by Simon Swift
"Sure it is sweetheart, that's why I came. So is that still the deal, I give them the diamond and we walk free together in the morning with a big bag of money?"
Again she sat down at my side, her confidence seemingly restored. She smiled and looked thoughtful for a while before again opening her mouth.
"That's the deal that they're expecting. I overheard them all talking, they said that a couple of days here in captivity and you would see sense. But like I said before, Errol, why don't we sell the diamond. Get rid of the pesky gem and then we can leave together, we can got to Hawaii, Tahiti, Australia even and start a new life together?"
I smiled and put a hand on her cheek, softly but with menace.
"There's one other thing that's been puzzling me," I said looking at Marlow's hands.
She recoiled slightly and moved away.
"How did you get in here? You being a prisoner and all, and yet here you are with a set of keys. Let me guess," I continued, winking an eye at an increasingly uncomfortable looking Marlow. "You slipped them out of the guard’s pocket, while he wasn't looking?"
I chuckled out loud, and looked in admiration at Marlow.
Marlow put on a smile, not an all too convincing smile, but a smile nevertheless. She shrugged her shoulders and blinked her eyes. "You know me Errol, ever the opportunist? I just saw my chance and took it. Guess what, I've also got one for the front door. We can be out of here, Errol. All you got to do is tell me you got the diamond. Tell me you've got it, hidden away somewhere, and we can go."
She took a deep breath. "So, Errol, have you got it? Have you got the diamond?"
"Come to bed darling, we'll talk some more later," I urged and undid the tie around Marlow's waist. She pulled away and the gown swung open, displaying her magnificent body, covered only by a red, lacy basque. I licked my lips and smiled. "Come on baby, you want to get in here?" I asked, lifting up the covers making a space for her beside me.
Marlow looked confused. "Errol, I'm desperate for you, but do you think this is a good idea. Soon enough they're going to notice that these keys are missing. If we stay here we're simply wasting time. We can't afford to take any risks or we'll end up with nothing." She leant over towards me and kissed me on the tip of my nose. "Come on, brave soldier, tell me where the diamond is and we can leave together."
I sighed deeply and lit up yet another cigarette. It was time to raise the stakes.
"What if I don't have the rock?" I asked. "If I have absolutely no idea where it could be found. What happens then, you still want to go to Tahiti?"
A look of more concern filled Marlow's face. "Of course I do," she reassured, not a hint of happiness showing. "You know I just want to be with you. But Errol, you do have it don't you?"
"I'll tell you what I think," I stood up and began to dress myself hurriedly. "I think the money that that stone will bring is your main concern. Me, well maybe I'm a bit of a bonus, but certainly the loot is your main concern. You told me Dyke wouldn't do a deal with Coward, but what's to stop you? My ass for a piece of jewelry..."
` "Errol, how can you say this?" screamed Marlow. She rushed towards me and put her arms around me, clinging desperately onto my waist. "You know that it's you I want. You know I love you, I've loved you since the first moment I met you."
"Yeah, sure you do," I said, whilst fastening my belt. "Maybe you do, but then maybe you loved Dyke. He couldn't quite deliver what you really want, but I can."
I chuckled. "Or you think I can."
"Errol, stop this, you're hurting me. I want us to be together. That's what I want more than anything in the whole world, but don't you see, we must have the diamond - it's our passport out of this dreadful world."
"I'm sorry," I relented. "I know you're right. Don't worry I've got the diamond nicely hidden away. You want to know where I put it?"
Marlow nodded eagerly.
"Yeah, sure you do. Well, it's in a safety deposit box in the Financial District. There's a key in my lock-up, just off Broadway, you got that. It's been there a good number of years," I scratched my head. "As soon as I locate my shoes," I looked around the place stupidly, "we can get...er...out o...f here and get the plane tickets. Oh," I looked at Marlow. "I forgot, you'll have to change too, won't you?"
