The Danger. Part 36

"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."