‘Today is Tuesday. We can be ready by Saturday. I want you to arrange to go to a movie with a girl friend on Saturday evening. Can you fix that?’
I could see the surprise in her eyes as she nodded.
‘I want you to have dinner at home and I want you to tell your father where you are going. I want you to wear something distinctive so you will be noticed and recognised when you go out. You will arrange to meet your friend at eight o’clock, but you won’t meet her. You will drive to the Pirates’ Cabin. It’s a small bar and restaurant about a couple of miles from here. Maybe you know it?’
Again she nodded.
‘You will drive into the parking lot and you’ll go into the bar for a drink. At that time the place will be crowded. I don’t imagine you’re likely to run into any of your friends there. What do you think?’
‘Not a chance,’ she said. ‘It’s not the sort of place my friends would go to.’
‘That’s the way I figured it. I want you to be noticed. Upset your drink or do something to attract attention in an accidental way. You will leave after five minutes. Be careful not to get involved with anyone. I’ll have my car in the parking lot. Make sure no one is watching you, then get into my car.
There will be a change of clothes in the car and a red wig. You’ll put on the clothes and the wig.
‘While you are changing, I will take your car and drive it to Lone Bay parking lot. You’ll follow me.
I’ll leave your car in the parking lot. The chances are it won’t be spotted until we need it again.
‘You’ll pick me up and I’ll drive you to the airport. I’ll have a reservation for you to Los Angeles.
You will go to a hotel where there will be a reservation for you. You will tell the clerk you aren’t well.
You’ll stay in your room, having all your meals sent up until I tell you to come back. I’ll keep in touch with you by telephone. Do you follow all that?’
She nodded. She had stopped nibbling at her thumb. She looked intrigued.
‘All this is entirely unnecessary,’ Rhea said. ‘If she goes to the hotel at Carmel…’
‘Do you want this money or don’t you?’ I broke in.
‘Must I repeat every statement I make to you?’ she said angrily. ‘I have said I want it!’
‘Then you do it my way or you won’t get it!’
‘I think he’s an absolute doll,’ Odette said. ‘I’ll do whatever you say, Harry… I may call you Harry?’
‘You can call me what you like so long as you do what I tell you,’ I said, then to Rhea, I went on,
‘When I’ve seen Odette off on the plane, I will telephone your husband. He is a millionaire. What chance have I got to get to him?’
‘His secretary will answer,’ Rhea said. ‘You tell him you want to talk to my husband about his daughter, his secretary will ask him if he wants to speak to you. I will be there. I’ll see my husband does speak to you.’
‘It will be late. I’m hoping Odette’s girl friend will have telephoned, asking where she has got to.’ I looked at Odette. ‘Do you think she will telephone?’
‘Of course she will.’
‘I want her to. It will create the right atmosphere. You must be missing before I telephone.’
‘She’ll call,’ Odette said.
‘Okay. I’ll tell your father to have the money ready in two days’ time and to wait for further instructions,’ I said, then looked over at Rhea. ‘You must persuade him not to try any tricks. What you have to be careful about is that he doesn’t tell the bank to take the numbers of the bills or get the Federal Bureau to mark the money. How you do that, I wouldn’t know, but if you don’t fix it, you won’t be able to spend the money – nor shall I.’
‘I’ll arrange it,’ Rhea said curtly.
‘I hope you will. Two days after my first telephone call, I’ll call again. Is your husband well enough to deliver the ransom himself?’
She nodded.
‘He wouldn’t trust anyone to do it except himself.’
I lifted my eyebrows at her.
‘Not even you?’
Odette giggled, putting her hand over her mouth, while Rhea’s eyes narrowed and her face hardened.
‘Of course he trusts me!’ she said angrily, ‘but he would consider it dangerous. He wouldn’t allow me to go with him.’
‘Well, okay.’ I lit another cigarette. ‘I’ll tell him to leave home at two in the morning and drive along East Beach Road. He is to drive the Rolls. There’ll be no traffic on that road at that time. The money is to be in a briefcase. Somewhere along the road he will see a flashing light. As he passes the light he is to drop the case out of the car and drive on. He is not to stop. In the meantime, Odette will have returned.
She will come here to this cabin and wait for me. I will take my share of the money and give her the rest.
What you two do with it after doesn’t concern me, but you’ll have to be careful.’
‘Oh, no!’ Rhea said sharply. ‘I’m not agreeing to that! You’re not to give her the money! You’re to give it to me!’
Odette sat up, swinging her legs to the floor. Her pallid face was puckered with spite.
‘Why shouldn’t he give it to me?’ she demanded shrilly.
