stained jacket. This she also soaked with the lighter fuel. She put the jacket on to the wood pile and striking a match, she tossed the match on to the jacket.
She jumped clear as the whole thing went up in a roaring mass of flames. She stood, watching. Within a few minutes the jacket was reduced to grey ashes which the mild wind coming from the sea began to scatter along the beach.
Satisfied that there was nothing left of the jacket, she took off her slacks and ran down, in halter and briefs, to the sea.
She swam for ten minutes, then she came out of the sea and again looked at the funeral pile of the jacket. Again satisfied that there was nothing left of it, she stripped off her bathing things, hurriedly dried herself with a towel, slipped into a light sweater and slacks and fifteen minutes later, she was back in the hotel.
She remained in her suite until eleven o’clock, then wearing a simple white frock and sandals, she drove to the sanatorium.
Dr. Gustave received her in his office.?‘I have news for you,’ he said. ‘Dr. Zimmerman will be arriving this afternoon. You may not have heard of him, but he is the best brain specialist in the world. I have been in correspondence with him about your husband. He seems to think he can do a lot more for him than I have been able to do. In actual fact, your husband is much better. He is making steady progress, but Zimmerman thinks a small operation on the brain might very easily complete the cure. He is optimistic, but I would rather you weren’t. One never knows when dealing with a case like this. Anyway, I am satisfied that Zimmerman can’t do any harm: he can only do good.’
Val sat motionless, her hands tight in her lap.?‘Am I to give a decision?’
Gustave smiled.?‘No, I have talked to your husband. He wants the operation done. Naturally, I am consulting you, but as he wants It, I think you are relieved of any responsibility.’
‘I’m not afraid of responsibility,’ Val said. ‘What happens if the operation isn’t successful?’
‘According to Zimmerman… nothing. I am ready to accept his opinion. It is not a kill or cure thing. Your husband will either make a complete recovery or else he will continue more or less as he is now.’
‘Then of course, he must have it,’ Val! said. ‘There would be no danger to him?’ ‘None at all. Zimmerman has performed the operation successfully a number of times.’ ‘But you are not optimistic?’?‘I didn’t say that. I don’t want you to be optimistic.’?‘And when will it be?’?‘Dr. Zimmerman arrives here tomorrow afternoon. The operation will take place the following morning.’
Val got to her feet.?‘I’ll talk to Chris now. Is he in the garden?’?‘You’ll find him there.’
She looked anxiously at him.?‘Still guarded?’
Dr. Gustave smiled his professional smile.?‘Guarded isn’t the right word, Mrs. Burnett. Shall we say he is still being supervised?’?‘If this operation is successful, he won’t have to be supervised?’?‘Of course not.’?‘But how will you know it is successful?’?‘There will be various signs.’ Dr. Gustave’s expression became vague. ‘It may take a few months before we can be absolutely certain of the cure. We can expect to find a marked change once he is up and about again.’
They spent a few more minutes talking, then Val went out into the garden.
Chris Burnett was reading under the big tree. The nurse, sitting a few yards from him, was knitting. She nodded and smiled at Val as she saw her coming along the path. Chris looked up, closed his book, after slipping a paper marker into the place where he had been reading. He put the book down and got to his feet. He didn’t come towards her, but his smile was a little warmer than the last time they had met and he had taken the trouble, Val noted, to get to his feet.
‘Did you hear the news?’ he asked, pulling a chair nearer his. ‘About Zimmerman?’?‘Yes.’ She sat down, longing to touch him. ‘How do you feel about it, Chris?’?‘I’m rather excited.’ He slumped down into his chair. ‘I’m getting pretty bored with myself here. If I could only get back to the office again! It’s dull just sitting here with her watching me all the time.’
‘It would be wonderful, wouldn’t it?’ Val said, trying to sound enthusiastic. ‘They seem very hopeful. But we mustn’t expect a miracle all at once. They did say…’
‘Oh, I know. They told me.’ He stared away down the path frowning. ‘How’s your father?’ ‘He’s fine. Busy as usual. He is telephoning tonight.’?‘Better not tell him about Zimmerman. You know what your father is. If it doesn’t come off, he’ll get disagreeable again.’
‘No, he won’t,’ Val said quickly. ‘But I needn’t tell him if you don’t want me to.’?‘Better not.’ He looked at her, his eyes probing. ‘How are we off for money? I suppose we can afford this operation? This chap charges the earth.’
‘We are quite all right for money.’
He hesitated, looking away from her, then he said, ‘But this blackmailer?’
Val hesitated, then aware of the tension from her husband, she decided to tell him the truth. ‘I’m not paying him.’
Chris stiffened. His hands suddenly turned into fists. The twitch around his mouth became more pronounced.
‘Is that wise? You said you were going to pay him.’?‘Yes, but I changed my mind. I talked to him again and I decided he was bluffing.’
He moved uneasily.?‘This could be serious. If I have this operation and I am cured, I don’t want to be arrested just when I’m starting a new life.’
‘Why should you be arrested?’
He again hesitated, then said, ‘This blackmailer could turn spiteful. I think we should pay him.’
‘But it doesn’t matter if he does turn spiteful. You haven’t done anything, Chris, so why should we worry?’
He put his hand to his face to hide the twitching.?‘I can’t remember what happened on that night I could have done something.’ He paused, frowning uneasily, then went on, ‘I get a vague idea sometimes that I did do something.’
Val drew in a deep breath. It was some moments before she could control the shake in her voice to ask, ‘You remember the woman and the elephants?’
‘Yes. Why?’?‘I’ve been thinking about her. I wondered if she wore a bracelet with miniature elephants on it and that was why you associated elephants with her.’
He looked startled, then he slapped his knee.?‘That’s clever of you. I remember now. Yes, she did wear a bracelet with elephants on it.’ ‘Did she remind you of a Pekinese dog?’
He stared at her, his eyes narrowing.?‘Is she the one who is blackmailing us?’?‘No. The other day I saw a girl in the hotel restaurant. She wore this bracelet. She was attractive. She had one of those squashed, attractive puggy faces.’
Chris rubbed his face with his hand. He thought for some moments, frowning.
Finally, he said, ‘Yes: so did this girl. I can see her plainly now.’?‘You were sorry for her. You told me that,’ Val said. ‘Why were you sorry for her?’?‘I don’t know. Did I say that?’ His face suddenly relaxed into blackness. It was as if a shutter had come down between his eyes and his brain, cutting her completely off from him.
‘I say lots of things I don’t mean.’
She realised she would only be wasting time trying to get any further information from him and she abruptly began to talk about her morning’s swim. He listened politely, but she could see he wasn’t interested. After a few minutes of further futile conversation, she got up to go.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Chris. Perhaps I’ll be able to talk to Zimmerman.’
‘You still don’t think it would be safer to pay this man?’ he asked, peering up at her.?‘What man, Chris?’
He made an impatient movement.
This blackmailer.’?‘No. I don’t.’
His long lean fingers moved uneasily over his knees.?‘We might be sorry if we don’t.’?‘I still think it would be wrong and stupid to pay him. Why should we?
The twitch at his mouth jumped like an aching nerve, ‘Who is he?’?‘A private detective.’
Chris flinched.?‘That type is always dangerous. We’d better pay him.’?‘Don’t you want to know why he is trying to blackmail us?’
A shifty expression came into Chris’ eyes as he shook his head.?‘No, I don’t want to know. I’m not well. You know that. I don’t want to be worried by things.’