Before I'd even finished my sentence Marlow had dropped her gown to the floor. She slowly un-popped her basque and shook herself free of it, displaying the most beautiful sight in the whole world. A sexy smile filled her face and her eyes twinkled as she seductively caressed her shapely breasts before me.
"I'm sorry Errol," she whispered. "I can contain myself no more. I'm afraid we're going to have to risk it," She breathed heavily and started to unfasten the belt I had tightened only a moment earlier. "Come on Errol, I want you, I'm desperate to have you..."
Chapter Sixteen – Reunion
I awoke with a smile and I reached out to cuddle up to Marlow. At first not quite realizing, I reached out a little further, but she was not there. I sat up and rubbed my eyes sleepily. My first thought was that they had realized she had gone and had come in here to find her, but there was no signs of a struggle and I doubted that I would have slept through if that was happening. My next thought was that it had all been a dream, she had not really walked into this room last night only in my vivid imagination.
A shiver went down my spine and I reached out, fumbling for a light switch that wasn't there.
My head felt foggy, my mouth dry and with a nasty taste and my body ached. I found all this out as I threw the sheets back and slowly climbed out of bed, heading towards a floor to ceiling set of red, velvet drapes. My feet sunk into the thickly carpeted floor which tickled and soothed. I pulled the drapes aside half expecting to be confronted with a solid wall, only to see the moon shining through a thick, barred window. The sky was clear and the stars were all out illuminating a beautiful mountain landscape.
The moon lit up the room, revealing that it was quite well furnished with a bedside cabinet either side of the double bed, a dresser, a full-length wardrobe and a desk with telephone and writing equipment.
I found the lights and tried the telephone. It was deader than Dyke Spanner but a lot less mystery, as the expertly snipped cable under the desk gave it away. The door, that I imagined Marlow opening and sauntering through sometime in the night, was the only exit from the room. I guessed that it would be locked, but guessed wrong as it swung freely open at the first turn of the handle.
The cold night air hit me and knocked the surprise right out of me, which was a lot more pleasant than the fist that knocked the wind right out of me. It came from nowhere, putting me on my backside and was followed by a kick, which caught me right under the chin and put me on my back. I lay there for what seemed like hours staring up into the star filled sky, searching out the constellations that every child learns at nursery and then forgets forever, but was probably no more than a couple of seconds, before I was pulled back into the sitting position. I found myself face to face with an angry sumo wrestler of a man who patted me down before grabbing me by my neck and lifting me onto my feet. He then smiled a gap toothed grin and spun me around before gently shoving me back through the door.
I heard him say, "And don't wake me again before morning!" and the door slammed shut but was not locked.
I didn't recognize the man although I assumed he was one of Coward's goons. I was wondering just how long I had been held captive here. I was not wearing a watch and there was no sign of a clock so there was no way of knowing. By the look of the sky, it was still night out there and the feel of my chin it was not still the same night that I had been kidnapped. But why had I not had any further contact with the Coward? Was this all part of a plan to wear me down in the hope that I would become more forthcoming with the diamond? If so I should have expected another interrogation by now.
This led me to believe that my night visitor was not a dream after all which threw up two possibilities. Either Marlow had been used and then murdered by the Portl
y Gangster, with me conveniently out of the way so not to throw a spanner in the works. If this was the case then I would expect to soon be deposited into the hands of the police with a lot of damning evidence planted at the scene. The other possibility was that Marlow was in fact working alongside The Coward, either under duress or with compliance, and the information I gave her last night was now being checked out with me being held here as insurance.
I shook my head as the possibilities scorched my mind.
I stood up and put on a pair of trousers. If I was going to consider getting out of here, I wasn't going to do it in my boxer shorts. The trousers weren't mine and neither was the shirt and sweater that were laid out on the dresser but I put them on as well. Once fully dressed I got up and prowled around the room, searching for anything that could constitute a tool or weapon to aide my escape.
