The Melting Man rc-4

by Victor Canning

  'I'm a shy girl, really,' she said. 'I always need time.'

  'Don't rush anything.'

  The poulet was delicious.

  As she disappeared to make the second course, the telephone rang.

  It was Aristide.

  He said, 'I thought I should find you there. You have company?'

  I said, 'She's just served me with poulet sauté aux olives de Provence.'

  He said, 'Did she serve the chicken on top of the hot sauce, or pour it over the bird?'

  'On top.'

  'Treasure her.'

  'For the time that is left to me, I shall.'

  'Ah yes, it is of that which I wish to speak. You had much trouble with O'Dowda, of course.'

  'Of course.'

  'The whole room was gutted, including many valuable paintings. However, enough was left to establish the secondary matter of murder. My people are pleased about that.'

  'I am so happy that they are.'

  'They were disappointed about the parcel, though.'

  'Naturally.'

  'Until I explained that you were, in fact, making an heroic effort to recover it for us, and that it was not your fault that the flames consumed it. On your behalf — and you will understand that I can think of no one else for whom I should do such a thing, and not a very strong reason why I should do it for you, except that, of course, I have a sentiment for you which, illogical though it be, I am forced to acknowledge, since I feel — and you will bear with me in this—'

  'I can bear with you, Aristide, but somewhere I have lost myself in your sentence.'

  'Enfin, I have persuaded them to abandon any drastic action. You were trying to get the parcel for us, you failed. Disobedience is punishable, but not failure. So you should be happy now, yes?'

  'Very.'

  'Good. But also you must not go unscathed.'

  'It's a good word.'

  'Najib drew a large sum of American dollars today, we are informed by his bank. I presume they are in your possession?'

  'You speak officially or privately?'

  'Both. Interpol have a charitable fund with which they do much good. Often it receives anonymous contributions. May we expect another soon?'

  'I will send the money to you.'

  'I am delighted. Money is always to be treated seriously, and talking of money, I would advise you, if you can bring yourself to it, to marry this Miss Julia. She will undoubtedly inherit much wealth from O'Dowda. She will have you, and you will have her and her money, and I shall never be bothered with you again. We shall all be happy.'

  'Except Miss Julia,' I said. 'If you keep me on the line after she brings in the omelette souffiée aux liqueurs, which she is now making.'

  He gave a deep sigh, and said. 'In the village of Inxent in northern France there is an inn where they make it perfectly. If she does not bring it to the table frothing and on the point of spilling over the dish, do not marry her.'

  It came to the table, as he had said it should, filling the room with the aroma of fresh eggs, sizzling butter and the warm, heartening smell of liqueurs.

  There were many times in the next two weeks when I knew that I would marry her, and then there were days when I wasn't sure, and in the end I agreed with Meredith, Kissing don't last: cookery do! But who wants to spend his life just eating?

  So, in the end I retrieved my four thousand dollars from under the linoleum and went back into the big swim, wondering how long it would take to get my fees and expenses from O'Dowda's executors, and hoping that Panda was nowhere around. But Wilkins was, and no smile or warm word did I get from her until she came into the office one morning to find an electric typewriter waiting for her.

  She beamed, and then almost immediately frowned.

  'Why did you buy a German machine? British makes are just as good. Not that I've got anything personally against Germans but one really should support…'

  I shut my office door on her. You can't win.

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