‘His sister?’ Dal as said, pretending to be surprised. ‘They don’t act that way.’
‘Maybe she doesn’t want to introduce him to Kile,’ Zoe said indifferently. ‘She’s Kile’s mistress, and she’s welcome to him. How about another bot le of champagne? I’ve a thirst that’d slay a camel.’
‘Sure,’ Dallas said, wondering what Purvis was going to say when he put in his expense sheet at the end of the week. ‘Everything I have is yours, honey.’
Zoe gave him a suspicious glance.
‘That sounds as if you haven’t so much,’ she said, signalling to the barman. ‘How about buying me a dinner, if you’re going to be al that generous?’
‘Just a figure of speech,’ Dal as said hastily. ‘Maybe I’l buy you dinner tomorrow night, but I’l run to a sandwich if you’re that hungry.’
Zoe sighed.
‘I’ll settle for a sandwich.’ She looked at him and smiled. ‘Are you working up to come home with me tonight?’
Dallas wrestled with the temptation, decided reluctantly not to spend any more of Purvis’s money, and shook his head.
‘That’s something I’l look forward to at a later date. I’l need to break into my kid sister’s money-box before I can go home with you.’
Zoe giggled.
‘You know, I like you,’ she said, and pressed her knee against his. ‘You leave your kid sister’s money-box alone. You won’t need it.’
Dallas was only half listening. He had seen Rico come into the bar.
Rico crossed over to where Kile and Eve were standing and said something to Kile in a low voice.
Kile’s face was flushed as if he had been drinking heavily. He turned to speak to Eve, who nodded.
Then he went out of the bar with Rico, leaving Eve alone.
Dallas saw Gillis raise his eyebrows at Eve and jerk his head to the door.
‘I’ve got to run away,’ Dal as said quickly. He took out a twenty-dollar bill and dropped it in Zoe’s lap. ‘Just remembered a pressing appointment. See you tomorrow night. Okay?’
‘You leaving me flat?’ Zoe asked, startled.
‘Got to,’ Dal as said, get ing to his feet. ‘Business. I’l dream of you tonight, sugar. So long for now.’
He walked quickly out of the bar as Eve finished her drink. He went into the gentlemen’s retiring room.
A moment or so later Eve came into the lobby. She collected her wrap and went out into the street.
Dallas reappeared and sauntered after her. He saw her get into the LaSalle parked in the big parking lot at the side of the club. He concealed himself behind another car and waited.
Five minutes dragged by. He saw Eve light a cigarette. The flame of her lighter lit up her face for a brief moment. Dallas decided she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
‘And where does that get you, Dallas?’ he said to himself. ‘She’s way out of your class. If you’re going to get those sort of ideas, you’d bet er stick to Zoe.’
Then he spotted Gillis coming into the parking lot. He saw him look to right and left, then walk quickly over to the LaSalle, open the door and get in beside Eve.
Moving silently, Dallas left his hiding-place and crept towards the LaSalle.
VII
For the first time in two years, Preston Kile felt confident and excited about his immediate future. Eve had convinced him that the plan she had thought of to find the Rajah’s jewels might work. He hadn’t been hard to convince because, once explained, it was obvious that it was the only possible way. It was daring and brilliant, and he felt drawn to it in spite of knowing that it could end in disaster if he made a false move. It was the kind of plan he would have given his whole-hearted support to ten years ago: a gamble against enormous odds, but with a tremendous prize if it succeeded.
What an extraordinary girl this Eve was! She had lain in his arms, her face against his, while she had outlined the plan. He couldn’t think why he hadn’t arrived at the solution himself. The more she talked the more he had realised that the Rajah’s offer of half a million was not now entirely out of reach. With such a sum to play with, he was positive he could win back his old position in the Stock Market, and wouldn’t he make them suffer for what they had done to him!
The plan depended on organisation and nerve and the right man to do the job. He had agreed with Eve that Rico should be consulted. He might know of someone who would handle the dangerous part of the job. Rico might also be useful in the organisation of the plan: it was too big and complicated for Kile to handle alone. It wasn’t going to be easy to bring Rico into this, and at the same time keep from him the amount involved. He would have to be paid well, and the Rajah would have to foot the bill. Rico’s money wasn’t going to come out of the half a mil ion. Kile intended to keep every nickel of that for himself.
He watched Rico make two highballs. When Rico came over to the desk and put one of the highballs near Kile, Kile said, ‘That’s a nasty bruise you’ve got there. How did you get it?’
Rico sat down.
‘I had an accident. It’s nothing. It looks worse than it feels. I hoped you’d be in tonight, Mr Kile. I’ve something I wanted you to see. Unfortunately it’s as hot as a stove at the moment, but in a year or two it’l fetch three or four grand; probably more.’
