After a minute or so of shuffling, Don said, 'I bet this is where undertakers come to relax.'
The girl didn't say anything. Don could only see the top of her sleek head. She seemed content to let him push her before him and keep her nose close to his gold tie-clip.
They circled the room, then Don said, 'Don't let me stop you sleeping. Just rest your feet on mine and have yourself a quiet time.'
The girl leaned back to stare up at him. At that angle he could look down the front of her dress, but he was too well-mannered to stare. The girl's shadowy black eyes expressed irritation and weariness.
'Let it lie, Jack,' she said in a cold, brittle voice.
'Certainly,' Don said. 'Just let me know if I'm driving too fast for you.'
'If you don't like the way I dance you know what you can do about it,' the girl said, her voice hardening.
Switching from English into Italian, Don said, 'I know what I would like to do, but this is hardly the place.'
Boredom, irritation and weariness went away from the girl's face. Her eyes became alive. Her red, sensual lips curved into a smile.
'How did you know?' she said. 'No one has spoken to me in Italian for years.'
'I'm psychic,' Don said, smiling at her.
She pursed her red lips.
'I think you're tight.'
'That's an idea. Shall we stop this depressing shuffling and see what we can do about it?'
'That's up to you. It'll still cost you a pound an hour.'
'Think nothing of it,' Don said, leading her back to his table. 'I'm made of money. What'll it be?'
She ordered the inevitable champagne and Don ordered another whisky. When the drinks had been served, he asked her from what part of Italy she had come.
'I was bom in Naples,' she told him. 'I married an American soldier who brought me to London. We hadn't been here two weeks before a taxi knocked him down and killed him.'
'Tough luck,' Don said.
She shrugged.
'He wasn't much. I was glad to be rid of him.'
'You must have been pretty young when you married.'
She laughed.
'I was fifteen. There were eighteen in my family. We lived in four rooms. I was pretty glad to get out.' She smiled at him. 'You're American, aren't you? How did you learn to speak Italian so well?'
'My father lived most of his life in Florence. I spent a lot of time with him. What's your name?'
'Call me Gina.'
She began to tell him about Naples. He could see she was badly homesick and he let her talk. After she had worked through half the bottle of champagne and the wine had relaxed her, he said casually, 'By the way, how's Ed these days?'
She continued to smile, but the light went out of her eyes. After a second or so, the effort of keeping the smile on her lips proved too much of an effort. Her face reverted to a cold, expressionless mask.
'What do you know about Ed?' she asked harshly.
'I want to talk to him. I've been looking all over for him. Where's he got to?'
'How should I know?' She reached for her bag. 'I've got to go. I can't spend all the evening with you.'
'Don't be silly,' Don said, smiling at her. 'I've got a deal. I want to gut in Ed's way. It won't wait. It's worth fifty pounds to anyone who can tell me where he is.'
Her eyes lost their cold look.
'You. mean you'll give me fifty pounds if I tell you where he is?' she said, staring at him.
'I'll give you fifty pounds if you show me where he is,' Don said. 'I'm not parting with all that money for an address.'
The tip of her tongue passed over her lips as she studied him. 'Honest? If I had fifty pounds could go home. I could go to
Naples.'
'Show me where Ed is and you can go home. That's a promise.' 'I haven't seen him for weeks, but I think I know where he is. When will you have the money?' 'In a couple of hours.'
'All right. Meet me outside the Casino theatre at one o'clock. I can't get away from here until twelve, and I'll have to make sure he is where I think he is.' 'ThenyouTldoit?'
'There's not much I wouldn't do for a chance to go home,' she said. 'He's in trouble, isn't he?' 'Would you worry?' She shook her head.
'Find out where he is, but don't tell him I'm looking for him,' Don said. 'That's important.'
'I'm not likely to tell him,' she said. 'I'm not crazy. Ed's dangerous.”
