‘You believed him?’
‘Absolutely.’
I said nothing. One thing was certain, however; I didn’t believe her. She’d telephoned him all right. But not in Florence. He was somewhere near Bizerta. But I was prepared to believe that he had reassured her about his business enterprises at the moment. He would have to. And I guessed that she must have mentioned my name and whereabouts to him. That’s why—from a piece of quick telephoning on his part—I’d had my shirt front ripped last night.
I said, ‘Why did your father call his boat La Sunata?’
‘Because of my sister. She died when she was sixteen. She was very beautiful. More than me. Also she was his favourite.’
Moving over on to one elbow, looking into her dark eyes, I said, ‘I’m leaving for London today. What am I going to do about that bracelet?’
‘What I said. She can have it for three thousand pounds. Make her pay—and I will give you two hundred pounds commission—perhaps.’
I grinned. ‘Cutting me in, eh? You really do like me, don’t you?’ She put her arms round my neck.
‘I like you more than you know. You must not be upset that I show my love shamelessly. I am a very direct person. When do I see you again?’
‘I don’t know.’
She pouted. ‘It must not be too long.’
‘I’d join the act—as snake feeder—if I didn’t have to go back to London. Where are you going to be?’
‘I am in Cairo next week. Then I go back to Europe. I will give you a list of my bookings for the next month and the name of my agent in Paris—so you will know how to get in touch with me.’ She smiled. ‘Maybe I will change one of the bookings and get a London date—you’d like that?’
‘Very much.’
‘Then give me a nice kiss and maybe I will arrange it.’
She got her kiss and, before I left, I got the list from her. Unshaven, and without breakfast, I walked down to the B.E.A. offices and booked on a flight out after lunch. Then I took a taxi up to the Libya Palace Hotel. I borrowed Olaf s electric razor and joined him and Wilkins for breakfast.
‘You will be delighted to hear,’ I told Wilkins, ‘that I am leaving for London after lunch. I have recovered Mrs Stankowski’s bracelet. Her money, I’m afraid, is gone for good. Approve?’
She dug her spoon into a large grapefruit and looked sceptical. ‘We,’ said Olaf, beginning on the first of five boiled eggs, ‘leave for Cairo tomorrow.’
‘I thought you were going today?’
‘We have met here a nice man, a countryman of mine—he comes from a town called Kalmar which I know well. He insists on taking us out today to see the Roman remains at Leptis Magna. Already she has seen the Pyramids. Hilda is much interested in such antiquities.’
‘Are you?’
‘Yes,’ said Wilkins.
‘Well, I never knew that.’
‘There are a lot of things about me you don’t know. For instance, I belong to a poetry society and a jigsaw puzzle club. I collect match-box covers and I don’t care for modern art.’ She jabbed the grapefruit as though she were going over a battlefield bayoneting the doubtful dead.
‘You’re in a bad temper too.’
‘Naturally,’ said Olaf. ‘She does not trust you.’
‘Why ever not?’ I asked, wide-eyed, forcing a little resentment to make it good.
Olaf grinned and scalped an egg. ‘Because you are a devious man, Mr Carver. I could not say not a good one. But devious. Hilda worries over you. Too much, I think. If she did not worry so much about you she would have married me long ago. I should be angry. Perhaps one day I will be.’
‘Just give me warning, Olaf—and I’ll put a lot of ground between us.’ Then to Wilkins, I said, ‘Don’t worry. I’m going to London. By the way, I’d like to have my gun back.’
Wilkins stood up quickly. ‘I knew it.’ She stalked off.
I looked at Olaf, wider-eyed now, and spread my hands, puzzled. ‘It is the maternal instinct,’ said Olaf seriously. ‘I work hard to overcome this. But it is not my forte. By nature I am the passionate, romantic type. All Swedes are, fundamentally.’ He gutted a great spoonful of egg from its shell and sighed before shovelling it away.
I got my gun, and a low-pitched lecture from Wilkins in the hotel hallway as she said goodbye to me.
‘Stop being maternal,’ I told her. ‘I’m grown up now.’
‘I’ll believe that when I get a cable from London saying you’re there. And just for the record, don’t think that Mr Manston hasn’t been to see me and told me to forget all about Mr Freeman and Mr Dawson.’
‘Which you will.’
‘Which I shall. And so should you—unless you’re a bigger damn fool than even I imagine.’
I held out my hand, Continental fashion, to shake hands with her. She ignored it.
‘The gun,’ I said. ‘I thought the handshake would cover the handover.’
‘It’s already in your jacket pocket,’ she said.
I looked at her, pop-eyed. I knew only one person who could have done that without my knowing, and that was Manston.
Coming out of the hotel to take my taxi to the airport, I found my A.T. and his chum waiting by their Simca. I strolled over to them.
‘My compliments to Captain Asab, boys—but you can knock off now. I’m London bound.’
‘It is hoped that you have enjoyed your stay in this country,’ said A.T. He was a good-looking youth with a nice warm smile.
‘Thanks to you, yes.’ I held out a bottle of Black and White whisky which I had bought in the supermarket round the corner from the Uaddan. ‘I hope police regulations won’t make it difficult for you to deal with this.’
A.T.’s hand was round it so fast there was no need for words. I left them, genuinely grateful for their help and care. Boy, how wrong
