James Chase - You Have Yourself a Deal

“You are mistaken,” she said quietly. “I can do without you, and I don’t understand what you mean when you say I am in a tough spot, and please don’t call me baby. I don’t like it.”

“I’m sorry, it won’t occur again,” Girland said, smiling. “Forgive me. Let me explain why you can’t do without me. You have admitted you have the pearl. In crude language, you have stolen it. Now if you and I can’t cooperate, there is nothing to stop me giving this information to the press. Erica Olsen, mistress of Feng Hoh Kung, has stolen the famous Black Grape and is in hiding. What a story! I could then telephone Dorey and tell him the only information you have about Kung is his behaviour in bed. Dorey will immediately withdraw his support and protection. He is a mean man and hates to spend a dollar if he gets no return. In the meantime, every collector, no matter how much he would like to own the pearl, will shun it. It will have become as hot as a red-hot stove. It is only if there is no publicity and the deal is done in secret that you can hope to sell the pearl. Then the French police will arrest you. You will probably languish in jail for six months or even longer until they are satisfied you can’t or won’t tell them where you have hidden the pearl. You mustn’t overlook the fact that the French Government are trying to get on friendly terms with the Chinese. Maybe the police will persuade you to talk, but if they don’t, then they will eventually get bored with you and turn you loose. You will walk out of prison into the arms of Kung’s hatchet men. They will either slit your pretty throat or else they will persuade you to talk, and make no mistake about it a Chinese thug can make anyone talk. So, being intelligent, you will see by now, you can’t do without me. I think three million dollars for nothing isn’t a bad rake off. If your complications are really so complicated, then I would advise you to take the three million. I might add that I don’t believe anyone would pay six million for the pearl and that you are bluffing. Do you get the picture?”

If he had expected to disconcert her, he was disappointed. She let her head drop back on the padded cushion of the lounging chair and she laughed.

“I am beginning to think you are the man I have been looking for,” she said. “You seem to be as unscrupulous as I am. You could have yourself a deal.”

“Where is the pearl, Erica?”

“I wish I could trust you.” She looked steadily at him. “There is so much involved. I can’t make up my mind about you.”

Girland got to his feet.

“Let us get to know each other better,” he said. “There is no better place for a man and a woman to do that than in a bed.”

Her eyes widened with surprise.

“Do you think going to bed with you will solve my problem?”

Girland reached down, took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

“I don’t know. Frankly, I don’t much care. I know you are beautiful and I want you. I think we have talked enough for tonight. I think now we should make love and forget about business. Then tomorrow, when we know each other better, we can talk again. What do you think?”

She rested her hands on his shoulders and she studied his face.

“You are an extraordinary man.”

“I suppose I am.” He put his arms around her and drew her to him. She yielded. His hands slid down her back, cupped her buttocks and he pulled her hard against him, his mouth searching for hers.

She shook her head.

“No, wait. Let’s go to my room.” She broke free, smiling. “I don’t do this with every man I meet, but I do now want to know you better.”

“It’s the certain way,” Girland said and he walked with her across the big lounge, down the wide passage and to her bedroom door. He pushed open the door and as they moved into the room, she gave him a hard shove that sent him off balance, and slid away from him.

The man standing by the open window, a silenced 7.65 mm Luger automatic in his hand, gave Girland the biggest shock of his life.

The man didn’t look particularly dangerous, but any man holding a Luger equipped with a silencer, was unpredictable and Girland was careful to make no sudden move.

“Come right in, Mr. Girland,” the man said. “I have been looking forward to meeting you.”

Girland studied him. He was tall, fattish, balding with a pronounced paunch. He would be around sixty years of age. His blue eyes, his broad features, his wide fixed smile revealing glittering white dentures, his immaculate lightweight suit and his expensive French tie gave him a solid and substantial personality. Girland saw he handled the gun expertly as if the gun was as familiar to him as his aftershave lotion. With his sharp perception, Girland decided this man was a smooth trickster, probably without funds, but dressing the part of a rich man to obtain credit from snob shopkeepers who couldn’t fail to be impressed by his appearance.

“How did you get in here?” Girland asked as he moved into the large airy bedroom.

“Carlota let me in while you were ordering that excellent dinner.”

