by Ray Saunders
“I can’t afford you,” I said.
She laughed. “This is for free, there’s a sale on, let’s just do it.”
Her body felt warm and inviting, and although I felt it would be a mistake to get involved with her, I was only human after all.
“What the hell, you only live once,” I said, as I rolled her over, and moved on top of her.
Later, I wondered, if I’d had to pay her, whether I could have claimed it on expenses.
But then I don’t suppose she would have given me a receipt.
Chapter 3
We awoke early, and both showered and dressed. Before we went to breakfast, I told Christine I had phoned in, and that they knew Linstead was planning to go to Monaco and wanted me to take her. Now that she was going with him, I would drive down alone, and would be staying at the Grand Hotel.
“That’s where we’ll be staying,” she said. “It’s opposite the casino.”
“I assume our people knew that when they booked the hotel for me,” I said.
“I’m glad you’ll be there, Matt. I feel uneasy with this guy, there’s something about him that bugs me. That might seem odd to you, but in my game, you get to be a good judge of character.”
“I don’t think it’s odd, I feel the same way about him,” I replied.
I did not tell her about the Chinese involvement as I didn’t want to frighten her off.
She left and went off to breakfast, and I hung around to let them get clear before I went down.
They were gone when I had breakfast, and afterwards I packed and prepared to leave.
I drove to the post office and phoned Steve Price. I told him what had happened, but left out the night of sex with her, and said that I would drive down to Monaco.
I selected the route along the lake on the French side, to Saint-Gingolph then on to Martigny. I stopped for petrol and a coffee, then drove on over the St. Bernard pass into Italy. Then I continued to Aosta, and then via Turin, I reached the corniche by mid-afternoon and drove on to Monaco.
The corniche was a beautiful coastal road with views of the blue Mediterranean, and the Sunbeam Alpine handled the twists and turns nicely.
Booking in at the Grand, I had time for a nap before showering and going to dinner.
The dining room looked resplendent with its chandeliers and floral arrangements. I was seated at a table close to the small orchestra that were tuning up for their evening performance. I ordered a dry martini while I looked at the menu. When the waiter brought it, I asked him to explain several of the dishes as they had fancy names that I could not recognise. Settling for a lobster starter followed by a portion of beef wellington, I chose a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape to wash it down.
I had finished and was on my way to the casino when I saw Christine and Linstead entering the dining room. They didn’t see me, and I continued to the casino, where I hoped they would come after their meal.
I sat at the bar, and when the barman came, I ordered a tonic with ice and lemon. I had not finished all the bottle that I’d had with dinner, for the night was young, and I needed my wits about me.
When they entered, Linstead went straight to the gaming table, and Christine came over to the bar.
Catching her eye, she glanced to see the professor was busy, then came along to me.
“I’m uneasy, Matt,” she said. “We flew to Nice, and he’s hired a car, and tonight we’re driving to a villa somewhere behind here in the Alpes Maritimes.”
She ordered two drinks then went on. “He’s meeting someone there, but I don’t know what it’s about.”
“Do you know the address?”
“No, but I don’t think it’s far.”
“Well try to find out, then write it down and leave it for me at the desk,” I told her.
“That will look too suspicious, he’s very wary of my movements.” She replied.
“Okay then, when you leave, and he hands in the key, there’s an armchair by the reception. Drop it in the seat. I’ll fix it with the clerk to look out for it. When you’ve left, I’ll collect it from him.”
The drinks came and she left me and went over to the gaming tables.
There was no point in my staying, so I returned to my room. I collected my Browning, then went down to the lounge. Choosing a seat where I could see the desk without being seen, I waited.
It was not long before they came through and went out. I went over to the desk clerk and collected the note. Unrolling the paper, written in pencil was ‘Villa Drogo’.
I asked the desk clerk if he knew it.
“Well, sir, I know of the villa. It’s a large old place that one can hire but it’s quite run down. It often remains empty, especially now, out of season.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“Yes, it’s about thirty kilometres from here, just before the village of Sospel.”
“Do you have a map I could borrow?” I asked.
“Of course, sir, I have one right here.”
***
It was getting dark when I left, and the French signposts left something to be desired, so it took me some time to find it. It was partly hidden behind some trees, so I left my car on a clearing by some logs and walked up the track towards the villa. It looked rather sinister in the moonlight and moving closer I could see a light from a window. There looked to be two cars parked outside, under the trees a little distance away.
Suddenly I heard a shot, and someone screamed. Grabbing my gun, I ran to the front door. It was open and holding the Browning in front of me Kojak fashion, I entered the hallway. There was a light from an open door, and I crept forwards and looked in. Christine was standing against the wall with Linstead beside her. There was a body on the floor with another man bent over it.
