The Danger. Part 28

Wewenteventuallyinsearch,Alessiasaid,ofanhonestopinionfromMike Noland;andwiththeforthrightnessIwascomingtoseeasnormalamongthe racingprofessionalshesaid,"No,youwerenogood.b.l.o.o.d.ybad.Saggingall overtheplacelikeasponge.Butwhatdidyouexpect,firsttimeback,after whatyou'vebeenthrough?Iknewyouwouldn'twin.Idoubtifthathorsecould havewontodayanyway,withFredArcherincarnateinthesaddle.Hemighthave beenthird...fourth."Heshrugged."Ontheformbookhecouldn'thavetouchedthe winner.You'lldobetternexttime.Sureto.Sandown,right?"

"Right,"Alessiasaidfaintly.

Thebigmansmiledkindlyfromtheheightofhisfiftyyearsandpattedher againontheshoulder."BestgirljockeyinEurope,"hesaidtome."Giveor takeadozenortwo."

"Thankssomuch,"Alessiasaid.

IwenttoSandownthefollowingweekandtotwomoreracemeetingstheweek after,andonthethirdofthosedaysAlessiawontworaces.

Iwatchedtheapplauseandtheacclaimandsawherquickbrightsmilesa.s.she unsaddledherwinners,sawthelightinhereyesandthecertaintyandspeedof hermovements,sawtherebirthoftheskillsandthequalityofspiritwhichhad takenherbeforetotheheights.Thegoldengirlfilledtonewstaturevisibly daybydayandonthemorningafterherwinnersthenewspapersprintedher picturewithrapturouscaptions.

Shestillseemedtowantmetobethere;toseeme,specifically,waiting.She wouldsearchthesurroundingcrowdswithhereyesandstopandsmilewhenshe sawme.ShecameandwentfromLambourneverytimewithMikeNolandandspent herfreeminutesontheracecoursewithme,butshenolongergraspedme physicallytosaveherselffromdrowning.Shewasafloatandskimmingthewaves, hermindonfarhorizons.Shehadbeguntobe,inthewayshemostneededtobe, happy.

"I'mgoinghome,"shesaidoneday.

"Home?"

"ToItaly.ToseePapa.I'vebeenawaysolong."

Ilookedatthefine-bonedface,sohealthynow,sobrown,sofullofpoise,so intimatelyknown.

"I'llmissyou,"Isaid.

"w.i.l.l.you?"Shesmiledintomyeyes."IoweyouadebtIcan'tpay."

"Nodebt,"Isaid.

"Oh,yes."Hervoicetookitforgranted."Anyway,it'snotgoodbyeforever,or anythingdramaticlikethat.I'llbeback.TheFlatseasonwillbefinishedhere inafewweeks,butI'lldefinitelyberidingheresomeofthetimenext summer."

Nextsummerseemedalongwayaway.

"Alessia,"Isaid.

"No."Sheshookherhead."Don'tsaywhatever'sinyourmind.Youcarryon givingabrilliantimitationofarock,becausemyfoundationsarestillshaky.

I'mgoinghometoPapa...butIwanttoknowyou'reonlyatelephonecallaway...

somedaysIwakeupsweating..."Shebrokeoff."I'mnotmakingsense."

"Youareindeed,"Ia.s.suredher.

Shegavemeabriefbutsearchinginspection."Youneverneedtellingtwice,do you?Sometimesyoudon'tneedtellingonce.Don'tforgetme,w.i.l.l.you?"

"No,"Isaid.

ShewenttoItalyandmydaysseemedremarkablyemptyeventhoughmytimewas busilyfilled.

Nerrity'snear-lossofOrdinandhadcausedahugeflutterinthedovecotesof ownersofgood-as-goldhorses,andIinconjunctionwithourchummyinsurance syndicateatLloydswasbusyraisingdefensesagainstcopycatkidnaps.

Someownerspreferredtoinsuretheanimalsthemselvesagainstabduction,but manysawthepointofinsuringtheirwivesandchildren.Ifoundmyselfinvited toringthefrontdoorbellofmanyanimposingpileandtopa.s.sonthe chairman'sconsideredjudgments,thechairmaninsomeerroneouswayhavingcome toconsidermeanexpertonracingmatters.

Th.e.l.loydssyndicatedidhugenewbusiness,andintoeverycontracttheywrote asusualastipulationthatinthecaseof"anevent,"theadviceofLiberty Marketshouldbeinstantlysought.Youscratchmyback,I'llscratchyours:both thesyndicateandLibertyMarketwerepurring.

