James Chase - You Have Yourself a Deal

Girland thought of the Black Grape... a half a million dollars for himself! He relaxed and grinned into the darkness. For that money, he should be able to solve the problem. It was wasting time to make plans until he had heard the woman’s ideas for escape.

Hung Yan said, “We are getting close,” and he reduced the speed of the motorboat. Girland looked around. There were a lot of junks anchored off Pak Kok. Apart from their riding lights, they were in darkness.

Five minutes later, Hung Yan brought the motorboat alongside a big, sail-less junk, moored about a half a mile from Pak Kok peninsula, isolated and in darkness.

He whistled softly, and then tied up by the side of the junk. A shadowy figure appeared on the upper deck and peered down at them as they climbed over the side.

“It is all right,” Hung Yan called softly. “He is a friend of Carlota’s.”

The figure climbed down the narrow stairway. In the uncertain light Girland could just make out a tall woman, wearing black Chinese peasant clothes of a baggy coat and trousers and a mushroom-shaped hat.

“Erica Olsen?” he said, peering at her.

“Yes. Come below. Hung... you stay up here.”

The girl went down the five steps leading into the cabin and Girland followed her. It was stiflingly hot down there and dark. She closed the door and then striking a match, she lit a small oil lamp.

Sitting at a small table, she took off her hat and shook out her blonde hair.

Girland sat opposite. They stared at each other. He could see the likeness between the sisters, but he saw that Erica was much more beautiful, although she was pale, thin and obviously nervous.

“Give me a cigarette,” she said. “I have run out.”

Girland pushed his pack across the table. With shaking fingers, she took a cigarette, lit it and then asked, “Did you get me a passport?”

“I got it.” Girland handed her the passport. She examined it, then looked up.

“Will it do, do you think?”

“With luck.” Girland also lit a cigarette. “Have you any ideas how you will get out?”

“If we can get to the airport, they daren’t stop me with you,” Erica said. “With any luck they won’t even spot me. Have you my ticket?”

“I have an open ticket for the two of us.”

She studied him.

“How did you meet Carlota?”

Briefly, Girland told her what had been happening in Paris. She stiffened when he told her he was with the C.I.A.

“Don’t worry your head about that,” he said, smiling. “I’m only unofficially attached. They don’t know I am out here. I did a deal with your father. For a share in the pearl, I agreed to get you out of here.”

“The pearl?”

Girland nodded.

“The Black Grape.”

“Oh, for God’s sake!” she exclaimed impatiently. “You don’t believe that nonsense, do you?”

Girland stiffened, then leaning forward to stare intently at her, he said, “Nonsense? What do you mean?”

“Why do you imagine I am hiding here? Because I stole the Black Grape?”

“Now wait a minute,” Girland said, trying to speak calmly. He had a sudden presentiment of disaster. “Carlota told me you had the pearl. She said that was why they were hunting for you.” He stabbed his finger at her. “Have you the pearl?”

“Of course not.” She flicked ash from her cigarette onto the floor. “My dear man, that was a story I told my sister to get her to cooperate.” Her mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “You don’t seem to know much about my father and sister. They are two of the most worthless people alive. All they can think about is money. I mean to them as much as a fly on the wall. When I got into this mess, I was desperate as I am desperate now. You can’t imagine what it means to be surrounded by Chinese, not knowing if one of them will come out of the crowd and kill you. I was lucky to get this far. Without Hung Yan’s help I could never have managed it. Then I found I was trapped. Hung Yan has no influence. I had to get a faked passport. The only two people who could get it for me were my father and sister, but I knew if I didn’t offer them a tempting bait they wouldn’t do a thing for me. So I told them the story of the Black Grape.” She gave a hard little laugh. “The Black Grape is in Kung’s museum. An armed guard stands beside the glass case where it is exhibited day and night. There is no possible chance of stealing it. But I didn’t tell Carlota this. She swallowed the bait. I had hoped that if she impersonated me in Paris, these thugs hunting for me would give up, but it didn’t work out. Do you imagine a woman like Carlota would agree to be tattooed, agree to risk her life unless she was offered an enormous fortune? It was the only possible way I could persuade her to try to save me.”

Girland sat back. He crushed out his cigarette as he studied Erica.

“You could be lying, of course,” he said without much hope. “You could have the pearl and you’re trying to gyp me out of my share.”

She met his searching eyes and she shook her head.

“I haven’t the pearl... no one could possibly steal it. It was a story I had to tell Carlota to get me out of here. I am sorry you are disappointed, but I still hope you will help me. You will, won’t you?”

“Then if you haven’t the pearl, why are they hunting for you? Why are they trying to kill you?”

“Because I know something. You don’t sleep with a man for nearly a year without finding out something about him.”

“What do you know, Erica?”

She smiled at him.

“Get me out of here and I will tell you, but I am not talking until we are on a plane and out of Hong Kong.”

Girland drew in a long deep breath. His rainbow had suddenly vanished into a black cloud. He had been so sure that he was going to be rich. He was now convinced she was telling the truth. It took him a moment or two to shake off the feeling of depression. Then accepting the situation, he shrugged. At least she had some information. So Dorey had been right after all, he thought. That Dorey!

“Well, okay, I’ll get you out,” he said. “There’s no plane before 3 p.m. tomorrow. Have you any clothes?”

“The suitcase I have with me.”

“Ah! That solves the mystery of the two suitcases. They told me Carlota had two suitcases when she was in Hong Kong, but only one when she reached Paris. You had the other one?”

“Yes.”

Girland thought for a moment.

“As there is no plane until tomorrow afternoon, we had better stay here for the night,” he said finally. “We can...”

He broke off as Erica, staring behind him, suddenly gave a gasping scream. His hand reaching for his knife, Girland whirled around.

“Don’t move,” Malik said, peering down into the cabin. He held an automatic in his big fist. “Just stay where you are.”

He came down the stairs and into the cabin. His huge frame threw a menacing shadow on the wall.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Girland exclaimed in disgust. “Can’t you keep your long snout out of my business for five minutes? I thought you were safely in Paris.”

Malik looked evilly at him.

“It needs very little encouragement for me to put a bullet in you,” he said, “so shut up!” He looked at Erica Olsen who was crouching against the far wall, terror in her eyes. “You needn’t be frightened of me, Miss Olsen,” he went on quietly. “You can regard me as your friend. I overheard what you were saying. I represent the Russian Government. We are very interested in the information you have about Kung. We can give you far better protection than the American Government. I can assure you there will be no trouble nor risk getting you safely out of Hong Kong and to Moscow. I have a fast motorboat here and a helicopter on the island. There is a chartered aircraft waiting at the airport. Within an hour you will be in complete safety.”