Джеймс Чейз - I Hold the Four Aces

Getting to her feet, she began to pace the terrace. Hinkle sat still, looking down at his freckled hands. After some minutes, she came to him.

‘Women are fools, aren’t they, Hinkle?’ She put her hand on his shoulder. ‘Will you please put on your white coat?’

Hinkle got to his feet.

‘It will be a pleasure, madame.’

She regarded him.

‘In an hour, Archer will be arriving. Send him to me. I will deal with him.’

The steely note in her voice was reassuring to Hinkle.

‘Very well, madame.’

When he left the terrace, Helga, smouldering with fury, took the papers from the orange envelope and began to read them.

Archer lay in bed in the cramped bedroom of the rented villa. He had scarcely slept that night. It had been a shock to realize that he was now in the hands of the Mafia, and that Grenville was in an even more precarious situation. Archer now wished desperately that he hadn’t embarked on this kidnap plan. The idea of getting two million dollars from Helga had dulled his caution. He ran his fingers through his thinning hair. He told himself that he had been utterly reckless to have ever mixed himself up with a man like Moses Seigal, and out of his mind to have gone to a thug like Bernie with his story of a faked kidnapping.

He cringed at the thought of having to tell Helga the ransom money now would be increased to ten million dollars. How would she react? She could, of course, afford to pay, but would her fascination for Grenville run to such a sum? Suppose she tried to bluff? Suppose she even refused? Suppose these thugs cut off Grenville’s ear and forced him (Archer) to deliver it to Helga?

This was unthinkable! It mustn’t happen! He must convince her she had to pay!

He longed to snatch up his suitcase, desert Grenville, and leave Switzerland, then go to England, but Bernie had guessed he might bolt. Without his passport, he couldn’t leave!

He twisted and turned in the bed, sweat beading his face. Now, if he could trust Bernie, he would get only five hundred thousand dollars. A million seemed so safe, but five hundred thousand would cut his plans by half. But suppose, when Helga paid, Bernie laughed at him and gave him nothing? This was a serious possibility!

His heart thumping sluggishly, Archer heaved himself out of bed and went into the bathroom. As he shaved, he regarded himself in the mirror. His fat heavy face was waxy-white and dark rings were around his eyes from lack of sleep. His look of despair and defeat, like the mark of a leper, was there for anyone to see.

He hunted for a clean shirt, finally finding one in his suitcase: a shirt with a frayed collar and a button missing from one of the cuffs. He felt old and shabby, but he must, he told himself, pull himself together. He mustn’t let Helga get a hint that he was in trouble. He knew her so well. She was utterly ruthless, once she knew she had the advantage.

Then he did something he had never done before at this hour in the morning. He went to the closet and took out the bottle of whisky. He poured a stiff drink and tossed it down, then he poured another, and carrying the glass, he sat down, feeling the whisky moving through him, strengthening him.

The second drink made him slightly drunk, but at least, he felt much more confident.

At 10.15 the telephone bell rang.

It was Bernie.

‘In a few minutes, Mr. Archer, you will be negotiating on my behalf with the Rolfe woman. I am relying on you. Do you anticipate trouble?’

‘I don’t know. She is difficult.’

‘It occurred to me that it would be an idea if Mr. Grenville spoke to her. He is a little nervous, and he could be very convincing. In fact, Mr. Archer, he appears very concerned about losing an ear. So I suggest you time your arrival at her villa at exactly eleven o’clock, then in half an hour, I will get Mr. Grenville to the telephone. It could make the deal easier for you.’

Archer hesitated, then realizing he would need all the help he could get, said, ‘Yes, do that.’

‘Then at eleven-thirty, Mr. Grenville will call her,’ and Bernie hung up.

Archer began to pace up and down in the small living-room. If Grenville talked as hysterically as he had done the previous day on the telephone, Archer felt there was every possibility that Helga’s resistance to the new demand would be demolished, always providing she was as in love with Grenville as Grenville claimed. Archer began to be more hopeful that she would pay, but he was far from hopeful that Bernie would give him anything, once the transaction was over.

Bernie had asked for bearer bonds. Bolstered by the whisky, Archer suddenly smiled. No! He wouldn’t ask Helga for bearer bonds. The money would have to be paid into his own numbered account where Bernie couldn’t get his hands on it! That was the way to handle it! By doing this, he had Bernie under control. Bernie wouldn’t dare do anything to him as long as the money was in his (Archer’s) account. He would be in a strong position to deal with Bernie. Ten million dollars! He would give Bernie five and keep five for himself. Magnanimously, he decided to give Grenville a million from his own share.

Archer gave a drunken little chuckle. He looked at his watch. It was time to go. Lurching a little, he left the villa and got into the Mercedes. By the time he reached Villa Helios, he was comparatively sober, and much less confident. Leaving the Mercedes at the bottom of the drive, he walked up to the front door and thumbed the bell.

There was a long pause, then the front door opened, and Hinkle surveyed him.

‘Hello, Hinkle,’ Archer said, forcing a broad smile, ‘I believe Madame Rolfe is expecting me.’

‘That is correct,’ Hinkle said stiffly. ‘I will show you the way.’

Following Hinkle’s broad back, Archer walked through the living-room and out onto the terrace.

Helga, wearing dark sun goggles, lay on a sun chair, a glass of vodka martini on a table by her side.

‘Mr. Archer, madame,’ Hinkle announced.

Without looking round, Helga waved to an upright chair. Hinkle pushed the chair forward so that when Archer sat down, he would be facing Helga, with the sun in his eyes.

‘You may leave us, Hinkle,’ Helga said.

‘Yes, madame,’ and Hinkle went away.

‘Well, Helga,’ Archer said, and turning the chair so the sun wasn’t in his eyes, sat down. ‘You look splendid as usual.’

The darkness of her sun goggles bothered him. Her eyes, which he knew from long experience, revealed her feelings, were now masked to him.

She said nothing, nor did she move. Her hands rested in her lap. She seemed completely relaxed.

Archer cleared his throat.

‘I have bad news, Helga,’ he began. ‘First I want you to understand that I am representing my client, and what I have to say to you is entirely on his instructions.’ He waited, but as she remained silent, he went on, ‘My client has now realized how very wealthy you are. One of his Mafia friends has just been paid seven million dollars for returning a kidnap victim. My client has raised the ransom price. He wants ten million dollars for Grenville’s return.’

Helga remained still and silent. After a long pause, Archer, sweating, asked uneasily, ‘Did you hear what I said?’

‘I’m not deaf,’ Helga said, and the steel in her voice startled him.

‘Well, there it is. I assure you this is not of my making. What do you say? Are you willing to pay ten million dollars to get Grenville back?’

Helga moved in her chair: the movements of a cat stretching.

‘How much of this money goes to you?’ she asked.

‘That has nothing to do with you!’ Archer snapped. ‘Is it yes or no?’

She turned her head, and he could feel she was staring at him, but behind the dark sun goggles she was anonymous.