TheJockeyClubshowedsomeinterest.Iwasdispatchedtotheirofficesin PortmanSquareinLondontodiscusstheproblemsofextortionwiththesenior steward,whoshookmyhandfirmlyandaskedwhetherLibertyMarketconsidered thedangerarealone.

"Yes,"Isaidmoderately."Therehavebeenthreekidnapsintheracingworld recently:amaninItalywhoownedaracecourse,AlessiaCenci,thejockey,whom youmustknowabout,andJohnNerrity'sson."

Hefrowned."Youthinkthey'reconnected?"

Itoldhimhowpositivelythelattertwowereconnectedandhisfrowndeepened.

"NoonecantellwhetherthisparticularmanwilltryagainnowthattheNerrity venturehasendedinfailure,"Isaid,"b.u.t.theideaofforcingsomeonetosell avaluablehorsemaybeseductiveenoughtoattractimitators.Soyes,wedo thinkownerswouldbeprudenttoinsureagainstanysortofextortioninvolving theirhorses."

Theseniorstewardwatchedmyfaceunsmilingly.Hewasathick-setman,maybe sixty,withthesamenaturala.s.sumptionofauthorityasourchairman,thoughnot withthesameoverpoweringgoodlooks.MorganFreemantle,seniorsteward,top authorityofthehugeracingindustry,cameacrossasaforceofmorepowerthan charm,moreintelligencethankindness,moreresolutionthanpatience.Iguessed thatingeneralpeoplerespectedhimratherthanlikedhim,andalsothathewas probablygoodnewsforthehealthoftheracingworld.

Hehadsaidhehadheardofourexistencefromafriendofhiswhowasan underwriteratLloyds,andthathehadsincemadeseveralinquiries.

"Itseemsyourfirmiswell-regarded,"hetoldmeausterely."ImustsayIwould haveseennoneedforsuchanorganization,butInowlearnthereare approximatelytwohundredkidnapsforransomintheworldeachyear,not countingtribaldisturbancesinAfrica,orpoliticalupheavalsinCentraland SouthAmerica."

"Er..."Isaid.

Heswepton."Iamtoldtheremaybemanymoreoccurrencesthanthoseactually reported.Caseswherefamiliesorfirmssettleinprivateanddon'tinformthe police."

"Probably,"Iagreed.

"Foolish,"hesaidshortly.

"Mostoften,yes."

"Iunderstandfromthepolicecommissionersthattheyarewillingtoworkwith yourfirmwheneverappropriate."Hepaused,andaddedalmostgrudgingly,"They havenoadversecriticisms."

Bullyforthem,Ithought.

"Ithinkwecansay,therefore,"MorganFreemantlewentonjudiciously,"thatif anythingfurthershouldhappentoanyoneconnectedwithracing,youmaycall upontheJockeyClubforanyhelpitiswithinourpowertogive."

"Thankyouverymuch,"Isaid,surprised.

Henodded."Wehaveanexcellentsecurityservice.They'llbehappytoworkwith youalso.WeintheJockeyClub,"heinformedmeregretfully,"spendagreat dealoftimeconfoundingdishonesty,becauseunfortunatelyracingbreedsfraud."

Theredidn'tseemtobeananswertothat,soIgavenone.

"Letmeknow,then,Mr...er...Douglas,"hesaid,rising,"ifyourfirmshouldbe engagedbyanyoneinracingtodealwithafuturecirc.u.mstancewhichmightcome withinourprovince.Anything,thatistosay,whichmightaffectthestability ofracingasawhole.As.e.xtortionbymeansofhorsesmostcertainlydoes."

Istoodalso."MyfirmcouldonlyadviseaclientthattheJockeyClubshouldbe informed,"Isaidneutrally."Wecouldn'tinsist."

Hegavemeastraightconsideringstare."Weliketoknowwhat'sgoingoninour ownbackyard,"hesaid."Weliketoknowwhattodefendourselvesagainst."

"LibertyMarketwillalwayscooperateasfullyaspossible,"Ia.s.suredhim.

Hesmiledbriefly,almostsardonically."Butyou,likeus,don'tknowwherean enemymaystrike,orinwhatway,andwefindourselveswis.h.i.+ngfordefenseswe neverenvisaged."

"Mm,"Isaid."Life'slikethat."

Heshookmyhandagainfirmlyandcamewithmefromhisdesktothedoorofhis office.

"Let'shopewe'veseenanendtothewholething.Butifnot,cometoseeme."

"Yes,"Isaid.

ItelephonedtotheVillaFranceseoneeveningandmycallwasansweredby Ilaria.

