[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
think he suspected me, but he just didn't want me knocking around Santa Cruz
where I might hear too much or talk too much. I argued about it, but I had to
stay."
He told her about his other experiences the night before, about the story he
had read in the newspaper at breakfast, and about the introduction to his
duties which had followed, talking in the same crisp, vivid phrases that
smacked home every vital detail like bul-lets; until he reached the point
where he had walked into the room with Graner and found her there.
"You know the rest," he said.
"But where is Joris?"
"Tell me what you know."
"I awakened rather late," she said. "About ten o'clock I went and listened at
the door, but I couldn't hear anything, and I didn't want to disturb them if
they were still asleep. I couldn't hear anything in your room, either. I got
dressed and sent for some break-fast, and presently I went back again. I still
couldn't hear anything, so I knocked on the door. They didn't answer. I went
on knocking until I got scared and opened the door. There wasn't anyone there.
I rushed back here, and when you didn't answer either I came in. I saw that
your bed hadn't been slept in, and I simply flopped. It was only a moment or
two before you came in. That's why I was sitting on your bed. I just went weak
in the knees and couldn't stand up for a bit. I didn't know what to think or
what to do."
"Don't you know what to think now?" said the Saint reluctantly.
He found her touching his hand.
"But Graner said they hadn't found Joris."
"They haven't-so far as he knows," said the Saint. "But remember what I told
you about Lauber. A thing like that spreads, once it starts."
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"But do you know?"
"I know this. Hoppy sent for breakfast this morn-ing, before you were awake.
I'd told him not to open the door to anybody, but I suppose he didn't think he
was meant to starve. He didn't see any harm in having breakfast. The
chambermaid brought it; but another guy who answers to Aliston's description
met her at the door and said he wanted to take it in for a joke. Probably he
gave her some money to make the joke seem funnier. She let him do it. He was
wear-ing a white waiter's coat, and Hoppy wouldn't have thought anything of
it. Aliston could easily have cracked Hoppy over the back of the head with
some-thing; and once Hoppy was out, Joris wouldn't have given them any
trouble."
Her fingers tightened over his.
"You ought to have let me stay with him," she whispered.
"It wouldn't have done any good if they'd taken you at the same time."
"I could have looked after him.... But why didn't they take me?"
"Because they didn't know. Joris came in with Hoppy last night, and you came
in with me some time afterwards. They'd have been asking for you first, and
that night porter is so dumb that he wouldn't have connected the two. He
didn't even know that Hoppy and I had any connection. Probably they expected
to find you with Joris, anyhow. When they didn't find you, they probably
didn't want to waste any more time looking for you. Graner was waiting for
them to call him, and as far as they were concerned Joris and Hoppy were the
important people. So I guess they left it at that."
She was silent for quite a long while, but no more tears came into her eyes.
He could guess what she must be feeling, but she gave no outward sign. There
was an inward strength in her which he had still not measured completely. When
she looked at him again, she had herself completely under control.
"So you think Aliston and Palermo have joined up with Lauber to double-cross
Graner?"
"I don't think that for a minute. I think it was just that suspecting Lauber
put the idea into their heads. And if they were out to do any double-crossing,
why should they cut Lauber in? Why not keep it all to themselves? They've got
Joris now, and they'll start by trying to find out something about the ticket
from him and Hoppy. If the trail turns back to Lauber again, they'll go after
him."
"And what about Graner?"
"He may start getting some suspicions of his own, and if he does he'll do
something about them. It's just an open competition to see who can do the
fastest and smartest double-crossing."
"How much are you doing?"
The Saint met her eyes steadily over his cigarette. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
think he suspected me, but he just didn't want me knocking around Santa Cruz
where I might hear too much or talk too much. I argued about it, but I had to
stay."
He told her about his other experiences the night before, about the story he
had read in the newspaper at breakfast, and about the introduction to his
duties which had followed, talking in the same crisp, vivid phrases that
smacked home every vital detail like bul-lets; until he reached the point
where he had walked into the room with Graner and found her there.
"You know the rest," he said.
"But where is Joris?"
"Tell me what you know."
"I awakened rather late," she said. "About ten o'clock I went and listened at
the door, but I couldn't hear anything, and I didn't want to disturb them if
they were still asleep. I couldn't hear anything in your room, either. I got
dressed and sent for some break-fast, and presently I went back again. I still
couldn't hear anything, so I knocked on the door. They didn't answer. I went
on knocking until I got scared and opened the door. There wasn't anyone there.
I rushed back here, and when you didn't answer either I came in. I saw that
your bed hadn't been slept in, and I simply flopped. It was only a moment or
two before you came in. That's why I was sitting on your bed. I just went weak
in the knees and couldn't stand up for a bit. I didn't know what to think or
what to do."
"Don't you know what to think now?" said the Saint reluctantly.
He found her touching his hand.
"But Graner said they hadn't found Joris."
"They haven't-so far as he knows," said the Saint. "But remember what I told
you about Lauber. A thing like that spreads, once it starts."
Page 68
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"But do you know?"
"I know this. Hoppy sent for breakfast this morn-ing, before you were awake.
I'd told him not to open the door to anybody, but I suppose he didn't think he
was meant to starve. He didn't see any harm in having breakfast. The
chambermaid brought it; but another guy who answers to Aliston's description
met her at the door and said he wanted to take it in for a joke. Probably he
gave her some money to make the joke seem funnier. She let him do it. He was
wear-ing a white waiter's coat, and Hoppy wouldn't have thought anything of
it. Aliston could easily have cracked Hoppy over the back of the head with
some-thing; and once Hoppy was out, Joris wouldn't have given them any
trouble."
Her fingers tightened over his.
"You ought to have let me stay with him," she whispered.
"It wouldn't have done any good if they'd taken you at the same time."
"I could have looked after him.... But why didn't they take me?"
"Because they didn't know. Joris came in with Hoppy last night, and you came
in with me some time afterwards. They'd have been asking for you first, and
that night porter is so dumb that he wouldn't have connected the two. He
didn't even know that Hoppy and I had any connection. Probably they expected
to find you with Joris, anyhow. When they didn't find you, they probably
didn't want to waste any more time looking for you. Graner was waiting for
them to call him, and as far as they were concerned Joris and Hoppy were the
important people. So I guess they left it at that."
She was silent for quite a long while, but no more tears came into her eyes.
He could guess what she must be feeling, but she gave no outward sign. There
was an inward strength in her which he had still not measured completely. When
she looked at him again, she had herself completely under control.
"So you think Aliston and Palermo have joined up with Lauber to double-cross
Graner?"
"I don't think that for a minute. I think it was just that suspecting Lauber
put the idea into their heads. And if they were out to do any double-crossing,
why should they cut Lauber in? Why not keep it all to themselves? They've got
Joris now, and they'll start by trying to find out something about the ticket
from him and Hoppy. If the trail turns back to Lauber again, they'll go after
him."
"And what about Graner?"
"He may start getting some suspicions of his own, and if he does he'll do
something about them. It's just an open competition to see who can do the
fastest and smartest double-crossing."
"How much are you doing?"
The Saint met her eyes steadily over his cigarette. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]