I checked the drawers, under the bed, on the window sill. There was nothing that could tackle the bear of a man outside the room. Even if he wasn't armed and I hadn't been locked away after being poisoned by chloroform, I wouldn't have fancied my chances. Where was I going to run to anyway, I didn't even know where the hell I was?
Maybe it would have made more sense to just get undressed again and get back into the bed. But I had an uneasy feeling that if I did that I might just not awaken again and I was damned if I was going to lie down and die. Instead I took a couple of deep breaths, moved the dresser so it was right in front of the door and ripped the rather bulky telephone from the desk. I then opened the door and stepped outside.
This time I was ready for the cold blast of night air that hit me and I sucked it deep into my lungs. I was also ready for the sumo wrestler who quickly appeared in front of me.
I held up a hand quickly as the wrestler prepared to lunge.
"I need to use the bathroom," I said, and took a step backward into the open doorway.
"Listen to me Mister," he said, his impatience thickly laced on every syllable. "You need to piss you use the bucket. You need to take a dump you use the bucket. And if you interrupt me once more..."
I did interrupt him -and in a way that I'm sure he didn't anticipate- by swinging my other arm that held the telephone and smashing it into the side of his head. That sure knocked the impatience out of him and I further interrupted him by plastering his nose across his face with my head. That sure made my headache worse, although I didn't scream out loud like the sumo wrestler did.
I then grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and flung him through the doorway into the darkened room. I followed him in and slammed the door shut.
He had tumbled into the dresser and was lying in a heap on the floor. He quickly regained his composure, but not quick enough to prevent me aiming a kick into the place where every man dreads being kicked. Either I missed the vital spot or he was stronger than I hoped, whichever he now got back to his feet and dived at me his big bear-like arms mauling as he lunged. We both flew backwards crashing into the wardrobe that fell on its side and landed in a heap.
The wrestler was first on his feet and swung a massive fist that caught me just under the rib cage and wracked my body with pain. As he swung, again I picked up a bedside cabinet and crashed it wildly into him. It must have been more solid than it looked; either that or he had a different pain spot to the rest of us, as he dropped to his knees and just stayed there. I lifted the small cabinet over my head and dropped it again into the wrestler, this time onto the back of his head, and he collapsed to the nice, soft carpet. He wasn't dead but would not be sumo wrestling for a while.
I left him tied to the bed with electrical cord and for a third time opened the door and stepped out into the night. The moonlight made me feel as vulnerable as the borrowed clothes did uncomfortable but it also gave me good vision in this alien of place. It appeared that I had been held captive in outhouse, one of many that were scattered around the main building. It looked like a typical country retreat owned by many celebrities, tycoons and gangsters alike and had all the views of the Catskills and the greenery that the City so lacked.
The main house was huge with two storeys above ground level due to it being on stilts. There was a large gravel forecourt where several swanky cars were parked and the many outhouses formed a semi-circle around it. A long, tree-lined driveway led from the front of the house and had many narrower offshoots that spider-webbed over the expansive grounds. The rest of the land was finely manicured gardens with colorful flowerbeds and huge shrubs and bushes.
It was difficult to appreciate exactly how big it all was as the land undulated and from standing level there was always a hill blocking your view. This was to my distinct advantage as there was always somewhere that was out of sight and on foot there would be many hiding places.
Feeling ridiculous, I crouched down and scanned the ground all around me, listening for the faintest sound and searching out the slightest movement. I felt confident that nobody would be looking for me for quite a while. I had gagged the sumo wrestler and he would hopefully not be found until morning. By then I would be back in New York City and the game would have changed full circle.
The whole complex was deadly silent and every footstep on the gravel made my heart beat faster. I quickly made it to the grassy area and hopped from tree to tree down the long, long driveway. It wasn't long before I was out of sight of the main buildings and my confidence quickly returned. I could see where the estate ended and the open road back to the City began, with only a ten-foot high fence, probably electrified, or a guardhouse to breach. I could not tell whether it was manned but would have to assume that it would be.