"h.e.l.lo,Mr.Fixit,"shesaidwithamus.e.m.e.nt."How'sitgoing?"

"Everywhichway,"Isaid."Andhowareyou?"

"Bored,wouldn'tyouknow?"

"IsAlessiathere?"Iasked.

"ThepreciousgirlisoutvisitingwithPapa."

"Oh..."

"However,"Ilariasaidcarefully,"sheshouldbebackbyten.Tryagainlater."

"Yes.Thankyou."

"Don'tthankme.SheisoutvisitingLorenzoTraventi,whohasmadeagreat recoveryfromhisbulletsandisnowlookingparticularlyravis.h.i.+ngandromantic andiskissingherhandateveryopportunity."

"DearIlaria,"Isaid."Alwayssokind."

"s.h.i.+t,"shesaidcheerfully."Imighttellheryoucalled."

Shedidtellher.WhenIrangagain,Alessiaansweredalmostimmediately.

"SorryIwasout,"shesaid."How'sthings?"

"Howaretheywithyou?"Iasked.

"Oh...fine.Reallyfine.Imeanit.I'veriddeninseveralracessinceI'vebeen back.Twowinners.Notbad.DoyourememberBrunelleschi?"

Ithoughtback."Thehorseyoudidn'trideintheDerby?"

"That'sright.Spoton.Well...hewasoneofmywinnerslastweek,andthey're sendinghimtoWas.h.i.+ngtontorunintheInternational,andbelieveitornotbut they'veaskedmetogotoo,toridehim."Hervoiceheldbothtriumphand apprehensioninroughlyequalamounts.

"Areyougoing?"Isaid.

"I...don'tknow."

"Was.h.i.+ngton,D.C.?"Iasked."America?"

"Yes.TheyhaveaninternationalraceeveryyearthereatLaurelracecourse.

TheyinvitesomereallysuperhorsesfromEuropetogothere...payalltheir expenses,andthoseofthetrainersandjockeys.I'veneverbeen,butI'veheard it'sgreat.Sowhatdoyouthink?"

"Go,ifyoucan,"Isaid.

Therewasasmallsilence."That'sthewholething,isn't.i.t?IfIcan.Ialmost can.ButIhavetodecidebytomorrowatthelatest.Givethemtimetofind someoneelse."

"TakeIlariawithyou,"Isuggested.

"Shewouldn'tgo,"shesaidpositively,andthenmoredoubtfully,"wouldshe?"

"Youcanbutask."

"Yes.PerhapsIwill.Idowish,though,thatyoucouldgo,yourself.I'dsail throughthewholethingifIknewyouwerethere."

"Notachance,"Isaidregretfully."Butyouwillbeallright."

Wetalkedforawhilelongeranddisconnected,andIspentsometimewondering ifIcould,afterall,w.a.n.gleaweekoffandblowthefare:butwewereallat thattimeveryshort-handedintheoffice,TonyVinehavingbeencalledaway urgentlytoBrazilandfourorfivepartnerstiedupinamultiplemessin Sardinia.Iwasconstantlytakingmessagesfromthemontheswitchboardin betweentheadvisorytripstoracehorseowners,andevenGerryClayton'sfolded birdsofparadisehadgivenwaytomoreorthodoxpaperwork.

Nothinghappensthewayoneexpects.

MorganFreemantle,seniorstewardoftheJockeyClub,wenttoLaurelforaweek tobetheguestofhonorofthepresidentoftheracecourse,acourtesybetween racingfraternities.

Ontheseconddayofhisvisithewaskidnapped.

WAs.h.i.+NGTON,D.C.

Chaptersixteen.

THECHAIRMANsentmeroundtotheJockeyClub,whereshockhadproduced suspendedanimationakintothewaxworks.

Forastarttherewereveryfewpeopleintheplaceandnoonewasquitesure whowasincharge;aflockwithout.i.tsleader.WhenIaskedwhichindividualhad receivedthefirstdemandfromthekidnappersIwa.s.steeredtotheofficeofa stiff-backedmiddle-agedwomaninsilks.h.i.+rtandtweedskirtwholookedatme numblyandtoldmeIhadcomeatabadtime.

"Mrs.Berkeley?"Iinquired.

Shenodded,hereyesvague,herthoughtselsewhere,herspinerigid.

"I'vecomeaboutMr.Freemantle,"Isaid.ItsoundedratherasifI'dsaid"I've comeabouttheplumbing,"andIhaddifficultyinstiflingalaugh.Mrs.

Berkeleypaidmoreattentionandsaid,"You'renotthemanfromLibertyMarket, areyou?"