It was all very plausible and, as he poured out his smokescreen of words, I became fidgety for fear Fallon would be too direct with him. But Fallon was no fool and played the single-minded archeologist to perfection. He invited Gatt to stay for lunch, which invitation Gatt promptly accepted, and we were all set for a cosy chat.
As I listened to the conversation of this evidently cultured man I reflected that, but for the knowledge gained through Pat Harris, I could have been taken in completely. It was almost impossible to equate the dark world of drugs, prostitution and extortion with the pleasantly spoken Mr. John Gatt. who talked enthusiastically of the theatre and the ballet and even nicked Fallon for a thousand dollars as a contribution to a fund for underprivileged children. Fallon made out a cheque without cracking a smile -- a tribute to his own acting ability but even more a compliment to the fraudulent image of Gatt.
I think it was this aura of ambivalence about Gatt thai prevented me from lashing out at him there and then. After all, this was the man who had caused the death of my brother and I ought to have tackled him, but in my mind there lurked the growing feeling that a mistake had been made, that this could not be the thug who controlled a big slice of the American underworld. I ought to have known better. I ought to have remembered that Himmler loved children dearly and that -a man may smile and be a villain. So I did nothing -- which was a pity.
Another thing which puzzled me about Gatt and which , was a major factor contributing to my indecision was that I couldn't figure out what he was after. I would have thought that his reason for 'dropping in' would be to find out if we had discovered Uaxuanoc, but he never even referred to it. The closest he got to it was when he asked Fallon, 'And what's the subject of your latest research. Professor?'
'Just cleaning up some loose ends,' said Fallon noncommittally. 'There are some discrepancies in the literature about the dating of certain structures in this area.'
'Ah. the patient spadework of science,' said Gatt unctuously. 'A never-ending task.' He dropped the subject immediately and went on to say how impressed he had been by the massive architecture of Chichen Itza. 'I have an interest in city planning and urban renewal,' he said. 'The Mayas certainly knew all about pedestrian concourses. I've never seen a finer layout.' I discovered later that his interest in city planning and urban renewal was confined to his activities as a slum landlord and the holding up of city governments to ransom over development plans. It was one of his most profitable sidelines.
He didn't concentrate primarily on Fallon; he discussed with Halstead. in fairly knowledgeable terms, some aspects of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, and talked with me about England. 'I was in England recently,' he said. 'It's a great country. 'Which part are you from?'
'Devon.' I said shortly.
'A very beautiful place,' he said approvingly. 'I remember when I visited Plymouth I stood on the very spot from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail so many years ago to found our country. It moved me very much.'
I thought that was a bit thick corning from a man who had started life as Giacomo Gattini. 'Yes, I rather like Plymouth myself.' I said casually, and then sank a barb into him. 'Have you ever been to Totnes?'
His eyes flickered, but he said smoothly enough, 'I've never had the pleasure.' I stared at him and he turned away and engaged Fallon in conversation again.
He left soon after lunch, and when his plane had taken off and headed north, I looked at Fallon blankly and said, 'What the devil do you make of that?'
'I don't know what to make of it,' said Fallon. 'I expected him to ask more questions than he did.'
'So did I. If we didn't know he was up to something I'd take that visit as being quite above board. Yet we know it wasn't -- he must have been after something. But what was it? And did he get it?'
'I wish I knew,' said Fallon thoughtfully.
II
Pat Harris turned up in the jet during the afternoon and didn't seem surprised that we had had a visit from Gatt. He merely shrugged and went off to have a private talk with Fallon. but when he came back he was ruffled and exasperated. 'What's wrong with the Old Man?' he asked.
'Nothing that I know of,' I said. 'He's just the same as always.'
'Not from where I stand,' said Pat moodily. 'I can't get him to listen to me. All he's concerned with is pushing Rudetsky. Anything I say just bounces off.'
I smiled. 'He's just made the biggest discovery of his life. He's excited, that's all; he wants to get moving fast before the rains break. What's worrying you, Pat?'
'What do you think?' he said, staring at me. 'Gatt worries me -- that's who. He's been holed up in Merida, and he's collected the biggest crowd of cut-throats assembled in Mexico since the days of Poncho Villa. He's brought in some of his own boys from Detroit, and borrowed some from connections in Mexico City and Tampico And he's been talking to the chicleros. In my book that means he's going into the forest -- he must have the chicleros to help him there. Now you tell me -- if be goes into the forest, where would he be going?'
'Camp Three,' I said. 'Uaxuanoc. But there'll be nothing there for him -- just a lot of ruins.'
'Maybe,' said Pat. 'But Jack evidently thinks differently. The thing that gripes me is that I can't get Fallon to do anything about it -- and it's not like him.'
'Can't you do anything yourself? What about the authorities -- the police? What about pointing out that there's a big build-up of known criminals in Merida?'
Pat looked at me pityingly. The fix is in,' he said patiently, as though explaining something to a small child. 'The local law has been soothed.'
'Bribed!'
'For Christ's sake, grow up!' he yelled. These local cops aren't as upright as your London bobbies, you know. I did what I could -- and you know what happened? I got tossed in the can on a phoney charge, that's what! I only got out yesterday by greasing the palm of a junior cop who hadn't been lubricated by the top brass. You can write off the law in this part of the world.'
I took a deep bream. 'Accepting all this -- what the hell would you expect Fallon to do about it?'
'He has high-level connections in the government; he's well respected in certain circles and can set things
