sounded like a reformed Rupert..
He went on to describe his conversation with Rupert Strangeways. They all listened with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. As he finished Paula burst out.
'Do you believe a word of this? Rupert getting himself a proper job? The mind boggles.'
'It could be,' Newman speculated, 'that Rupert wants to get into his father's good books. After all, Sir Guy is a millionaire.'
'What do you think?' Paula asked Tweed.
'I don't think anything.'
'Going back to Osborne,' Newman said, 'you used the words 'he apparently let slip' when you told us about Freiburg, the hotel he's staying at, the address. Did it occur to you he might have deliberately told you this?'
'Indeed, it did.'
'Then I vote that Paula does nothing about booking rooms in the hotel he mentioned.'
'Sorry, Bob, you're outvoted. By me. I want Paula to do what I requested.'
'I don't understand it.'
'I thought I'd made myself quite clear.'
'It's a trap,' Newman told him vehemently.
'So we walk into their trap.'
When Tweed, Paula and Newman arrived in the dining room Sharon was already waiting for them at a table by a window. There were place cards and Tweed sat next to Sharon by the aisle. Paula's card put her by the other window, facing Sharon with Newman alongside her.
'I think we're dead on time,' Tweed had greeted his hostess.
'Dead on time,' Sharon agreed with a smile.
'Don't use that phrase,' Paula whispered under her breath.
Only Newman heard her. He realized Paula was tense, on edge. Outwardly she was the model of composure. She smiled at Sharon.
'I think your ensemble is one of the smartest I've seen this season.'
'Thank you, Paula. That is generous of you.' She looked at two waiters who had arrived. 'Let's get the party going. What are you all going to have for aperitifs?'
As they ordered Paula found herself studying Sharon, despite her previous determination not to. She wore an emerald-green dress with a high collar. Round her slim waist was a gold belt. It was all perfect. She sat very erect, very much in control of herself but without a trace of arrogance.
She exudes an air of complete calm, Paula thought. She moved her head constantly, but slowly. Her green eyes also swept the table slowly and Paula had the impression she was taking in every little detail about her guests. She didn't fiddle with her magnificent mane, as so many women do. Her white, beautifully moulded face would attract the attention of almost any man the first moment he saw her. But there was not a hint of flirting with the men as she chatted in her very English accent.
'I propose a toast,' Tweed said, raising his glass and turning towards Sharon. 'To our hostess, Sharon, one of the most remarkable women in the world.'
'I'll second that,' Newman said instantly.
'I'm going to blush,' Sharon replied, then sipped her drink. 'I've dined with Heaven knows how many people in America,' she went on, 'but I haven't, until tonight, been honoured with a group of such talent and dynamism.' She looked straight at Paula. 'And what I have just said very much includes you.'
'Thank you. I fear you exaggerate,'
'No. It is the Americans who exaggerate.'
Paula had listened carefully to Sharon when she Was speaking in her soft voice. She had also been watching her. As far as she could tell Sharon spoke with absolute sincerity. It was at this moment that Newman said something Paula thought would ruin the pleasant, relaxed 'atmosphere.
'I imagine you should know, Sharon. About exaggeration. After all, you have been married to four Americans.'
'Oh yes, I have.' Sharon broke into peals of laughter. Then she concentrated on Newman, her wide mouth smiling. 'It would be you, Bob, who brings up the subject of my adventures – experiments is a better word – with four American husbands. I was very young when I was first taken to the States. I was dazzled Then after a year I realized I couldn't stand my husband. Always boasting about his big deals, running after other women. I left it to my lawyer to arrange the divorce settlement. I was staggered when he told me what he was going to get me. It was then it dawned on me.'
'What did?'
'Bob, do go ahead and have a cigarette.'
Paula realized that Sharon had noticed Newman reach for a packet in his pocket, then think better of it. He nodded, took out the pack and lit a cigarette.
'What did?' Sharon repeated. 'It dawned on me that in America the only people looked up to are the rich. So I thought, if this is the game over here, I'll play it. I was still very young. I had been elevated by my first husband into the world of country clubs, top hotels, Cadillacs, you name it. Which is how I fell for my second husband.' She burst out laughing again. 'I'll go on in a minute. We must study the menus.'
Paula was fascinated. Sharon's personality had suddenly – at the mention of husbands – become amazingly animated. She glowed with life and Paula realized even more why men would, at their first meeting, be hypnotized by her.
Once everyone had decided on their main courses, refusing starters, Sharon consulted Tweed about the wine list. After telling the wine waiter what they wanted, she looked at Tweed.
'I've been chattering on too much. Your turn now.'
'Did you know that Denise Chatel has booked out of this hotel – and driven off in her car? Someone told me before dinner.'
'Yes, I found that out too.' The animation was replaced by her deep calm. 'She didn't say a word to me. I can't understand why she did it. Or where she's gone.'
`So she's disappeared?'
