the luxury of it. Then he shaved, using Kile’s razor, and put on the dark blue quilted dressing-gown that Eve had left outside the door, and re-entered the sitting-room.
‘That’s much bet er,’ he said, going over to the electric fire Eve had turned on. He sat in an easy chair before the fire. ‘A whisky and soda would be welcome if you can run to it.’
Eve brought him the drink and sat opposite him. Her face was white and strained, and she looked searchingly at him.
‘What has happened to Preston?’ she asked.
‘I’m afraid he’s in trouble,’ Gil is said. He drank some of the whisky. ‘Good stuff this.’ He leaned forward to read the label on the bottle. ‘I must get some for myself.’
‘Adam! What has happened to Preston?’
He looked at her, smiling.
‘I told you: he’s in trouble. I think it’s very unlikely you’l be bothered with him again.’
‘But what happened?’ Her voice was sharp-edged as she leaned forward. ‘Why is he in trouble?’
‘The police found out about the bracelet,’ he said, shrugging. ‘They arrested him about half an hour ago.’
‘Adam! You told them about it!’
‘As a matter of fact, I didn’t,’ Gil is lied. ‘I must admit I’ve been tempted to do so several times, but in view of what’s just happened, I’m glad I didn’t.’
‘What wil they do with him?’
‘I imagine he’l get ten years. Why should you care? He’ll be out of the way for some time,’ Gillis said, finished his drink and offered the glass to her. ‘Would you like to mix me another? And if you have a cigarette?’
She made another drink, gave it to him, and put a box of cigarettes where he could reach them. He lit up, stretched out his long legs and sighed contentedly.
‘This is the life, pet,’ he said. You’re lucky. You may not believe it, but I often wish I had been a girl.
I’d have enjoyed being some old fool’s kept darling.’
Eve shuddered, but she didn’t say anything.
‘By the way, did Preston tell you what happened at the shooting-lodge?’ Gil is asked, after a long pause.
‘He didn’t go into details,’ Eve said, looking down at her hands. ‘He said he hadn’t been successful.’
‘That’s rather an understatement,’ Gil is said. ‘The whole thing was a complete flop.’
She didn’t say anything or look at him,
‘You don’t seem particularly concerned,’ Gillis said, watching her narrowly. ‘After al , you’ve lost a quarter of a million, haven’t you?’
‘Have I?’ she asked, and looked up to meet his eyes. ‘I didn’t count on getting it, Adam. Come to that, you don’t seem particularly concerned, either.’
‘You wouldn’t have said that the night before last,’ Gillis said, and laughed. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been in such a rage. I had everything so well worked out, Preston was marching up and down outside the lodge in a perfect fever, and I was crouching behind a bush, also in a fever. We waited hours, and nothing happened. Then Preston turned on the radio, and we heard the details of the escape. They said Hater had stolen a police launch. We waited and waited, but Baird didn’t show up. I nearly tore my hair out I was so angry.’
Eve got up and began to move around the room aimlessly. Her silence irritated Gillis.
‘You don’t seem very interested,’ he said sharply. ‘After all, we were working on this together.’
‘We weren’t working together, Adam. I behaved like a weak fool and did what you told me to do. All along I thought the idea was crazy, and I’m glad it didn’t come off.’
Gillis shrugged.
‘You’re a funny girl,’ he said, blowing smoke to the ceiling. ‘We could have snapped our fingers at the world with half a million in our pockets. You don’t seem to realise what you’ve lost.’
‘I think I do, but I’ve gained much more.’
‘Nice to have such a placid philosophy. Well, I wasn’t wrong about Baird. I told you he could do anything if he put his mind to it.’
‘Eight men lost their lives through him. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?’
‘Should it?’ he said, mildly surprised. ‘It’s what they were paid for. If a man’s mug enough to be a prison guard, he must expect to run risks.’
‘What do you think has happened to Hater?’ she asked, turning away so he shouldn’t see her disgust.
‘I imagine Baird’s hanging on to him,’ Gillis said, frowning. ‘There was always the possibility that Baird would deal direct with the Rajah. I’m afraid that’s what he’s going to do. It won’t be easy for him.
The police are hunting for him for Zoe Norton’s murder. But if he can get to the Rajah, the Rajah wil do a deal with him.’
‘When you found out that Baird had tricked you,’ Eve said quietly, ‘I suppose you decided Preston was of no further use, and you gave him away to the police?’
Gillis looked at her, his eyes cynically amused.
‘Do you real y want to know, pet? Wouldn’t your silly conscience be happier if you didn’t know?’
