Peter O'Donnell - Cobra Trap

"No, of course not. But this feller Tarrant-" She stopped speaking as a steward brought a chair for Tarrant and took orders for two more drinks. When he had moved away Tarrant said, "I had the simple idea that if I brought you together you might take to one another. I could hardly know you'd already done so."

Gus said to Modesty, "He's some kinda sheriff and he's frettin' about some dirty sidewinders aiming to drygulch me."

Her eyes were troubled as she said, "Yes, I know. And he tells me you won't have any protection."

Gus gave a snort of contempt. "Bodyguards! I seen 'em on the movies. You figure I want to spend all day hidin' behind a coupla big oxes with guns under their arms? Ain't no way for a man to act."

There was a little silence. She looked at Willie for a moment or two, then at Gus again and said gently, "Willie and I wouldn't want you to hide behind us. We'd just want to be around. Would that make a difference?"

He stared at her for long seconds, then grinned suddenly as her meaning dawned on him. "You? Holy Moses, that'd make a difference, long as you was really willing. Oh, you didn't ask Willie yet, though."

She smiled. "Yes, I did. You can both stay at my place for the rest of your time here, Gus. There's plenty of room and it's fully secure, so if anyone wants to come at you they'll have to do it in the open."

Gus beamed with delight. "Then we'll git 'em!" He nodded towards Willie. "He as good as you when it comes to pickin' 'em up and bouncing 'em?"

"Every bit as good, and he does it from higher up."

Gus exploded in a gust of laughter that left him breathless. "We'll kick the goddam plums off'n 'em-" he cackled, then stopped short, contrite. "Sorry, Miss Modesty. Askin' your pardon. Bunkhouse talk ain't fitting for a lady."

She laughed. "Now now, Gus. No flattery, please."

The steward arrived with drinks, and as he set them down Willie Garvin reflected on the strange workings of chance. Modesty would never have considered doing a bodyguard job, even for Tarrant, of whom she was becoming quite fond. But chance had set Gus on the spot at the moment when she found herself in a brush with two unpleasant men. He had walked into trouble for her, and so won her friendship, which as Willie knew was boundless once given.

In the days that followed, Howard A. Keyes proved to be an undemanding guest. He was happy to talk, or to sit with a pile of newspapers and magazines to read, happy to play poker for small stakes of an evening or to spend time in his room working on what he called 'business things'. He greatly admired Weng's cooking, and would sit cheerfully in the kitchen watching him prepare and serve dinner, happy to talk but careful not to distract.

Sometimes he would go out with Modesty or Willie, sometimes with both, never alone. He enjoyed stage musicals and film comedies, but best of all for him were Laurel and Hardy videos. He also enjoyed playing what he called checkers, and was very good at it, usually beating Modesty or Willie but going down to defeat against Weng.

One long weekend was spent at Modesty's cottage in Wiltshire with the hope that this might tempt any wouldbe killers to strike if indeed they existed but there was no hint of trouble. They visited Willie's pub, The Treadmill, where they had lunch and Gus played an excruciatingly bad game of darts; and on another day they spent an hour or two on an out of town site where Gus was financing the building of a pigeonhole carpark for a shopping precinct which would include one of his supermarkets. From time to time both Modesty and Willie were certain they were under surveillance, but they were unable to pinpoint it and nothing happened.

On the tenth day of Gus's stay at the penthouse a board meeting was held in offices off Threadneedle Street. It was chaired by John Beckworth and there was only one item on the agenda. Beckworth said, "There's been a delay in the matter of dispatching Howard A. Keyes and I'll ask Sumner to give details."

Sumner looked round the table and said sourly, "Not much detail to give. We contracted with the Carter group and they've been keeping the subject under observation, seeking an opportunity for completion. However, it seems Mr Keyes is aware of his danger and has protection."

Timmins said, "How would Keyes be aware?"

Sumner frowned, and Harriet Welling said mildly, "We can hardly expect Brigadier Sumner to know that."

"Is it police protection?" Beckworth asked.

Sumner shook his head. "No. A woman called Modesty Blaise assisted by a man called Garvin. Their reputation is such that Carter has now withdrawn his tender for the job. We have to decide on an alternative."

Beckworth looked amazed. "One man and one woman? You can't be serious."

"Carter's serious enough," Sumner said bluntly. "I'm not privy to underworld reputations, but he is, and he won't touch the job now."

Harriet Welling said, "The Dark Angels, then?"

"Yes, Mrs Welling. I've placed them on standby, and I simply require the board's authority to activate them. However, I have to tell you that in this matter the Angels will not accept our standard veto against causing harm to other persons."

Beckworth frowned. "Why's that?"

"Because other persons in this context are likely to be Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin. If they choose to place themselves between The Dark Angels and our chosen target, they will die. It may also not be possible to arrange a convincing accident. The guarantee is simply that Mr Keyes will vanish without trace, as will Blaise and Garvin if they intervene."

The others looked at each other, then Timmins said, "The Angels seem greatly impressed by this pair."

"Indeed they are, which is very sensible of them. They are also eager to match themselves against them professionally. Very eager and totally confident. They have no doubt of the outcome, and hope to complete within two days."

"Two days?" said Beckworth. "That's remarkably quick, surely?"

"It is," Sumner agreed. "But they take the view that this Modesty Blaise person, who seems to be the senior partner, will react to a challenge if it's properly presented. I am of the opinion that if we fail to agree to what the Angels ask, then we cannot hope to kill Mr Keyes. For this reason I now ask the board for authority to activate them."

Beckworth looked round the table. "Sumner proposes to use The Dark Angels under the conditions just stated." He shrugged. "Needs must, so I second. All in favour?"

In the penthouse that evening an hour after dinner Modesty was teaching Gus the rudiments of chess and Willie sat working on a circuit diagram for a new electronic gadget he had in mind.

When the phone rang, Weng answered it in the kitchen, then came through to announce, "A call for you, Mr Keyes. A Mr Smithson, who says it's urgent."

Gus looked puzzled. "Who's Smithson? He say what it's about?"

"I did not ask, sir."

Modesty said, "Better find out, Gus. Take it in your room if it's private business."

"I got nothing private from you, Miss Modesty." Gus got up, moved to a sidetable and lifted the phone. "I'm Keyes, who's this talkin'?"

He listened, frowning, and after a few moments said, "Look, feller, I don't know how you come into it, but if there's trouble at the site you jest tell the guys I pay to handle it." A pause of several moments, then, "Come down now! You crazy?"

Again he listened. Watching him, Modesty and Willie saw his expression slowly change, his eyes narrowing warily. At last he said in a voice quieter than usual, "Yeah. Okay, I got it. Hang on while I talk to my friends."

He pressed the secrecy button on the unit and looked across the room. "Feller says he handles insurance on that shopping precinct. Says there's trouble, subsidence he called it, an' that big carpark's like to fall down. Wants me to go an' look at it. Now."