Part 17 (1/2)
”Say the saht understand,” and her eyes widened and turned a darker blue
”That is a lot”
”Jimmy obviously knehat it was, and had proof sufficient to convince some very hard-headed backers They took it seriously”
”Seriously enough to, and she stopped herself For an instant I saw the old grief for Jimmy's death in her eyes I was e the letter out of my inner pocket
Carefully I spread it on the table top between us When I looked at her, she had recovered her coaged ain
”B Muse6914(8)” I read it aloud ”Any ideas?”
”Bachelor of Music”
”Oh, that's great,” I applauded
”You do better,” she challenged, and I folded the letter aith dignity and ordered two ood run on that scent,” I said when I had paid the waiter ”We have an idea what it was all about Noe can go on ed me silently
”I told you about your iht before she left the island she sent a cable to London” I produced the flimsy from my wallet and handed it to Sherry While she read it, I went on: ”This was clearly an okay to her principal, Manson Hein on him now” I finished my Vermouth ”I'll drop you back with your ain tomorrow”
Her lips set in a line of stubbornness which I had not seen before and there was a glint in her eyes like the blue of gun- to ditchup, you must be off your tiny head The cab dropped us in Berkeley Square and I led her into Curzon Street
”Takeover my shoulder in a secretive one fifty yards before she whispered, why? ”Because I like the feel of it,” I grinned at her and spoke in a natural voice
”Oh, you!” She made as if to pull away, but I held her and she capitulated We sauntered up the street towards Shepherd Market, stopping now and then to -shop like a pair of tourists
No 97 Curzon Street was one of those astronomically expensive apart, and an ornate street door of bronze and glass beyond which was a uarded by a uniformed doorman We went on past it, up as far as the White Elephant Club and there we crossed the street and wandered back on the opposite paveo and ask the doorman if Mr Manson occupied Flat No
5,” Sherry volunteered
”Great,” I said ”Then he says ”yes”, what do you do then? Tell him Harry Fletcher says hello?”
”You are really very droll,” she said, and once more she tried to take her hand away
”There is a restaurant diagonally opposite No 97” I prevented her withdrawal ”Let's get a table in the front , drink some coffee and watch for a while”
It was a little past three o'clock e settled at theseat with a good view across the street, and the next hour passed pleasantly I found it not a difficult task to keep Sherry amused, we shared a sih
I was in the , complicated story when I was interrupted by the arrival outside No 97 of a Silver Wraith Rolls-Royce It pulled to the kerb and a chauffeur in a srey uniform left the car and entered the foyer He and the doorman fell into conversation, and I resumed my story
Ten minutes later, there was sudden activity opposite The elevator began a series of rapid ascents and descents, each tie This was carried out by the doorman and chauffeur and packed into the Rolls It see holiday” She sighed wistfully
”How do you fancy a tropical island with blue water and white sands, a thatched shack ast the Palms--” ”Stop it,” she said ”On an autuht”
I was about to er position when the footlass doors of the lift opened and a man and woth honey h on her head in an elaborate lacquered Grecian style Anger struck nized her
It was Sherry North, the First The nice lady who had blown Judith and wave Dancer to the bottoht with soft brown hair fashi+onably long and curly over his ears He had a light tan, Probably from a sun lamp, and he was dressed too well Very expensively, but as flamboyantly as an entertain fleshy nose with soft gazelle eyes, but his reedy mouth that I remembered so well
”Manson!” I said ”Jesus! Manson Resnick - Manny Resnick” He would bejust the one Jieous proposition In exactly the saone to hiold heist at Rome Airport Manny was an underworld entrepreneur, and he had clearly cli
He was keeping great style now, I thought, as he crossed the pave down next to the ently, as the Rolls pulled away towards Park Lane
I ran out on to the pavement and searched wildly for a cab to follow the desperately for the sight of a big black cab with its top light burning, but ahead of ht into South Audley Street and accelerated smoothly away
I stopped at the corner and it was already far ahead, infiltrating the traffic towards Grosvenor Square
I turned and ambled disappointedly back to where Sherry waited I knew that Sherry had been correct Manny and the blonde were off on a long journey There was no point in hanging around No 97 Curzon Street any longer
Sherry aiting for me outside the restaurant
”What was that all about?” she demanded and I took her arm As alked back towards Berkeley Square, I told her
”That man is probably the one who ordered Ji half my chest shot aho had the man”
”You know hio” Nice friends you have”
”I' for a better class lately,” I said, and squeezed her arallantry
”And the woman Is she the one froirl?”
I experienced a violent return of the anger which had gripped me a few minutes earlier when I had seen that sleek, meticulously polished predator dressed inuess that answers ed her upper arm
The private bar of the Windsor Arms was all dark oak panels and antique mirrors It was crowded by the time Sherry and I returned Outside darkness had fallen and there was an icy wind stirring the fallen leaves in the gutters
The warmth of the pub elcoether, forcing me to place an arm around Sherry's shoulders, and our heads were close so we could hold a very private conversation in this public place