'Shut up! Give me your watch!'
She shrank back, staring at him.
'My watch... why?
'Give it to me!' Labrey's thin face had that vicious expression that always frightened Vi. With shaking fingers she undid the gold-plated strap and handed him the watch.
Snatching it from her, Labrey left the room and ran down to the street.
'Here it is,' he said, handing the watch to Malik.
Malik examined it and his short, thick nose wrinkled.
'It isn't much but it will have to do. Wait here.' He got to his feet and moved to the edge of the crowded sidewalk. He had to wait a few moments before there was a gap in the steady flow of traffic, then he crossed the street and walked into the Alpenhoff Hotel's lobby.
The reception clerk looked up from his work as Malik came to rest at the desk. He stood up and inclined his head politely.
'Yes, sir?'
'A young lady left here a few minutes ago,' Malik said in his fluent German.' She was wearing a red trouser outfit. As she got into her car, she dropped this.' He held up the watch. 'I wish to return it to her.'
'Thank you, sir. I will give it to her with pleasure.'
Malik regarded the clerk with a suggestive smile.
'I would like to give it to her myself. Who is she?'
'Miss Gillian Sherman. I believe she has gone out to dinner, but she will be back some time tonight.'
'Then I will return the watch tomorrow. Would you tell her I have found it?'
'Certainly, but you should be here before ten o'clock tomorrow. Miss Sherman is leaving us.' The clerk guessed this shabbily dressed giant was after a reward.
'If I miss her, do you know where she is going?'
'She will be staying at the Obermitten Schloss,' the clerk told him. 'Count von Goltz's estate.'
'Then I will be back before ten o'clock.'
Malik walked across the lobby to the row of telephone kiosks. He put through a call to a Soviet agent in Munich. He learned the Obermitten Schloss was owned by Herman Radnitz. Malik knew all about Radnitz. He talked for some minutes to the agent, instructing him to call Kovski in Paris. The agent promised to call him back at the hotel as soon as he had made contact with Kovski. Malik left word with the hotel's telephone operator where he could be found and went into the hotel lounge to wait. An hour later, his Munich call came through. He listened to the information he was given, grunted his thanks and hung up.
Six
It was after midnight when Girland returned to his hotel bedroom. It had been a good evening. The meal had been a little heavy, but excellent, and the restaurant, gay and amusing. Both Gillian and Rosnold had been good companions.
If it hadn't been for Dorey and his dreary assignment, Girland thought as he undressed, he would have thoroughly enjoyed the hours he had spent with these two, but mindful that he had to earn Sherman's ten thousand dollars, he tried to switch his mind to the best approach to get the three films from Gillian.
But full of good food and German wine, he couldn't be bothered, and decided to concentrate on the problem in the morning. Tomorrow, the three of them would be at the count's castle. There would certainly come an opportunity to talk to Gillian during their five days stay.
Taking a shower, and then getting into bed, he reached for a cigarette and lit it. Gillian had made an impression on him.
She was beautiful, gay, amusing and sensual. He found it hard to believe she had taken part in the film he had seen.
Thinking about her, Girland came to the conclusion that he dug for her.
Rosnold had also been amusing. Girland always kept an open mind about people. If this man made money by shooting pornographic films, this was no affair of his, Girland told himself. What he did for a living didn't matter. This was Girland's philosophy. It was the people themselves that were important, not what they did.
While he was finishing his cigarette and thinking he would now sleep, the telephone bell at his side buzzed, startling him.
He picked up the receiver. 'Yes'
'It's me.'
He recognised Gillian's husky voice and immediately he became alert.
'Hello ... what do you want?'
'I'm lonely.'
'Funny thing ... I seem to be lonely too.'
'Shall we be lonely together?'
'Then we wouldn't be lonely, would we? Two people together can't be lonely, can they?'
'Some can.'
There was a long pause while Girland stared up at the ceiling, trying to make up his mind if this was a good or a bad move.
I am in Room 462. It's at the end of your corridor,' Gilly told him.
'Do you like it at the end of the corridor?'
Gilly giggled.
'This is an invitation, stupid, not a geography lesson.'
Girland decided this invitation was unwise. Gilly was Rosnold's property. He didn't believe in poaching.
'It's too far,' he said firmly. 'Go to sleep,' and he replaced the receiver.
He stubbed out his cigarette and relaxed back in bed. He didn't have to wait long. The door eased open and Gilly slid into his room, closing the door softly after her.
She had on a white robe to cover a shortie nightdress. Her slippers were pale-blue. She looked very attractive as she regarded him.
'Hello there,' Girland said, smiling at her. 'As lonely as all that?'
She came to the end of the bed and glared at him.
'You are a pig!' she exclaimed. 'When you had my invitation, you should have come to me!'
'I told you to go to sleep,' Girland reminded her. 'But since you don't want to sleep, and since I don't want to sleep, you'd better get in here before you catch cold.'
He flicked aside the blanket and sheet and shifted over to m<,ke room for her.
'If you imagine I intend to sleep with you now, you are making a great mistake. I came just to tell you that I think you're a pig!'
Girland flicked the blanket and sheet back into place.
'That has now been recorded ... I am a pig. Good night,' and he reached for the bedside lamp and turned it off. The room was plunged into darkness.
'Put that light on!' Gilly said sharply. 'How can I find my way out?'
'Fall over the furniture. I want to go to sleep,' Girland said out of the darkness. 'Good night... I'll see you in the morning.'
She groped her way around the bed as Girland, grinning in the darkness, once more flicked back the blanket and sheet.
There was a pause, then he heard the rustle of her clothes as they dropped to the floor.
'I hate you,' Gilly said, 'but now I'm here, I will stay.'
'I thought you might. It's a drag to walk all that way down that long corridor.' Girland reached out, his hands sliding around her naked back, pulling her down on him.
He lay still with her resting on him. She began to unbutton his pyjama jacket. His hands moved down her
