Десмонд Бэгли - The Spoilers

‘Ideas come thick and fast from you, don’t they?’ said Eastman admiringly.

‘I just try to earn me money,’ said Parker modestly. ‘I have a stake in this, you know.’

‘Yeah,’ said Eastman. ‘Another two hundred thousand bucks. You’re earning it.’

‘There might be even more in it for you, Parker,’ said Jeanette and smiled sweetly at Fuad. ‘Youssif is neither poor nor ungenerous.’

Fuad’s face set tight and firm and he hooded his eyes. To Abbot he looked as generous as someone who had just successfully robbed the church poor-box.

Jeanette’s car was still awaiting them when they arrived back in the yacht harbour. ‘I have something to show you,’ she said to Abbot and Parker. ‘Get in the car.’ To Eastman she said, ‘You stay with Youssif and check over with him what I’ve told you. See if either of you can find any holes in it.’

She got into the car and sat next to Abbot and the car pulled away. Abbot wanted a chance of a private word with Parker who, intoxicated by success, had been shooting his mouth off a little too much. He would have to talk to him about that. He turned to Jeanette. ‘Where are we going?’

‘Back to where you came from this morning.’

‘There are no surprises there,’ he said. ‘I’ve seen everything.’

She just smiled at him and said nothing, and the car drifted opulently out of Beirut along the Tripoli road back to the torpedo shed. It turned into the yard, and she said, Take a look inside, then come back and we’ll talk about it.’

He and Parker got out and walked towards the shed. Just before they opened the door, Abbot said, ‘Wait a minute, Dan; I want to talk to you. I don’t think you should give them too much — as you were doing on the way back today. If that hellcat gets the idea she doesn’t need us we might be in trouble.’

Parker grinned. ‘They need us,’ he said positively. ‘Who is goin’ to put new batteries into that torpedo? Eastman wouldn’t have a clue, for one. We’ll be all right until the end, Mike.’ His face sobered. ‘But what the hell is goin’ to happen then I don’t know. Now let’s go in an’ see what the big surprise is.’

They went into the shed. Parker switched on the lights and stood transfixed at the top of the stairs. ‘Bloody hell!’ he burst out. ‘They need us an’ no mistake.’

Lying on trestles below them were three torpedoes.

Abbot’s mouth was suddenly dry. ‘Three more! That’s a hell of a lot of heroin.’ He was filled with the terrible necessity of getting the information out to where it would do some good. But how the hell could he? Every step he took, every move he made, was under observation.

‘If they think I’m goin’ to start a bloody one-man production line they can think again,’ Parker grumbled.

‘Quiet, Dan, for God’s sake!’ said Abbot. ‘I’m trying to think.’ After a while he said, ‘I’m going to try to pull a fast one on that bitch outside. You back me up. Just remember that you’ve had a hard day and all you want to do is to go to bed.’

He left the shed and crossed the yard to where the car was waiting. He bent down, and said, ‘Quite a surprise. Are all those going to be loaded and shot off at once?’

Jeanette said, ‘It’s what Jack calls the jackpot. There’s more money in it for you, of course.’

‘Yes,’ said Abbot. ‘We’ll have to discuss that — but why do it here? Why don’t you and me and Dan take the night off to celebrate — say at the Paon Rouge.’ He grinned. ‘It’s on me — I can afford it now.’

Parker said from behind him, ‘Count me out, I’m too tired. All I want is me bed.’

‘Well, that doesn’t really matter, does it? You’ll trust me to fix the finance with Jeanette?’

‘O’ course. You do what’s right.’ Parker passed his hand over his face. ‘I’m goin’ to turn in. Good night.’

He walked away, and Abbot said, ‘What about it, Jeanette? I’m tired of being cooped up in this place. I want to stretch my wings and crow a bit.’ He gestured towards the shed. ‘There’s a lot of work in there — I’d like to have a break’ before we start.’

Jeanette indicated her clothing. ‘But I can’t go to the Paon Rouge dressed like this.’

‘That’s all right,’ said Abbot. ‘Give me two ticks while I change, then I’ll come with you to wherever you live. You change, and we go on the town. Simple.’

She smiled thoughtfully. ‘Yes, that might be a good idea. How are you as a lady’s maid? I gave my girl the day off.’

‘That’s fine,’ said Abbot heartily. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

Five hours later he swished brandy around his glass, and said, ‘You drive a hard bargain, Jeannie, my girl, but it’s a deal. You’re getting us cheap, I hope you know that.’

‘Mike, don’t you care about anything except money?’ She sounded hurt.

‘Not much,’ he said, and drank some brandy. ‘We’re two of a kind, you and me.’ He signalled to a waiter.

‘Yes, I think we are alike. I feel much closer to you than I do to poor Jack.’

Abbot quirked an eyebrow. ‘Why poor Jack?’

She sat back in her chair. ‘He was annoyed that you were on Stella today. I think he’s becoming jealous. If you stay with us — with me — that will have to be settled, and settled for good.’ She smiled. ‘Poor Jack.’

‘He’s living with you, isn’t he?’ said Abbot. ‘I think those were his clothes I saw in the wardrobe.’

‘Why, I believe you are jealous, too,’ she cried delightedly.

He felt a cold shiver at the nape of his neck as he pictured Jeanette and Eastman lying in bed together while she discussed the possibility of one John Eastman knocking off one Michael Abbot. This she-devil was quite capable of playing both ends against the middle. She believed in the survival of the fittest, and the survivor would get first prize — her lithe and insatiable body. It wasn’t a bad prize — if you could stand the competition. The trouble was that if you played by her rules the competition would be never-ending.

He forced a smile. ‘I like you and money in roughly equal proportions. As for Jack Eastman, I suggest we leave that problem for a while. He still has his uses.’

‘Of course,’ she said. ‘But don’t leave it too long.’

He pushed back his chair. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I have to see a man about a dog. I’ll be back in a moment.’

He walked quickly into the foyer and into one of the few rooms in the Phoenicia where he could get away from Delorme. He locked himself in a cubicle, took an envelope from his pocket and checked the wording on the single sheet of paper inside. Then he reinserted the sheet, sealed the envelope and addressed it carefully.

He found an attendant who obligingly brushed his jacket with subservient attention, and said, ‘I’d like to have this letter delivered to the Daily Star office at once.’

The attendant looked dubious but brightened immediately as he heard the crisp rustle of folding money. ‘Yes, sair; I’ll ‘ave it delivered.’

‘It’s important,’ said Abbot. ‘It must get there tonight.’ He added another banknote. ‘That’s to make sure it arrives within the hour.’

Then he straightened his shoulders and went back to where the she-spider was waiting.

Sir Robert Hellier sat behind his desk and looked at the newspaper. It was the Beirut English language paper, Daily Star, which he had flown to London regularly. He ignored the news pages but turned to the classified advertisements and ran his fingers down the columns. This he had done every morning for many weeks.

Suddenly he grunted and his finger checked its movement. He took a pen and slashed a ring round an advertisement. It read: