'I guess that's right.' He started to move to the door, then paused. 'This pupil of yours must be a dope if you have to give up two solid weeks of your full time to teach him to shoot or does he want to be as good as you?'
'A rich man's whim. You know how it is. He has the money and he wants it exclusive. I'm not complaining,' I said as casually as I could.
'Anyone I would know?'
'No . . . he's here on vacation.'
Lepski nodded understandingly.
'Yeah . . . plenty of those here now. More money than brains and they don't know what to do with themselves.' He reached the front door, paused and shook hands. 'Unless I call you, I'll see you on the 29th.'
'That's it. Thanks for keeping my wife company.'
He grinned.
'It was my pleasure.'
Lucy joined me at the door and we watched him drive away. I took out my handkerchief and wiped off my sweating hands, then shut the door, locked it and followed Lucy into the sitting-room.
'I hope it was all right what I told him, Jay.' She was looking anxious. 'You look so tense. I thought the best thing was to tell him right away that you were tied up.'
'It's all right.' I sat on the table. 'It's just my bad luck he should have turned up.'
'Why bad luck?'
I hesitated, wondering whether to tell her what Savanto had told me. For a few brief moments I decided not to tell her, then I changed my mind. She would have to know. There was to be no more talk about Timoteo and she would have to be told why. So I told her.
She sat motionless, her hands between her knees, her eyes a little wide, listening.
'So you see this makes for complications,' I concluded. 'From now on, we mustn't say a word about Timoteo or his father or our arrangements to anyone. Understand?'
'Could the police involve you if they found out you were teaching a man who, by law, mustn't touch a gun?' she asked.
'Of course not. I'll say I didn't know.'
'But, Jay, you do know.'
'They couldn't prove it.'
'I also know. Do you expect me to lie to the police if they ask me?'
I pushed myself off the table and began to prowl around the room.
'I must earn this money. I'm hoping you will co-operate.'
'By co-operation, you mean I will have to lie to the police?'
I turned around, staring at her.
'Look at this.' I took the envelope from my pocket, took out the bond and laid it on the table. 'Look at this.'
She got up, walked to the table and bent over the bond. Her long, silky hair fell forward, hiding her face. She straightened, then looked at me.
'What about it?'
'That's one of the bonds I told you about. It's worth twenty-five thousand dollars. Savanto gave it to me. I can keep it, along with the other bond, when I have done the job. He means business, so we have to mean business . . . you and I . . . both of us.'
'Why did he give it to you when you haven't earned it?'
'To show he trusts me.'
'Are you sure?'
I was beginning to heat up again.
'Why else for God's sake?'
'It could be a psychological move.' She leaned forward, her eyes scared. 'You see, Jay, now you have this bond, you won't want to part with it. You'll be hooked with it.'
'So okay, he doesn't trust me, but he gives me twenty-five thousand dollars to get me hooked. He doesn't have to do that! I'm hooked already ! I know what money this big can do for us! I'm going to earn it! I'll teach that guy to shoot if I have to kill him!'
She stared at me as if she were looking at a stranger. Then she moved to the door.
'It's getting late. Let's go to bed.'
'Just a minute.' I found a pen, wrote my name and address and my bank account number on the envelope, put the bond in an envelope and sealed down the flap. Will you go to the bank first thing tomorrow, Lucy, and tell them to hold this for me? I would do it myself, but Timoteo is coming at six and I have to make a start with him. Will you do that? Will you also get in a stock of food?' I took two of the hundred dollar bills Savanto had given me from my wallet. 'Buy enough food for a week and get in a lot of beer.'
She took the money.
'All right.'
She went along the passage to the bedroom. I knew for the first time since we had married, she was unhappy. The thought nagged me. I stood looking at the envelope. I had to think of our future. She would snap out