Seeing me, he levelled his gun, and I just had time to duck before he fired. I crouched behind a cabinet by the door, and as I did, he ran out, and aimed another shot at me. I fired back as he ran through the front door but missed. I tried to follow but tripped over the carpet, and by the time I reached the front, the car over by the trees was speeding off.
I went back to the room and Linstead and Christine were still standing there with fear in their faces.
I turned the body over. It was a middle- aged man with dark curly hair, and he was clearly dead. His outstretched hand was still holding a pistol.
Searching his pockets for his identity revealed a passport stating he was Peter Borgman from Johannesburg. In another pocket was a black velvet bag, and as I began emptying it into my hand, I was holding a handful of uncut diamonds.
I put them back in the bag and picked up the gun. It was an old Luger of the type common with the German army. I put it and the gems in my pocket and turned to Linstead.
“We’d best get out of here,” I told him. “Can you drive?”
“I think so”, he murmured.
“Good, then you take Christine and go back to the hotel, and don’t speak to anyone about what’s happened. I’ll take care of everything once I’ve had time to figure it out.”
I turned to Christine. “Get a hold of yourself and go back with the professor. I’ll meet you later.”
I saw them off then returned to the room. I could not think of an explanation for what had happened, but I would think about that later. For the moment I did not want us connected with anything that would affect our mission. Finding his car keys, I carried his body over to his car. Then I drove about two or three miles into the mountains. Putting the body in the driving seat, I made sure that I had left no fingerprints, then I left it under the trees and walked back.
At the villa I tidied up and wiped down anything that I thought had been touched, then switched off the lights, closed the front door, and left.
Driving back to the Grand Hotel my thoughts ranged over what had happened. This guy was obviously the one that Linstead was meeting. He was from South Africa, but what was he doing with uncut diamonds? Was it to do with the gambling debts, and could the shooter have
been from the Triads?
I would have to question the professor and make him understand that unless he came clean, he would be in serious trouble.
When I reached the hotel, I hid the luger in the Alpine, then went in and asked the night porter for their room number. Linstead answered the door and Christine was seated by the bed.
“I’ve just ordered some coffee,” he said. “I’ll phone down and tell them it’s for three.”
I looked at Christine. “Are you, all right?”
“Yes, I’m okay now, Matt, thank goodness you came.”
I turned to the professor. “You’d better explain what you were doing there, and who you were meeting.”
“This is terrible and will ruin my reputation,” he said.
“If this gets out it’ll do more than that, and you could finish up in prison,” I said.
There was a knock on the door, and I opened it and took the coffee.
“I’ll pour it,” Christine said. I thought she was holding up well considering she was not much more than a kid.
“So, what’s this all about?” I asked him. “I know all about your gambling debts so it’s no good trying to hide anything.”
“The man I was meeting deals in diamonds. He goes to Amsterdam regularly with them. He came here to meet me and offer me diamonds in exchange for my formula. I was desperate as I owed money to a Chinese syndicate who were threatening me.”
“Are the diamonds legit?”
“Well, they’re genuine diamonds, if that’s what you mean, but this was an unofficial transaction.”
“In other words, they didn’t go through the books.”
“That’s right.”
We all drank some coffee. Then he asked me, “Who are you, anyway?”
“I’m with the British government, what you might call an agent of the Foreign Office. We are also interested in your formula.”
“It’s no use without my colleague’s part,” he said.
“I know that, and I also know that she’s coming here to meet you. I take it you need her part, to enable you to make a deal with your adversaries.”
“I have no choice, I’ve been a fool, and this has put me in danger. It’s my only way out.”
“I tell you what,” I said. “You meet Zola Peterson, but don’t tell her about tonight. I’ll get in touch with my people, and it could mean that I can arrange for you to come to England where you’ll be safe.”
He looked at me questionably. “What about tonight? When this gets out it will be sure to involve me.”
I looked at him. “It won’t get out. When they find the body there is no identity on him, and I’ve made sure there’s nothing to connect us to it. I’ve taken it to a spot away from the villa. Should they identify him and find out that he hired the villa, there’s nothing to connect you to it.”
“That still leaves the Chinese,” he said.
“Don’t worry about them. If they are who I think they are, our people will deal with it, and if necessary, you’ll be given protection.”
It seemed to satisfy him, but I was not so sure about it, and when I explained it to Steve Price, he might not want to get our government involved, in case everything blew up.
It would have to do for now and I would sort things out tomorrow.
“That’s about all for tonight,” I said. “It’s best that we all get some sleep. Christine, you come with me.”
I left with Christine and we went to my room.
Once inside we sat down, and I began to question her.
“Tell me exactly what happened before I got there.”
She looked at me and I could see that she was trembling. “When we got to the villa there was a man waiting for us.”
“The same man that was shot?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“What then?”
“Well, they began talking, and the professor said I should wait in the other room while they discussed business. As I was about to leave, a man burst in holding a gun. He told us to back away then pointed the gun at the other man.”