I took my chances on the fence, and to my surprise and great pleasure, it wasn't electrified. I quietly climbed to the top, swung my legs over and shimmied down the other side into the heavy undergrowth. I broke a twig as I landed in a bramble bush. As well as giving me a nasty cut, it confirmed that the guard-house was indeed manned as a pair of torch wielding, uniformed sentries appeared.
I quickly got to my feet and feeling the bright glow of a torch on my face set off running down the road as fast as my heavy legs would allow me. I kept on running and running and running. When I could run no more I stopped, bent over with a hand on my hip struggling for breath and looked over my shoulder.
There was nothing.
Smiling to myself, I took a deep breath and turned around, only to be blinded by a bright light and feel a terrible pain on my right side. The car screeched to a halt and a man got out. He helped me to my feet and it was only when I smiled at him and assured him that I was all right that I realized who it was.
I wiped my brow and sat back in the comfy passenger seat of Stan's car. My heart was eventually getting back to normal, but my mind constantly ran over and over the events of the past few days. I kept hearing Jake's words, "No more walking into homicides" over and over again. It awoke a perverse sense of humor in me. I looked over at Stan. He smiled back keeping a good speed up. I wasn't exactly sure where we were heading but it looked like we were deeper in mountain territory now, possibly as far north as the Adirondacks.
Stan carried on driving looking at the road all the time. “So," he said. "Errol Black, what's the story buddy?"
"It's a long one," I smiled. "A very long one indeed."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I shrugged. "Why not?"
I gave Stan a story - not the real story - but a story nonetheless. I told him that I was on a missing person's racket and that my case had led me right to Woodstock, taking the utmost care to miss out any mention of the diamond. I told him about Marlow, she being the missing person, but I was careful not mention any names. He listened and nodded a few times, but I got the general impression that he wasn't all that interested. He certainly gave me nothing away.
"I could have killed you just now," he said calmly. "What were you doing out here? You're quite a way from Woodstock now, is this where you think the girl is?"
I shook my head. "Not anymore. Maybe I did. It doesn't matter anymo
re, now I just need to get back to the City."
"First you need to get freshened up, you look terrible. And you need a good meal and a change of clothes."
"I guess we're even now?" I ventured.
"Not quite," he said vaguely.
There was a long silence between us as Stan continued to drive. I wasn't at all sure where we were headed but it was a beautiful drive in the bright moonlight. I realized that I had not asked Stan one single question. He had questioned me for the last fifteen minutes without a second thought and I had not done the same, despite the odd hour and the strange coincidence of his knocking me down.
Stan noticed me looking a little curiously out of the window and looked across at me.
"I'm going to take you to my house," he said matter of factly. "Don't worry, you're not going to be a prisoner with us, but I'm sure there's a lot of things been going on the last few days that you just want to forget. You probably want a long, hot bath, or a dip in the whirlpool. We'll give you a good old traditional Italian meal and a comfortable bed for as long as you want." He paused and sighed, as if embarrassed with himself. "No doubt you'll want to call someone, eh? Whatever you need to do, that's fine. Don't worry, you can leave whenever you please. Anything you need you only have to ask. To answer your question, Errol Black, we are far from even, you have saved my life and I have run you over. In my book that is not a debt repaid but a debt deepened."
And at that he continued to drive well into the night.
We arrived at the Cortene household a good deal later. I was escorted into the house, shown to another beautiful bedroom, which I was told to use as my own and then given a very brief tour around the glorious house.
I bathed myself in the spacious bathroom, which was carpeted with Persian rugs and decorated with ornate furnishings. I had a little dip in the hot tub and then settled down for a soak in the steaming, bubble-filled bath. Feeling refreshed and relaxed, I lay back on the bed and must have passed out immediately. When I awoke it was morning; the birds were singing and sun was streaming through the drapes.
