Jilly Cooper - Bella

‘We don’t want you to be any more uncomfortable than you need, and I guess we can trust you not to do anything silly.’

Why do they keep saying that, thought Bella, irrationally. Lazlo would say she was always doing silly things.

Carlos undid the rope with a bread knife. It had left purple marks on her wrists. The man on the sofa got up and rubbed them gently.

‘You really shouldn’t have tied them so tight,’ he said reproachfully.

Bella was frightened by this soft approach. She could feel the sweat running down her sides.

‘You’d like a drink,’ he said. ‘Scotch?’

Bella nodded.

‘I’m afraid we don’t run to ice.’

He poured her a large whisky and put the glass on a chair beside her.

She glanced round. The two guards leant against the door behind her, fingering their guns.

She picked up her glass, but her hand was shaking so much she could hardly get it to her mouth.

‘You’re frightened,’ said the man in the blue suit. ‘What are you afraid of?’

‘Your mob haven’t behaved with much gentleness so far.’

‘You’re afraid we might spoil your beauty. Forget it.’

He picked up the bread knife and started to cut the end off a cigar.

She noticed he had beautifully manicured hands, the nails slightly too long.

‘Why have you brought me here?’ she blurted out. ‘It’s tied up with Chrissie, isn’t it?’

‘Sure it is.’

‘Is she OK?’

‘She’s just fine. Not bearing up under the strain as well as she might, but she’s been cooped up longer than you have, and I guess she’s led a much more cushy life than you — not used to roughing it. Not a great fan of yours, is she?’

Bella flushed. ‘It’s no business of yours.’

‘Can’t say I blame her. You took her boyfriend off her, didn’t you?’

‘I didn’t,’ said Bella, nettled, taking another slug of whisky. ‘He came of his own accord.’

‘I don’t blame him,’ he said, getting up from his chair, and running his hand down her face. ‘You’re very lovely,’ he added softly as Bella flinched away. ‘And I’m not surprised El Gatto’s got the hots for you as well. He’s been trying to cut Rupert out, hasn’t he?’

Bella looked bewildered, then suddenly realized they meant Lazlo. ‘No,’ she said in a strangled voice. ‘It’s not true.’

Her early warning system wasn’t working very well, but it seemed vital to convince him there was nothing between her and Lazlo — or she’d never get out alive.

‘Is he going to be able to raise the dough?’

‘Of course he will, but it takes time in the present economic climate.’

‘Sure,’ said the man in the blue suit.

‘But he’s got steel nerves, Lazlo,’ Bella went on. ‘He won’t hand over a penny till he has assurances Chrissie’s safe, and going to be handed back.’

‘Well, to help him get his finger out, we’d like you to make a little tape tomorrow, telling him how much you’re missing him and how miserable you are.’

Bella went white.

‘No,’ she said in a strangled voice. ‘I couldn’t do that.’

‘I would if I were you. You’ll find us very easy going as long as you agree to play ball.’

‘Can I see Chrissie? Is she here too?’

‘Sure, why not. She’s in here.’ He opened a door on the right and filled up her glass. ‘Take your drink with you.’

Bella’s first thought was how beautiful Chrissie had grown. She must have lost pounds. The black dress she’d been kidnapped in hung off her, her dark hair looked even darker because it was greasy, and her eyes were huge in her dead white face.

When she saw Bella she shrank away.

‘Go away!’ she screamed. ‘I don’t want her near me. I hate her, I hate her!’

She collapsed on to the bed, sobbing hysterically.

The door closed behind Bella; a key clicked in the lock. She bent over Chrissie, close to tears herself.

‘Please don’t cry. It’s going to be all right. Lazlo’s going to raise the cash.’

‘He’s not! He’s not! Why hasn’t he raised it before then? Everyone’s deserted me, and now they bring you in here to torture me.’

Bella knelt down beside her.

‘Here, have some whisky.’

‘I don’t want any of their horrible booze,’ said Chrissie, clenching her fists in a sudden spasm of misery. ‘I haven’t eaten anything since I’ve been here. Trust you to suck up to them and accept their beastly drink.’

And, swinging round towards Bella, she knocked the glass out of her hand so whisky spilled all over the floor and Bella’s dress.

‘I hate you! hate you!’ she sobbed. ‘Steve was your crooked friend. If you hadn’t introduced him to us, this never would have happened. I wouldn’t put it past you to be in this together.’

‘I’m not anything to do with it,’ said Bella, trying to be patient. ‘I was as appalled as you to find that Steve was mixed up in it.’

‘Then why have they grabbed you as well?’ said Chrissie. ‘I suppose they think Rupert would be more likely to persuade Lazlo to fork out two million pounds for you than he would be for me.’ And she started to sob again.

‘Look, please listen,’ Bella said. ‘It’s all over between Rupert and me.’

Chrissie looked at her sullenly.

‘You may have broken it off because you got bored with him, but he’s still nuts about you.’

‘He’s not, I promise. He flew back from Zurich the night you were kidnapped. I’ve never seen anyone in such a state. Lazlo and I went round to Chichester Terrace the moment we heard the news. Lazlo started planning how to raise the cash. Constance was being her usual unspeakable self and Charles was too tight to be any use. But Rupert had gone completely to pieces. He absolutely tore a strip off Constance when she grumbled about raising so much money.’

‘I don’t believe you,’ said Chrissie dully.

‘Afterwards Rupert drove me home — only because Lazlo told him to,’ she added hastily. ‘He said he’d always taken you for granted because you’d always been there, a kind of kid sister ready to adore him. But now you were in danger, he realized it was you he loved all the time. He was absolutely demented with worry.’

‘You’re just saying it.’

‘I’m not, I promise.’

Chrissie started to cry. Then like a child with a bedtime story, she said, ‘Could you possibly tell me what you’ve just told me — all over again!’

Later Bella said, ‘How the hell are we going to get out of here?’

‘I don’t think we can,’ said Chrissie. ‘They’re all armed to the teeth. They scare the life out of me.’

‘There was a blond one who was kind to me when he cleaned up the wound on my head,’ said Bella.

‘That’s Diego,’ said Chrissie. ‘He’s all right, but there’s a spooky one called Pablo who hasn’t said a word the whole time. He’s got a finger missing on his right hand. And the really horrible one is Ricardo. He’s the one who’s bursting out of his shirts. Whenever he ties me up at night, he touches me far more than necessary. I’m sure he’s going to try something soon — they all seem so jumpy and frustrated. I say, do you really think Rupert loves me?’

Three days passed with unbearable slowness. They listened to every news bulletin, but there was no mention of the kidnapping. Even Bella began to feel everyone had abandoned them. One of her greatest worries was stopping Chrissie from cracking up under the strain. But, in fact, it gave her something to do, fussing over the younger girl, seeing she ate something, keeping her cheerful. They talked incessantly, Chrissie babbling on about her childhood in South America, and about Rupert, and inevitably about Lazlo, Bella trying desperately not to appear too interested whenever his name was mentioned.