18 The Saint Bids Diamonds (Thieves' Picnic)

Simon nodded approvingly.

'You seem to have grasped some of it, anyway,' he said. 'I suppose you could call Graner the lottery guy for the present. Anyway, he's got the ticket. So the question is-what happens next?'

'Dat looks like a cinch,' said Mr Uniatz airily; and the Saint subsided limply into a chair.

'One of two things has happened to you for the first time in your life,' he said sternly. 'Either the whiskey has had some effect, or an idea has got into your head.'

Mr Uniatz blinked.

'Sure, it's a cinch, boss. All we gotta do is, we go to dis guy an' say 'Lookit, mug; eider you split wit' us on your racket, or we toin ya in to de cops.' Sure, he comes t'ru. It's a pipe,' said Mr Uniatz, driving home his point.

The Saint gazed at him pityingly.

'You poor fathead,' he said. 'It isn't a racket. This is the Spanish official lottery. It's perfectly legal. Graner isn't running it. He's simply got the ticket that won it.'

Mr Uniatz looked unhappy. The Spanish government, he felt, had done him a personal injury. He brooded glumly.

'I dunno, boss,' he said at length, reverting to his original platform.

'It looks plain enough to me,' said the Saint.

He sprang up again. To Christine Vanlinden, watch­ing him, fascinated, there was an atmosphere of buoy­ant and invincible power about him like nothing she had ever felt about a man before. Whether he could be trusted or not, whatever scruples he might or might not have, his personality filled the room and absorbed everyone in it. And yet he was smiling, and his gesture had the faint half-amused swagger which was insep­arable from every movement he made.

'Graner has got the ticket,' he said. 'But we've got Joris. So long as Joris is out of sight and an unknown quantity, I think Graner will be afraid to risk trying to cash the ticket. He'll try to get hold of Joris again to find out exactly how he stands. He can afford to wait a few days, and meanwhile he'll probably be trying to figure out some other way to get round the difficulty. But I don't think he'll be on the doorstep of the lottery agent first thing in the morning asking for the prize. So we hold exactly half the stakes each. And while Graner is trying to fill his hand, we can be try­ing to fill ours. Therefore, the next move from our side is to go and have a talk with Reuben.'

He saw the quick pressure of white teeth on her lip.

'Talk to Graner?' she gasped. 'You can't do that --'

'Can't I?' said the Saint grimly. 'He's expecting me!'

2 Her eyes widened.

'You?'

'Yours sincerely. We got off the boat late, and then they didn't have any proper tackle to land the car. Every time they rigged up some gimcrack contraption the ropes broke, and then they all stood around waving their arms about and telling each other why it didn't work. When we did get off, I had to hang around for the other half of the day trying to get the carnet stamped. Tenerife again. After that was all over we came and fixed ourselves up here, and what with one thing and another we seemed to need a few drinks and a spot of food before we plunged into any more excite­ment. So we had them. Eventually we did make some enquiries about Graner, and after six people had given us sixteen different directions, we were on our way to try and find him when we met you.' The Saint smiled. 'But Reuben is expecting me all right!'

'Why?'

Simon looked at his watch.

'Do you know that it's just about midnight?' he said. 'I think there are a few other things to be done before we talk any more. Joris needs some rest, if no­body else does.' He took another quick turn up and down the room, and came back. 'What's more, I don't think we'd better make any noise about having him here-the first thing Graner's crowd will do is to beat around the hotels. Hoppy brought him in as a drunk, and the night man doesn't know who's staying here and who isn't. So Hoppy had better keep him for to­night without any advertisement, and maybe tomor­row we'll think of something else to do with him. Is that okay with you, Hoppy? You can sleep on the floor or put yourself in the bath or something.'

'Sure, boss,' said Mr Uniatz obligingly. 'Anyt'ing is jake wit' me.'

'Good.' Simon smiled at the girl again. 'In that case, I'll just toddle down and organize a room for you.'

He left the room and ran briskly downstairs. After Waking more noise than half-a-dozen inexperienced burglars trying to enter the hotel by knocking the front door down with a battering-ram, he finally suc­ceeded in rousing the night porter from his slumbers and explained his requirement.

The man looked at him woodenly.

'Manana,' he said, with native resourcefulness. 'Tomorrow, when there is someone who knows about rooms, you will be able to arrange it.'

'Tomorrow,' said the Saint, 'the Teide may start to erupt, and the inhabitants of this God-forsaken place may move quickly for the first time in their lives. I want a room tonight. What about going to the office and looking at the books?'

' 'Sta cerrao,' said the other pessimistically. 'It is shut.'

The Saint sighed.

'It is for a lady,' he explained, attempting an appeal to the well-known Spanish spirit of romance.

The man continued to gape at him foggily. If it was a senorita, he appeared to be thinking, why should there be so much fuss about getting her a room?