Джеймс Чейз - Believe This... You’ll Believe Anything

‘Ah, Burden!’

His voice stopped me as if I had run into a wall. I turned and looked up at him. He was wearing a pearl grey City suit with a white silk shirt and a blood red tie. He came swiftly down the stairs and as he passed me, he went on, ‘I want to talk to you.’ There was a heavy frown on his face and as he walked, he slapped his hands together impatiently.

Following him, I was again aware of the power and width of his shoulders that seemed to ooze strength.

He opened a door and bounced into a vast room, dominated by a big Chippendale desk: a room of comfort, luxury and good taste. He went around the desk and sat down.

‘I’m pleased you are staying Burden. You never know... you could be useful. I have to stay: an important telephone call. Mrs. Vidal has elected to stay with me. God knows why.’ He shrugged impatiently. ‘She would be better leaving with Mrs. Clements. She says she doesn’t feel like the journey.’ He waved to a chair. ‘Sit down.’

As I sat down there came a tap on the door and the butler came in with a tray of coffee which he set on the desk.

‘Want coffee?’ Vidal asked me.

‘No, thank you.’ I felt I would throw up if I took coffee. ‘I’ve had mine.’

‘Right.’ He waved the butler away. ‘Harris, you’d better get going. Guilio will look after me.’

‘Very good, sir.’ The butler closed the door after him.

‘They’re all nervous,’ Vidal said. ‘I dislike having nervous people around me.’ He paused, then went on, ‘your work’s very satisfactory Burden. It couldn’t have been easy with Mrs. Vidal having the vapours. Have you got a secretary?’

‘Yes, but I told to keep away until the hurricane’s over.’

‘Mrs. Vidal, as I expected, doesn’t want to continue working with you. She found it too hard so you’d better keep this girl you’ve found if you’re satisfied with her. What are we paying her?’

I told him.

‘That’s all right. Now I have a job for you. Get on to it right away. If this hurricane turns out as bad as they say it’s going to be, we’ll lose the telephone: all the lines will be down. Charter an air taxi on standby to be ready to take off the moment the weather permits. Destination San Salvador, three passengers with luggage. I’ll give you the names later, but get the aircraft booked.’ He gave a mirthless grin. ‘Tell that jerk I’ll pay cash.’

‘Yes, Mr. Vidal.’ I got to my feet.

‘Don’t run away for the moment. When you’ve done that Burden, do me a favour, will you?’

This was so unexpected, I stared at him for a moment before saying, ‘Of course, Mr. Vidal.’

‘Keep Mrs. Vidal amused this afternoon, will you? She gets along with you. Play gin rummy or some goddamn thing with her. She’s nervy and I have a load of work to do.’ I could scarcely believe I was hearing rightly.

‘It’ll be my pleasure,’ I said huskily.

‘That’s a good fellow.’ He reached for a legal looking document. It was his way of dismissing me.

My heart thumping with excitement, I moved into the hall, shutting Vidal’s door gently behind me. Coming down the stairs was Mrs. Clements, Harris, the butler and a fat man I assumed was the chef. They were all carrying suitcases. I stood aside to let them pass. Mrs. Clements gave me a curt nod, Harris inclined his head, the chef ignored me. When they had left the house, I went into Dyer’s office.

He was thumping a typewriter with two fingers. He paused to grin at me.

‘The rats gone?’

‘Where are they off to?’

‘Catching the last flight to Dallas. They’ve all got the jitters about Hermes. Tiny told them to go and we now have no staff except Gesetti. He swears he can cook. I hope he can. You’ll have to make your own bed. Can you type?’

‘Fair.’

‘You could help out.’ He pushed some papers across his desk. ‘If you will type this lot with two copies I’ll be obliged.’

‘Sure.’ I took the papers up to my office, put them on the desk, hesitated, then started from the office towards Val’s room. I had only taken three steps along the corridor when I came to an abrupt halt.

Coming up the stairs, moving like a ghost, was Gesetti.

We looked at each other. From under the brim of his white hat, his flat snake’s eyes glittered menacingly.

The sight of him chilled me.

‘Looking for something, buster?’ he demanded and came up the last of the stairs with the speed of a cat.

I backed away from him. He looked as lethal as a cobra. Panic grabbed me. I backed into my office and hurriedly shut the door.

This was the man, Val had told me, who would kill us if Vidal found out that we were lovers. He put the fear of God into me. It was something I couldn’t control. I was furious with myself that I had shown him so clearly I was frightened of him, but there was something so vicious and deadly about him surely anyone would be frightened of him?

I sat at my desk, wiping my clammy hands with my handkerchief, listening for the sound of his footsteps, but hearing nothing. I was sure he was still outside my door. I had to restrain the urge to rush to the door and turn the key.

It took me nearly ten minutes to calm down. I now hadn’t the courage to venture out of the office. I still couldn’t be sure that Gesetti wasn’t out there in the corridor so I called Roger Everet of the Florida Air Taxi service.

‘Hello, Burden,’ he said when he came to the telephone. ‘What’s it this time? Your dwarf paid up like a lamb by the way.’

‘He wants an air taxi: three passengers and luggage for San Salvador on standby. As soon as Hermes has blown itself out he wants to take off.’

‘Can do. Same terms?’

‘Same terms.’

‘Okay, tell him the kite will be at readiness.’

‘What do the weather boys say?’

‘Could be through in three or four days but it’ll be bad while it lasts. Let’s see, today’s Tuesday. He could take off Saturday with luck.’

‘Okay. I’ll tell him.’

I still had no desire to see Val as yet. Gesetti had acted like a bucket of cold water thrown over me so I began to type the paper Dyer had given me: dull speeches of directors of an oil corporation.

As I typed I became aware that the wind was hissing. The palm trees began to rustle. Away in the distance came the faint rumble of thunder.

At lunchtime I went down to the darkened dining room. On the table were two plates of sandwiches and bottles of beer. I took two sandwiches and a beer back to my office, then completed the work Dyer had given me.

The wind was now whistling through the trees and slamming against the boarded up windows. The thunder sounded closer.

Later Dyer called me on the intercom.

‘Finished those speeches yet?’ he asked.

‘Yes. Shall I bring them down?’

‘Tiny’s asking for them. Take them to him, will you?’

I found Vidal at his desk, a pint of milk and some sandwiches near him. He looked up from the paper he was reading.

‘Those speeches you wanted, Mr. Vidal,’ I said and put them on his desk.

‘Thanks.’ He leaned back in his chair and reached for a sandwich. ‘Got that air taxi fixed?’

‘Yes. Everet thinks you could take off on Saturday.’

‘I hope he’s right. Now go talk to Mrs. Vidal. I’ve just been up. She’s complaining she’s lonely.’ He eyed me, then went on, ‘and listen Burden, don’t give her any sympathy. She imagines she is having a nervous breakdown. That’s a lot of hooey. She’s just bored. When women get bored they dream up any damn thing to make themselves the centre of attention. So don’t play along with her. Understand?’

I hesitated. Then bracing myself, I looked directly at him.

‘Excuse me, Mr. Vidal, but I don’t agree.’