this because you have hot pants. If you had left Girland alone, you wouldn't be in this mess. Now you've got to make yourself useful.'
'Girland?' Bewildered, Vi clutched her wrap close to her 'What has he to do with this?'
'Don't be so goddamn dumb! Girland is an agent as I am. You're meeting him tonight. We want to know what he is up to and you are going to find out!'
'Then I won't meet him! A spy? Is he a spy? I'm not having anything to do with this! You pack your things and get out!'
'My boss has decided you are going to work for us,' Labrey said quietly. 'He has decided, so you will work for us or else. . .' He paused, staring at her through his green tinted glasses.
Vi shivered. The quietness of his voice was much more effective than if he had shouted at her. She was used to men shouting and getting into rages. During her short experience as a prostitute, so many men had shouted at her and she had learned how to handle them, but this quiet, deadly voice terrified her.
'Or else ... what?' she asked, her voice quavering.
'They have a technique with women who won't cooperate,' Labrey said. 'Women are easy. You can't hope to run away and hide. Sooner or later, wherever you are, they will find you. There are two things they can do: you are walking along some street and a man appears. He has a spray-gun of acid. You get the acid in your face, and your flesh peels off the way you skin an orange. That is one thing they can do. The other is they grab you and shove you in a car and take you to some house they have rented. Then they do things to you. I don't know just what they do... I haven't bothered to ask, but the girls after the treatment, don't walk well' He stared at her. 'They have to keep their legs apart as they walk... so they hobble. I've heard girls prefer the acid to the other treatment...'
Vi regarded him in horror.
'I don't believe it! You're trying to frighten me!'
Labrey got to his feet.
'Think about it. Turn it over in your little mind. I'm not trying to frighten you. I'm sorry for you. You have a hook in your mouth now . . . and it won't come out. You will go to this restaurant and meet Girland tonight. You will find out what he is planning to do. If you don't find out, you will get the treatment. Nothing can save you. You can run, but they will always find you. So think about it.'
He left the sordid little room and taking the stairs three at a time, he made his way down to the street.
* * *
Girland eased open the door, leading to Mavis Paul's office and moved silently into the room. If he had hoped to catch Dorey's pretty secretary unawares, he was disappointed. She was about to enter Dorey's office and she had the door half open.
'You again?' she said with a half-smile. She stepped into Dorey's office, leaving the door wide open. 'Mr Girland is here, sir.'
'Send him right in,' Dorey said, laying down his pen and pushing aside a file.
Girland entered the big room, giving Mavis a suggestive wink which she ignored.
'Would you please do something for me?' he said pausing. 'Would you get the Alpenhoff Hotel at Garmisch on the phone for me?'
Mavis looked questioningly at Dorey who nodded.
'Right away,' she said and giving Girland a wide berth, she left the room.
Girland came over and helped himself to one of Dorey's cigarettes. He sat on the arm of the visitor's chair and lit the cigarette.
'I'm making progress. I wanted to check with you. What do you know about Ban War... an organisation?'
Dorey shrugged.
'It's like the rest of them... they have about five thousand members ... most of them young. Their headquarters is in a cellar club on the Left Bank. I'd say they are pretty harmless. They throw the occasional brick, squat in the streets, paint signs on the walls and generally enjoy themselves. They are no more violent, no more vicious than the rest of the anti-brigades.'
'Gillian Sherman is a member.' Girland went on to tell Dorey what he had learned that afternoon. 'So it would seem that Rosnold and
Gillian have gone off to Garmisch. I'm catching the 07.50 flight to Munich tomorrow. From there I'll hire a car and drive to Garmisch.' He tapped ash into Dorey's ashtray. T could catch up with this girl... just what do I do with her if I do catch up with her?'
'You are to persuade her to give you the other three films and make her come back with you to Paris. You are to bring her to me. I'll then arrange for her to be sent home.'
Girland lifted his eyebrows.
'Suppose she tells me to jump into a lake ... what then?'
Dorey moved impatiently.
'This is part of your job, Girland. You are free to offer her any reasonable sum of money if she will co-operate. Sherman doesn't care what this costs so long as he gets the films and gets his daughter home.'
'Has it crossed Sherman's small mind that she might not give a damn about money?'
Dorey stiffened.
'That's no way to talk about your future President, Girland. Don't you realise this is a national emergency?'
Girland laughed.
'Oh, come on! It isn't. It's Sherman's emergency. I dare say the American public could easily find another President. But why should I care? Suppose she isn't interested in money? There are still some people who aren't interested in money . . . odd as it seems. Do you authorise me to kidnap her?'
'I am paying you twenty thousand dollars to bring this girl here and get those films! I don't wish to discuss how you will do it... do it!'
There came a tap on the door and Mavis looked in.
'I have the Alpenhoff Hotel on the line,' she said and withdrew.
Girland picked up the telephone receiver on Dorey's desk.
'Reception, please,' he said, then went on, 'Is Mr Pierre Rosnold staying with you?' He listened, then said, 'No, thank you. I just wanted to be sure he is still with you. Will you reserve a single room with bath for me for tomorrow... three or four days. Mark Girland. Fine... thank you,' and he hung up. 'He's still there,' he said to Dorey, 'and I imagine she'll be there too.'
'Can't you get off tonight?'
Girland shook his head.
'Too late tonight.' He was thinking of his date with Vi Martin. He believed in pleasure before business. 'I'll get off first thing tomorrow
morning. I'll be in Munich by 9.15, pick up a Hertz car at the airport and be in Garmisch by 11.30. Can you get your.secretary to book me on the 07.50 flight?'
'Of course. Your ticket will be waiting for you at the airport.'
'Then I'll get along.'
'Keep me informed and be careful.'
As Girland started for the door, Dorey said, 'There's one thing you should know... Malik is in Paris.'
This news stopped Girland in his tracks.
I thought he was in Moscow, standing in a corner with a dunce cap on his head.'
'He's in Paris, but he is probably standing in a corner. Knowing Kovski, he could turn Malik onto this if they really mean to make trouble for Sherman.'
'Thatwouldmakethisjobarealbeauty,' Girlandsaid. 'Well,okay, thanks for telling me.'
Dorey got to his feet and walked with Girland to the door. He stood in the doorwayas Girland passed Mavis who didn't look up from her typing. Aware Dorey was watching him, Girland kept on his way down to the street.
He took a taxi to Benny Slade's studio, made sure that the two guards he had hired were on the job, then he collected his car and drove back to his apartment. He didn't bother to check to see if he was being followed. The time to make sure he wasn't being followed was when he set off for Orly airport the following morning. Now, he
