Alistair MacLean - Puppet on a Chain

'I don't insult nice girls. What I want to do is to ask you some simple questions that you can answer. How long has George been like this?'

'Three years.'

'How long have you been in the Balinova?'

'Three years.'

'Like it there?'

'Like it?' This girl gave herself away every time she opened her mouth. 'Do you know what it is to work in a night-club — a night-club like that? Horrible, nasty, lonely old men leering at you — '

'Jimmy Duclos wasn't horrible or nasty or old.'

She was taken aback. 'No. No, of course not. Jimmy — '

'Jimmy Duclos is dead, Astrid. Jimmy is dead because he fell for a night-club hostess who's being blackmailed.'

'Nobody's blackmailing me.'

'No? Then who's putting the pressure on you to keep silent, to work at a job you obviously loathe? And why are they putting pressure on you? Is it because of George here? What has he done or what do they say he has done? I know he's been in prison, so it can't be that. What is it, Astrid, that made you spy on me? What do you know of Jimmy Duclos's death? I know how he died. But who killed him and why?'

'I didn't know he'd be killed!' She sat down on the bed-sofa, her hands covering,her face, her shoulders heaving. 'I didn't know he would be killed.'

'All right, Astrid.' I gave up because I Was achieving nothing except a mounting dislike for myself. She'd probably loved Duclos, he was only a day dead and here was I lacerating bleeding wounds. 'I've known too many people walk in the fear of death to even try to make you talk. But think about it, Astrid, for God's sake and your own sake, think about it. It's your life, and that's all that's left for you to worry about now. George has no life left.'

'There's nothing I can do, nothing I can say.' Her face was still in her hands. 'Please go.'

I didn't think there was anything more I could do or say either, so I did as she asked and left.

Clad only in trousers and singlet I looked at myself in the tiny mirror in the tiny bathroom. All traces of the stain seemed to have been removed from my face, neck and hands, which was more than I could say for the large and once-white towel I held in my hands. It was sodden and stained beyond recovery to a deep chocolate colour.

I went through the door into the bedroom that was hardly big enough to take the bed and the bed-settee it contained. The bed was occupied by Maggie and Belinda, both sitting upright, both looking very fetching in very attractive nightdresses which appeared to consist mainly of holes. But I'd more urgent problems on my mind at the moment than the way in which some night-wear manufacturers skimped on their material.

'You've ruined our towel,' Belinda complained.

'Tell them you were removing your make-up.' I reached for my shirt, which was a deep russet colour all round the inside of the neck-band, but there was nothing I could do about that. 'So most of the night-club girls live in this Hostel Paris?'

Maggie nodded. 'So Mary said.'

'So Mary said.'

'Mary?'

This nice English girl working in the Trianon.'

'There are no nice English girls working in the Trianon, only naughty English girls. Was she one of the girls in church?' Maggie shook her head. 'Well, that at least bears out what Astrid said.'

'Astrid?' Belinda said. 'You spoke to her?'

'I passed the time of day with her. Not very profitably, I'm afraid. She wasn't communicative.' I told them briefly how uncommunicative she'd been, then went on: 'Well, it's time you two started doing a little work instead of hanging about night-clubs.' They looked at each other, then coldly at me. 'Maggie, take a stroll in the Vondel Park tomorrow. See if Trudi is there — you know her. Don't let her see you — she knows you. See what she does, if she meets anyone, talks to anyone: it's a big park but you should have little difficulty in locating her if she's there — she'll be accompanied by an old dear who's about five feet round the middle. Belinda, keep tabs on that hostel tomorrow evening. If you recognize any girl who was in the church, follow her and see what she's up to.' I shrugged into my very damp jacket. 'Good night.'

'That was all? You're off?' Maggie seemed faintly surprised.

'My, you are in a hurry,' Belinda said.

'Tomorrow night,' I promised, I'll tuck you both in and tell you all about Goldilocks and the three bears. Tonight I have things to attend to.'

I parked the police car on top of a 'No parking' sign painted on the road and walked the last hundred yards to the hotel. The barrel-organ had gone to wherever barrel-organs go in the watches of the night, and the foyer was deserted except for the assistant manager who was sitting dozing in a chair behind the desk. I reached over, quietly unhooked the key and walked up the first two flights of stairs before taking the lift in case I waked the assistant manager from what appeared to be a sound — and no doubt well-deserved — sleep.

I took off my wet clothes — which meant all of them — showered, put on a dry outfit, went down by lift and banged my room key noisily on the desk. The assistant manager blinked himself awake, looked at me, his watch and the key in that order.

'Mr Sherman. I — I didn't hear you come in.'

'Hours ago. You were asleep. This quality of childlike innocence — '

He wasn't listening to me. For a second time he peered fuzzily at his watch.

'What are you doing, Mr Sherman?'

'I am sleep-walking.'

'It's half-past two in the morning!'

'I don't sleep-walk during the day,' I said reasonably. I turned and peered through the vestibule. 'What? No doorman, no porter, no taximan, no organ-grinder, not a tail or shadow in sight. Lax. Remiss. You will be held to account for this negligence.'

'Please?'

'Eternal vigilance is the price of admiralty.'

'I do not understand.'

'I'm not sure I do either. Are there any barbers open at this time of night?'

'Are there any — did you say — '

'Never mind. I'm sure I'll find one somewhere.'

I left. Twenty yards from the hotel I stepped into a doorway, cheerfully prepared to clobber anyone who seemed bent on following me, but after two or three minutes it became clear that no one was. I retrieved my car and drove down towards the docks area, parking it some distance and two streets away from the First Reformed Church of the American Huguenot Society. I walked down to the canal.

The canal, lined with the inevitable elm and lime trees, was dark and brown and still and reflected no light at all from the dimly-lit narrow streets on either side. Not one building on either side of the canal showed a light. The church looked more dilapidated and unsafe than ever and had about it that strange quality of stillness and remoteness and watchfulness that many churches seem to possess at night. The huge crane with its massive boom was silhouetted menacingly against the night sky. The absence of any indication of life was total. All that was lacking was a cemetery.

I crossed the street, mounted the steps and tried the church door. It was unlocked. There was no reason why it should have been locked but I found it vaguely surprising that it wasn't. The hinges must have been well-oiled for the door opened and closed soundlessly.

I switched on the torch and made a quick 360 traverse. I was alone. I made a more methodical inspection. The interior was small, even smaller than one would have guessed from outside, blackened and ancient, so ancient that I could see that the oaken pews had originally been fashioned by adzes. I lifted the beam of the torch but there was no balcony, just half-a-dozen small dusty stained-glass windows that even on a sunny day could have admitted only a minimal quantity of light. The entrance door was the only external door to the church. The only other door was in a corner at the top end of the church, half-way between the pulpit and an antique bellows-operated organ. I made for this door, laid my hand on the knob and switched off the torch. This door creaked, but not loudly. I stepped forward cautiously and softly and it was as well that I did for what I stepped on was not another floor beyond but the first step in a flight of descending stairs. I followed those steps down, eighteen of them in a complete circle and moved forward gingerly, my hand extended in front of me to locate the door which I felt must be in front of me. But there was no door in front of me. I switched on my torch.