“Carlota?”

Erica was now sitting on the bed. She looked faintly amused as she watched Girland walk over to the stool before the dressing table and sit on it.

“Mr. Girland,” the fat man said, leaning against the wall, “before we go any further, please don’t try anything heroic. I am an expert shot and I can, at this range, blow your right knee cap to pieces should you decide to be difficult. Since you are a very active man, I am sure you wouldn’t like that to happen.”

“Okay,” Girland said, and lifted his hands in mock surrender. “You have made your point. Is she Carlota? I was under the impression she was Erica Olsen.”

“She is Carlota Olsen... Erica’s sister. These two very handsome girls are my daughters,” the fat man said, beaming at Carlota. “Mr. Girland, I have been eavesdropping. I have been quite carried away by your persuasive sales talk. I have reached the conclusion that you are exactly the man we have been looking for. I think Carlota is of the same mind.” He looked at his daughter. “Aren’t you, my dear?”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “I think he could do very well.”

Without taking his eyes off Girland, the fat man bent to pick up a portable tape recorder that had been concealed behind a chair.

“Mr. Girland,” he said, “I have a perfect recording of your talk with my daughter. You were threatening to blackmail her. I am now in the happy position to be able to blackmail you. This small reel of tape would interest Mr. Dorey. I doubt very much if it would please him. I am under the impression that if he should ever listen to your recorded remarks, he would make life extremely unpleasant for you.”

Girland laughed. His amusement was so genuine that the fat man joined in while Carlota regarded them with an impatient frown.

“When you have finished amusing yourselves,” she said tartly, “suppose we get down to business?”

Girland ignored her.

“Your trick,” he said to the fat man. “Your name’s Olsen? Right?”

“Erich Olsen.”

Girland took a packet of cigarettes from his pocket.

“This fascinates me. Suppose you fill me in?”

“You do agree that the tape could embarrass you?”

“Of course. It wouldn’t do you any good either, but let’s skip that. Tell me what’s cooking.”

“My daughters and I,” Olsen said, “are like you, Mr. Girland. We are opportunists. We have been on the lookout for a big killing. We have been extremely patient and now we are in sight of our goal.

“Erica, who is a year older than Carlota, had a position as a badly paid secretary. She went with her boss on a trade mission to Pekin. There she met Feng Hoh Kung. Now, Erica is extremely attractive. Kung made a proposal and Erica accepted. This was quite a blow to Carlota and myself. We felt our little trio had broken up. However, Erica hadn’t forgotten us. After some months, she decided the life she had chosen wasn’t for her. She also discovered it was going to be very difficult for her to leave Pekin. However, she was fortunate enough to meet a Chinese youth who was to prove helpful. It was he who got her out of China. At this time, Carlota was in Stockholm.” Olsen flashed his white dentures at Girland, “I was in Paris. There was a little misunderstanding with the Swedish police, and it was wiser for me to live in Paris.” He shrugged. “You know how these things can happen. Carlota received a cable from her sister, asking her to come at once to Hong Kong. There was a hint in the cable that it would be worth Carlota’s time and trouble if she did so. She consulted me and I advised her to go. Erica had found Kung a disagreeable old gentleman and to compensate her for the various experiences she had been subjected to, she took with her when she left, the famous Black Grape pearl.” Again the white dentures flashed. “She was quickly missed and Kung’s agents were alerted in Hong Kong. Erica found herself in a trap and she was forced into hiding. She and Carlota conceived the idea that Carlota should impersonate Erica and draw off the hunt. It was a very brave thing to do. Erica’s Chinese boyfriend found a tattooist who copied the well-known Kung’s initials on Carlota and she returned to Paris. Erica had given her a Chinese drug that temporarily blots out the memory. We needed publicity and we wanted Kung to believe that Erica had reached Paris. Carlota took the drug. This was necessary as we knew that under examination — if she hadn’t taken the drug — she would be found to be faking and that, of course, would have led to complications. By the oddest chance, this unfortunate nurse was shot instead of Carlota. Fortunately for us, you had the idea of telling the press that it was Erica who had died. Now the pressure is off, but there are still a number of difficulties. We need your help, Mr. Girland. Would you have any objection to going to Hong Kong and bringing back the pearl?”