‘A hold-up, eh?’ Konnor laughed harshly.
‘That money, and quick!’ said Leon, between his teeth.
Konnor felt the point of the gun against his stomach, and obeyed. Leon took the thick pad of notes from the man, and slipped it into his pocket.
‘I suppose you realize, Mr Leon Gonsalez, that you’re going to get into very serious trouble?’ began Konnor. ‘I thought you’d probably decipher the pass – ’
‘I deciphered the pass without any trouble at all, if you’re referring to the gold tablet,’ said Leon. ‘It said that “the Englishman Konnor is permitted to enter our lines at any moment of the day or night and is to be afforded every assistance,” and it was signed by the Commander of the Third Army. Yes, I know all about that.’
‘When I get back to England – ’ began the man.
‘You’ve no intention of going back to England. You’re married. You were married in Dublin – and that was probably not your first bigamy. How much money is there here?’
‘Thirty or forty thousand – you needn’t think that Miss Martin will prosecute me.’
‘Nobody is going to prosecute you,’ said Leon, in a low voice.
He took one quick glance around: the decks were empty.
‘You’re a traitor to your country – if you have a country; a man who has sent thousands of the men who were his comrades to their death. That is all.’
There was a flash of fire from his hand, a guttural ‘plop!’ Konnor’s knees went under him, but before he reached the ground Leon Gonsalez caught him under the arms, threw the pistol into the water, lifted the man without an effort and heaved him into the dark sea . . .
When Ostend harbour came into sight, and the steward went to collect Major Rutland’s luggage, he found it had gone, and with it the owner. Passengers are very often mean, and carry their own luggage on to the deck in order to save porterage. The steward shrugged his shoulders and thought no more of the matter.
As for Leon Gonsalez, he stayed in Brussels one day, posted without comment the £34,000 in notes to Miss Lois Martin, caught the train to Calais and was back in London that night. Manfred glanced up as his friend strode into the dining-room.
‘Had a good time, Leon?’ he asked.
‘Most interesting,’ said Leon.
THE END
The Complete Four Just Men Page 113
