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"What?"Hecamethreepacesnearer,lookingmeupanddown."Whatdidyousay?"
"Pleasegetthepolice.Iescaped.Iwant...er...toturnmyselfin."
"Wh.o.a.reyou?"hedemanded.
"Look,"Isaid."I'mfreezingcoldandverytired,andifyoutelephonea CaptainWagnerhe'llcomeandgetme."
"You'renotAmerican,"hesaidaccusingly.
"No.British."
Hecamenearertome,stillwarilyholdingthegun.Isawthathewasofmiddle agewithgrayinghair,aworthycitizenwithmoney,usedtodecision.A businessmancomehome.
ItoldhimWagner'stelephonenumber."Please,"Isaid."Please...callhim."
Heconsidered,thenhesaid,"Walkalongtheretothatdoor.Notricks."
Iwalkedinfrontofhimalongashortpathtohisimpressivefrontdoor,the rainstoppingnow,theairdamp.
"Standstill,"hesaid.Iwouldn'thavedreamedofdoinganythingelse.
Threeorangepumpkinfacesrestedonthesteps,grinningupatmeevilly.There wasthesoundofkeysclinkingandthelockbeingturned.Thedoorswunginward, spillingoutlight.
"Turnround.Comeinhere."
Iturned.Hewa.s.standinginsidehisdoor,waitingforme,readywiththegun.
"Comeinsideandshutthedoor."
Ididthat.
"Standthere,"hesaid,pointingtoaspotonamarble-tiledhallway,infront ofawall."Standstill...wait."
Hetookhiseyesoffmeforafewsecondswhilehestretchedahandthrougha nearbydoorway;andwhat.i.treappearedholdingwasatowel.
"Here."Hethrewittome;adryfluffyhandtowel,palegreenwithpink initials.Icaught.i.t,butcouldn'tdomuchwithit,shortoflayingitonthe groundandrolling.
Hemadeanimpatientmovementofhishead.
"Ican't..."Isaid,andstopped.Itwasalltood.a.m.nb.l.o.o.d.ymuch.
Heparkedthepistol,cametowardsme,wrappedthetowelroundmywaistand tuckedtheendsin,likeasarong.
"Thankyou,"Isaid.
Heputthepistolnearanadjacenttelephoneandtoldmetorepeatthenumberof thepolice.
KentWagner,tomyeverlastinggrat.i.tude,wasinhisheadquartershalfanhour afterheshouldhavegoneoffduty.
Myunwillinghostsaidtohim,"There'samanheresaysheescaped..."
"AndrewDouglas,"Iinterrupted.
"Says.h.i.+snameisAndrewDouglas."Heheldthereceiversuddenlyawayfromhis earasifthenoisehadhurtthedrum."What?Hesayshewantstogivehimself up.He'shere,inhandcuffs."Helistenedforafewsecondsandthenwitha frowncametoputthereceiverintomyhands."Hewantstotalktoyou,"he said.
Kent'svoicesaidintomyear,"Whoisthis?"
"Andrew."
"Jee-sus..."Hisbreathcameoutwheezing."Whereareyou?"
"Idon'tknow.Wait."IaskedmyhostwhereIwas.Hetookthereceiver temporarilybackandgavehisaddress,withdirections.Threemilesup Ma.s.sachusettsAvenuefromDupontCircle,takearightontoForty-sixthStreet, makearightagainontoDavenportStreet,aquartermiledownthere,inthe woods.Helistened,andgavemebackthereceiver.
"Kent,"Isaid,"bringsomemenandcomeveryquietly.Ourfriendisnearhere."
"Got.i.t,"hesaid.
"AndKent...bringsometrousers."
"What?"
"Pants,"Isaidtersely."Andas.h.i.+rt.Andsomeshoes,sizetenEnglish."
Hesaiddisbelievingly,"You'renot...?"
"Yeah.b.l.o.o.d.yfunny.Andakeyforsomehandcuffs."
Myhost,lookingincreasinglypuzzled,tookthereceiverbackandsaidtoKent Wagner,"Isthismandangerous?"
WhatKentsworeafterwardsthathesaidwas"Takegoodcareofhim,"meaning justthat,butmyhostinterpretedthephraseas"bewareofhim"andkeptme standingthereatgunpointdespitemyprotestationsthatIwasnotonlyharmless butpositivelybenign.
"Don'tleanagainstthewall,"hesaid."Mywifewouldbefurioustofindblood onit."
"Blood?"
"You'recoveredinscratches."Hewasastonished."Didn'tyouknow?"
"No."
"Whatdidyouescapefrom?"
Ishookmyheadwearilyanddidn'texplain,andwaitedwhatseemedanagebefore KentWagnerrangthedoorbell.Hecameintothehallhalfgrinningin antic.i.p.ation,thegrinwideningashesawtheprettytowelb.u.t.thensuddenly dyingtogrimness.
"How'reyoudoing?"hesaidflatly.
"O.K."
Henodded,wentoutside,andpresentlyreturnedwithclothes,shoes,and impressivemetalcutterswhichgotridofthehandcuffswithacoupleofclips.
"Thesearen'tpolice-issuehandcuffs,"heexplained."We'venokeystofit."
Myhostloanedmehiscloakroomtodressin,andwhenIcameout.i.thankedhim, handingoverthetowel.
"GuessIshouldhavegivenyouadrink,"hesaidvaguely;butI'djustseen myselfinalookinggla.s.s,andIreckonedhe'ddealtwithmekindly.