“Go on,” I said.
“He said something, but his English wasn’t good, and I couldn’t make it out.”
“What sort of man was he?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Well, was he English looking, or Asian?”
“I would say more like Asian.”
“Could he have been Chinese?” I asked her.
“Yes, his face was like that.”
“What happened next?”
“The professor stepped forwards to say something, and the man with the gun turned to him. Next thing the other man drew a gun but before he could use it, the other one shot him.”
“That was when you screamed?”
“Yes, then you came.”
“Okay,” I said. “There’s nothing to be done until tomorrow, it’s best we get some sleep.”
“Can I sleep with you tonight, Matt, I’m scared.”
“All right, go and get your things, but no sex.”
She managed a smile. “No sex,” she said, “but I’ll give you a rain-check.”
***
Next morning, I ordered breakfast for two to be sent up to my room. We sat at the small table and began talking.
“When we’ve finished, I’ll go and tell the professor to stay put, then I must phone in and tell them about last night,” I told her.
She nodded.
“You can stay here till I get back if you like.”
“Yes, I’d rather do that. Will you be long?”
“No, I shouldn’t be. I’ll use the phone in reception and when I come back, I’ll know what we have to do.”
“Okay,” she said.
I went to Linstead’s room and knocked. There was no response, so I knocked again. I gave it a minute or two but there was no answer, so I left and went down to reception.
“I want to speak to Professor Linstead, will you ring his room,” I told the clerk.
“The professor left early this morning, sir.”
“Did he leave any message?”
“No, sir.”
So, he’d done a bunk but where would he have gone, I wondered. He was running scared, and who knows what was in his mind.
I went over to a phone booth and called the number I’d been given. When the girl answered, I said, “I’ve been picking bluebells. Can I speak to Steve Price?”
“Hold on, I’ll connect you.”
“Hello, Matt,” he said, “what’s up?”
I told him the whole story and asked what I should do next.
“Leave it with me for now, I’ll have to speak to London,” he said, then added, “What have you done with the diamonds?”
“I’ve hidden them in my room.”
“Well deposit them in the hotel safe for the time being.” Then he went on. “Stay there with Christine and ring me again later. Has Zola Peterson arrived there yet?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” I said.
“Okay, well just stay put till we talk again later. Ring me this afternoon.”
“Will do,” I said.
I went back to Christine and told her.
“I think I’ll be all right now, Matt.” she said. “I think I’ll go to my room and shower and wash my hair.”
“Right,” I said, “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Getting the diamonds, I put them into a large envelope and addressed it to myself. Then I went down and had it deposited in the hotel safe.
There was nothing more I could do so I thought I would go to the pool for a swim.
There was a swimming pool situated below the casino, in a large area, open on the far end to a balcony, that was an outdoor restaurant. There were sun loungers all around, and a long bar at one end of the pool. Off to the other side were shower rooms, and a fitness and massage facility. Swimming costumes were available, and I thought that I would take a swim then get some sun.
There was no diving board, so I r
an and dived in and swam several lengths. Getting out, I grabbed my towel and went through to the massage room.
A big guy saw me enter and asked me if I would like a massage. I said I would, and he pointed to a table by a large picture window. He told me that he had been a fireman in Paris during the war and afterwards had come here as a fitness instructor.
Laying on the massage table and looking out at the azure sea of the Mediterranean, I felt like James Bond. This life suited me and was fine if you didn’t weaken.
When he’d finished, I collected my things, then went back and gave him a tip before I went out onto the balcony restaurant.
The dish of the day was duck leg with green peas, so I selected that together with a glass of red wine. Several other tables were occupied, and giving them a once over, I could see they were mostly older men accompanied by young women.
Probably Greek shipping millionaires with their young swingers who were attracted to money, I thought. I lingered over lunch, and then it was time to phone Steve.
He was not there when I rang, so I went back to my room. A short time later there was a knock and opening the door it was Christine. She was looking better now, after her ordeal.
She kissed me and smiled. “What’s happening?” she asked.
“We’re to stay put until I get further instructions. I’ve tried to phone Steve but he’s not there at the moment. Have you eaten?”
“Yes, I had something sent up to my room,” she said.
“Okay, we’ll just have to wait.” I told her.
We both sat down and looked at each other.
“Matt,” she said, “where do you think the professor’s gone?”
She looked so young and vulnerable, as she sat there.
“That’s anyone’s guess but he hasn’t many options. He knows the Chinese are after him, and he can’t return to South Africa. He knows that Zola Peterson is coming here, so maybe he’ll try to contact her.”
“Do you think they will try to sell their formulas to the Chinese?”
“I can’t be sure, but I don’t think Peterson would agree to it.”
“Then what about us. Do you think we’re in any danger?”
