Free The Toff In New York by John Creasey Page A

defiantly. She felt her heart thundering with such fear that she could hardly breathe, but didn’t drop her eyes. “You said”
    â€œVal,” muttered Brian Conway, “take it easy; don’t make him mad.”
    â€œThat’s good advice,” the narrow-faced man said; “why don’t you take it? And you’ll sure make me mad if you don’t hand over. Come on, sister.”
    He put out a hand; it was long and narrow - and dirty. Even palm upwards, the tips of dirty nails showed. Yet it was very steady, with the fingers curled slightly upwards, like a claw.
    â€œVal, I told you not to come,” Conway muttered; “I warned you what would happen. You’d better hand over; this guy doesn’t care whether you’re a girl or not; he wants the jewels. Don’t be crazy, Val; don’t get yourself hurt.”
    She blazed up at him.
    â€œYou snivelling little coward, what do you think you are to tell me what to do? Why don’t you do something, instead of standing there looking as if you’ll melt into the floor? If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s a coward! That’s what you are, a hopeless, helpless, snivelling coward; if you had half Wilf’s guts you’d wade into this beast.” Her eyes were blazing and her fists were clenched and she shook them at Conway, not at the narrow-faced man, who had first been startled, and now began to grin as if this was a great joke. “Why, I’ve seen braver men than you crawl” Valerie cried, and took a step forward as if to strike Conway. “Why don’t you do something?”
    Conway thrust out a hand defensively.
    â€œVal . . .“ he began.
    Then, she sprang round towards the narrow-faced man and struck the gun out of his hand.
    He was taken completely by surprise, and as the gun fell and he backed away, Valerie jumped towards the door.
    Â 

8
MOUSE INTO LION
    Â 
    The door, in fact, was some way off; Valerie had to go through an arched doorway to reach it. She had a good start, for the narrow-faced man was off his balance when she actually reached the archway, and Conway was gasping:
    â€˜Val, be careful, Val!”
    That didn’t deter her for a moment. She reached the actual door which led to the passage, and as she did so, the narrow-faced man called:
    â€œStop right there!”
    â€œStay where you are or he’ll shoot,” Conway cried in desperation.
    He sounded as if he knew it was true.
    Valerie didn’t stop to think whether it was or not, but snatched at the door-handle; and as she did so, her foot caught against a rug and she pitched into the door. Thus she lost her only chance even of reaching the locked door. The narrow-faced man moved, swift as a fox, and reached her before she could pick herself up. He had the gun in his right hand, but didn’t use it. He put an arm round her waist and lifted her clear of the floor; she was so small that it didn’t need a strong man. Then he half-dragged and half-carried her back to the inner room, where Conway stood pale-faced and shaky of limb, moistening his lips, and looking anywhere but at Valerie.
    The narrow-faced man dropped Valerie on to a couch, and when she tried to scramble up, he slapped her face.
    â€œDon’t do that,” Conway muttered.
    A moth fluttering against the light would have attracted more attention.
    The narrow-faced man pulled Valerie’s handbag from her fingers, opened it, and emptied the contents on the table. Small leather boxes which might be jewel-boxes fell out. He looked at these with glinting eyes; and with gloating satisfaction, He opened one box, and a slender diamond pendant winked and shimmered up at him, all colours of the rainbow scintillating about the room.
    â€œSure,” he said softly; “that’s real ice.” He closed the box and slid it into his pocket, then put the others into his pocket without looking inside them. Next, he