Chaptertwenty.
YOU'RENOTdoingthat,"Kentsaid.
"YesIam."
Hegavemeasidelonglook."You'reinnoshape..."
"I'mfine."Abittatteredastofingersandtoes,butnevermind.
Heshrugged,givingin.Wewereoutintheroadbythepolicecars,silentasto sirensandlitonlybyparkinglights,whereI'dbeentellinghimbrieflywhat hadhappened.
"We'llgobackthewayIcame,"Isaid."Whatelse?"
Hetoldhismen,shadowyinthecars,tostaywheretheywereandawaitorders, andheandIwentupthroughthewoods,uppastthehouseI'dwaitedin,andup pasttheonewiththefrightenedlady:uptothetopoftheslope,overonto flatgroundandthroughthewirefence.
Wewerebothquiet,ourfeetsoftlyscufflingonthesoddenleaves.Therainhad stopped.Behindbrokencloudsthemoonsailedserene.Thelightwasenoughto seeby,oncewewereusedtoit.
"Somewherehere,"Isaid,halfwhispering."Notfar."
Wewentfromlaurelclumptolaurelclumpandfoundthefamiliarclearing."He camefromthatway,"Isaid,pointing.
KentWagnerlookedattheuprootedtreeforafrozenmomentbutwithout discernibleexpression,andthendelicately,cautiously,wepa.s.sedoutofthe laurelring,mergingwiththeshadows,acoupleofcatsstalking.
Hewasn'tasgoodasTonyVine,butfewwere.Iwasconsciousjustthathewould beagoodcompanioninadarkalley,andthatIwouldn'thavegonebackupthere withouthim.He,forhispart,hadexplainedthathisjobwaschieflyindoors now,inhisoffice,andhewaspleasedforoncetobeoutsidewiththeaction.
Hewascarryingagunlikeanaturalextensionofhisrighthand.Wewent forwardslowly,testingeverystep,awareofthechanceoftrip-alarms.There wereagoodmanylaurelshereamongawholebunchofyoungertreesandwecould getnodistantview,butapproximatelyfiftypacesfromtheclearingwecaughta glimpseofalight.
Kentpointedtoitwiththegun.Inodded.Weinchedinthatdirection,very carefulnow,consciousofrisk.
Wesawnolookouts,whichdidn'tmeanthereweren'tany.Wesawthefrontofa modernsplit-levelhouselookingperfectlyharmlessandordinary,withlightson downstairsandcurtainshalfdrawn.
Wewentnocloser.Weretreatedintothefirstlineoftreesandfollowedthe lineofthedrivewayfromthehousetotheroad.Attheroadsidetherewasa mailboxonapost,themailboxbearingthenumber5270.KentpointedtoitandI nodded,andwewalkedalongtheroadinwhatheconfidentlya.s.suredmewasthe directionofthecity.Aswewenthesaid,"Iheardthetapeyoumade.Your companyrelayedittousfromLondonthismorning.SeemstheJockeyClubhadgot itbyexpresscourier."
"Mycompany,"Isaidwryly,"werenodoubtdispleasedwithme."
"ItalkedwithsomeguycalledGerryClayton.Allhesaidwasthatwhileyou werealiveandnegotiatingitwasO.K."
"Nice."
"Theydidseemtowantyouback;can'tthinkwhy."
Wewalkedon,nothurrying.
"ItalkedtotheGoldonis,"hesaid."Parents."
"Poorpeople."
Ifelthimshrug."Hewasfurious.Shewasallbrokenup.Seemsshedidseeher son,didtellhimaboutyou.Butnousetous.ShemethimbythePotomac,they walkedaways,thenwenttosomequietrestaurantforlunch.He'dtelephonedher intheirhoteltofixit...nevertoldherwherehewa.s.staying,himself."
"Itfigured."
"Yeah."
Asteportwofurtheronhestopped,parkedtheguninhisbeltandunclippeda handradioinstead.
"Turnaround,"hesaidtohismeninthepolicecars."GobacktoForty-fifth Street,makealeft,makeanotherleftintoCherrytree,andcrawlalongthere untilyoureachme.Nosirens...No,repeat,nonoise.Understood?"
ThepolicemenansweredinregulationjargonandKentpusheddownthetelescopic aerialofhisradioandstucktheblackboxonhisbelt.
Westoodwaiting.Hewatchedmecalmlyinthemoonlight,ahardmanoffering parity.Ifeltateasewithhim,andgrateful.
"Yourgirlfriend,"hesaidcasually,"willbeonehappyladytohaveyouback."
"Alessia?"
"Thejockey,"hesaid."Whiteface,hugeeyes,hardlycouldspeakforcrying."
"Well,"Isaid,"sheknowswhat.i.t'sliketobekidnapped."
"Yeah,soIheard.Iwastalkingtoherthisafternoon.Inadditionshesaidshe didn'tknowshelovedyouthatway.Doesthatmakesense?Shesaidsomething aboutregrettingsayingno."
"Didshe?"
Heglancedwithinterestatmyface."Goodnews,isit?"
"Youmightsayso."
"SomethingaboutprisonerscominghomeimpotentfromVietnam."
"Mm,"Isaid,smiling."Itoldherthat."
"Gladitmakessensetoyou."
"Thanks,"Isaid.
"She'sstillattheRegencyHotel,"Kentsaid."Shesaidshewasn'tleaving untilyouwerefree."
