She turned her head and looked at him. She looked tired and uneasy. She didn’t think the plan would work, either. She thought it was the craziest, the most dangerous idea Adam had yet thought of, but he had said it would work, and she knew from past experience that once Adam had made up his mind about anything, no one or nothing would stop him. If she backed out now, or even encouraged Kile to back out, she knew instinctively that she had seen the last of her brother. In her more rational moments she knew it would be the best thing that could happen to her, but she also knew she was fooling herself: life without Adam would be no life at all.
‘Let him judge,’ she said. ‘To hear you talk, Preston, I’m beginning to think you don’t want the money.’
Kile drank some of his highball.
‘The risk wil be frightful,’ he mut ered. ‘Of course I want the money, but…’
‘I don’t see what risk you run. This man Baird wil shoulder the risk.’
‘He won’t!’ Kile said excitedly. ‘He wouldn’t be such a fool!’
‘Ten thousand is a lot of money,’ Eve said listlessly. She was speaking the words Adam had put into her mouth. ‘We can but ask him.’
The front-door bell rang.
Kile started so violently he spilled some of his highball on his trousers. Swearing softly, he wiped the wet patch with his handkerchief as he stood up.
The Filipino boy who looked after Eve’s apartment came in.
‘Mr Rico is here,’ he said, and Eve could tel he didn’t approve of Rico.
‘Show him in,’ Kile said, trying to steady his voice. He moved over to the fireplace and stood facing the door, a scowl on his heavy features. The pain under his heart had sharpened.
Eve didn’t move. She felt frightened. She, too, had a feeling that once Baird was told of the plan there would be no drawing back.
Rico came in, followed by Baird, who hadn’t taken off his hat. Baird’s eyes went quickly and suspiciously around the room. He gave Eve a quick glance, then stared directly at Kile.
In his turn, Kile was looking at him. He saw at once this tall, powerfully built man in his creased brown suit, the shabby hat tilted to the back of his head, was dangerous, and he felt a little prickle run up his spine as he met Band’s ice-cold eyes.
‘This is Baird,’ Rico said, corning forward. His smile was ingratiating, and he gave Kile a little bow.
‘I told him you wanted to see him, and that you might have something you could put in his way.’
Kile nodded curtly to Baird, who continued to stare with cold, unfriendly eyes. He wasn’t impressed with Kile. A rich, well-fed sonofabitch, he decided, soft at the core and jumpy. Not anyone you’d want to trust further than you could throw him.
‘Sit down,’ Kile said, waving to two armchairs. He was aware that he hadn’t made an impression, and that irritated him. ‘Whiskies, Philip,’ he said to the Filipino boy, ‘and then get out.’
The boy put a tray containing whisky, charge water and ice on the table.
‘I’ll mix them,’ Rico said. ‘Baird?’
Baird shook his head. He dug out a crumpled pack of cigarettes, fished one out, stuck it on his lower lip and sat down in an armchair. He glanced across at Eve, who was still looking out of the window, her back turned to him. He allowed his eyes to run over her figure, paused for a moment or so on her neatly turned ankles, and then struck a match with his thumb nail and lit the cigarette.
As soon as the Filipino boy had left the room, Kile said, ‘Miss Gil is is interested in this proposition I want to talk to you about.’ He hadn’t missed the searching look Baird had given Eve. ‘Eve, won’t you come over here and join us?’
She turned and looked at Baird. What she saw in the brooding eyes chilled her. She left the window seat and came over to stand near Kile.
Rico bowed elaborately.
‘I haven’t seen you at the club for several nights, Miss Gil is,’ he said. ‘I hope you won’t neglect us.’
‘Suppose we get down to business,’ Baird broke in in his cold, soft voice. ‘I’ve got a date in half an hour.’
Kile looked at him sharply. The soft voice had startled him. He sat down, pulled at his cigar and said,
‘I want you to understand there is nothing definite yet arranged. I am sounding the ground, as you might say. It is probable that nothing will come of it.’
Rico winced as he poured himself a whisky.
‘But, Mr Kile…’ he began.
‘Shut up!’ Baird growled. He leaned forward to stare at Kile. ‘Rico told me you wanted a job done that paid ten grand. What’s the job?’
Kile flushed, and his bloodshot eyes watered. For a moment he looked as if he were going to fly into a rage, but the cold eyes that stared at him warned him that bluster wouldn’t get him anywhere.
‘A certain man is in a certain prison. I want this man out.’
He felt, rather than saw, Rico stiffen, but Baird showed no surprise.
‘Go on,’ he said, ‘what’s the rest of it?’
Kile licked his dry lips.
‘I wil pay ten thousand to anyone who can get this man out of prison and bring him to me,’ he went on. ‘That’s
