James Chase: Whiff of Money

‘This little lot is worth ten thousand dollars to me. Why should I care what it does to you?’

She hid her face in her hands and began to sob violently, rocking herself to and fro: a picture of misery. Girland became aware that Malik had got out of the Mercedes and was watching him curiously.

Still holding the packet in his hand, Girland said, ‘What are we going to do with our friend?’

‘Tie him up and dump him here,’ Malik said. ‘Someone will find him. It’ll give us time to get back to the airport and catch the Paris plane if we hurry.’

Girland looked at Gilly who was rocking herself backwards and forwards and he shook his head.

‘Gilly… cut the act. It’s good, but it doesn’t convince me. You are like a lot of people… when they are on top, they’re fine. When the cards fall wrong, they snivel I don’t believe Rosnold was behind this. I think you were and now, without him, you’ve lost your guts. Here… take them.’ He placed the packet on the hood of the T.R.4. Turning, he went to the Mercedes and took from the boot, Gilly’s suitcase. This he dropped behind the driving seat of the T.R.4.

Gilly continued to sob, her face hidden in her hands.

Girland regarded her, grimaced, then shrugged. He walked back to the Mercedes.

‘Let’s drive further up the road to the next bend,’ he said, getting into the car.

‘You’re forgetting the packet,’ Malik said as he slid under the driving wheel.

‘Don’t be so obvious, Comrade,’ Girland said. ‘Let’s move.’

Malik drove to the next bend and then pulled up. He told Kirst to get out. While he was tying Kirst’s trembling hands behind his back, Girland lit a cigarette. He heard the T.R.4 start up.

Malik looked at him.

‘She’s going.’

‘Yes.’

‘She’s taken the packet.’

‘Yes.’

Malik tied Kirst’s ankles together, then picking him up, dropped him over the hedge.

‘I thought you were interested in money, Girland,’ he said. ‘Wasn’t Dorey going to pay you for those films?’

‘So he said.’ Girland got into the passenger’s seat of the car. ‘Come on… let’s move.’

With a puzzled expression, Malik started the car, reversed and headed down to the highway.

Although Malik drove fast, Girland saw no sign of the scarlet T.R.4. Gilly was driving even faster.

There were only six other passengers on the last flight to Paris and Girland and Malik sat together, away from the others.

Both men were silent: both occupied with their thoughts.

Girland said suddenly, ‘You won’t tell me unless you want to, Malik, but there’s no harm in asking. Just why did you give up those films? I was anticipating trouble. With them, you could have made a big hit with your people. They wouldn’t have hesitated to use them and Sherman would have been sunk. Have you lost interest in your work?’

Malik stared broodingly down at his big hands. For some moments, Girland thought he wasn’t going to reply, then he said, ‘At last I’m following your example. Ever since I began working for security, I’ve never considered my own interests whereas you have always put yourself first and your job second. Now I’ve decided to do just that. As long as Kovski is in power, I will never be allowed to return to the active field where I belong. Sitting at a desk, handling paper is death to me. This is my chance to destroy Kovski and I am taking it. Once he is destroyed, I will get back to the active field. He turned his head and his flat green eyes searched Girland’s face. Then you and I will be enemies again.’

‘Maybe we won’t meet again,’ Girland said, shrugging. ‘It’s only because Dorey keeps tempting me with money that I fall for his cockeyed assignments. He may get tired of it. How are you fixing Comrade Kovski? -

Again Malik took his time before answering. Finally he said, ‘When I report tomorrow, I will tell him you destroyed the films before I could get them. I will remind him that if he had acted on my suggestion and had cabled the American airport police that Sherman was returning on a false passport, Sherman would have been ruined by now… that the films meant nothing. We could have prevented Sherman becoming President by sending this cable. This Kovski stupidly refused to do. I will then tell him that a tape recording of our conversation is on its way to Moscow.’ Malik looked down at his hands and smiled evilly. ‘That will be the moment… when he realises what I have done… that I shall enjoy.’

Girland nodded.

‘I can imagine. Dorey will be pleased.’

Malik shrugged his heavy shoulders.

‘Many people will be pleased.’ He looked at his watch. ‘We will be landing in a few minutes. We must not be seen together. Drina will be on duty at the airport. Will you go first? I will follow after you when Drina is telephoning that you are back.’

‘That’s okay.’

As the plane began its descent, Malik looked directly at Girland.

‘I’ll say good-bye now. I hope we don’t meet again. In a couple of months I’ll be back in the active field. We are all square now… you understand?’

Girland laughed.

‘I can take a hint. I hope we don’t meet again and thanks for your help. Yes… we’re all square.’

He offered his hand and Malik gripped it, then as the plane touched down and began to taxi towards the arrival bay, both men unfastened their safety belts.

Girland was disappointed when he walked into Dorey’s outer office to find Mavis Paul not at her desk.

He flicked down the switch on the inter-com connecting with Dorey’s office.

‘Yes?’ Dorey’s voice asked.

‘This is your favourite ex-agent reporting,’ Girland said. ‘Did I wake you up?’

‘Oh… you. Come in.’

Girland entered the big room, sauntered across to the visitor’s chair and sank into it. He was wearing a lightweight grey tweed suit, a blood-red tie and dark-brown casuals. Dorey was surprised to see him so well turned out.

‘Nice to see me again?’ Girland asked with a jeering little smile.

Dorey regarded him over the tops of his spectacles.

‘Did you get those films?’

Girland lifted his shoulders. He took his time before saying, ‘Yes and no. I did have them, but the poor little girl sobbed so hard when I told her I was giving them to her old man that I gave them back to her.’

Dorey stiffened.

‘Are you trying to waste my time?’

‘I wouldn’t dream of doing that. If you don’t believe me, call up the Soviet Embassy and ask Malik. Without him, I doubt if I would have got the films. He was an eye-witness to the touching scene when I decided, not without pain to myself, that I would rather let the girl have them than her creep of a father.’

‘In other words you haven’t the films… you have failed,’ Dorey exclaimed, his face flushing with anger.

‘I didn’t fail. I don’t fail. I got them and you can assure your pal that he can go ahead and run for office. The films have been destroyed. Gillian has promised to behave herself in the future. You can’t call that failure, can you?’

‘Do you expect me to believe any of this?’ Dorey said furiously. ‘Your assignment was to bring those films to me! Now stop this fooling! Have you got them or haven’t you?’

‘I know you are getting old, but I didn’t realise you are also getting deaf, Dorey,’ Girland said, looking sad. ‘The girl has destroyed them. She has promised to leave her father strictly alone in the future.’

‘How do I know she has destroyed them? A promise from a slut like that? What is that worth?’ Dorey demanded, banging his fist on the desk.

‘Did you know Sherman gave the green light to Radnitz to have her murdered?’ Girland asked quietly.