Free A Long Silence by Nicolas Freeling

pleasure. Yes, he would lean on Saint a little, just for fun. Private detectives did not lean much. But they had fun. What could that boy have meant with a phrase like ‘all being steadily cleaned out’? Were they realizing assets, gathering up all the liquid money they could find, perhaps for some really big deal? Could the old man have found some really major picture somewhere, running into the hundreds of thousands? Van der Valk shrugged. And suppose he had? What would they want that boy for? And was it any of his business, let alone police business? The train slowed. He hoped Arlette had something nice for supper.
    *
    Richard was beginning to feel confidence, and even beginning to taste that pleasant sensation, the growing certainty that one is on to a good thing. He was accustomed to the shop by now,had learned to move with some assurance in handling the bric-à-brac, and Larry Saint left him an amazing amount of freedom and responsibility, left him increasingly alone. Larry was in fact a hell of a cool card, and up to some sharpish tricks. But not small, thought Dick with a bit of half-reluctant admiration. Not just a squalid little fixer. He had laughed when Dick appeared finally, impudently – worried lest it might not be a bit too cheeky – wearing the watch.
    â€˜Quite right, Dick,’ he had chuckled. ‘Shows you’ve got good taste. But it’s small fry, you know, small fry. Stay with us – you’ll get better opportunities than that.’
    Dick no longer felt that slight fear of Larry he had had at the start. He went a bit hot and cold still thinking of that policeman. He’d made a monumental fool of himself there. Still, the chap was retired now – no threat. Elderly, deskbound, lazy, playing about in the university or whatnot with theses and a lot of sociological crap. Having in his day – only a few months back but Dick felt he had become a great deal more adult since then – toyed a bit with sociology courses at the university, he could afford to feel contemptuous. Anyway, he had choked the fellow off. No nosy policemen had come hanging about.
    He no longer felt the awe he had had for old Louis either – in fact he had said ‘Morning, Louis’ in quite a casual way this morning and the old boy hadn’t got on a high horse but just said ‘Morning, Richard.’ True, those muttered conversations still went on at the back from which he felt excluded, since if he happened to be in that direction silence fell, and Larry had been inclined to refer to the old boy in respectfully hushed tones, but he had noticed a thing or two these last days – Larry’s way of talking had got a lot freer. He had that casual, throw-away style of speaking still, but his words were more to the point. It was as though Dick had passed a period of probation, had been sized up as it were, and not found too stupid. Well, he wasn’t too stupid even if he said so himself. Normal that Larry, who was sharp as a bloody needle and missed nothing, should have understood that. He had worked hard, been willing, run all the errands, cleaned up a lot ofdirty old junk in the cellar – a few of those old pictures had absolutely the filth of centuries on them. He hadn’t complained once, not asked for more money or anything. He was still getting peanuts, but well – look at that watch. A perk, Larry had said laughing. Was worth a lump.
    Only just this morning Louis, too, had been freer in speaking in front of him than hitherto. Just showed he was getting given more confidence. He’d pricked his ears up for a second too!
    â€˜Had some policeman in to see me last night,’ Louis had said.
    â€˜Really?’ said Larry indifferently. ‘What was his name?’
    â€˜How should I know? Van something. I didn’t look at his dam’ card.’
    Dick had prickled for a second before reflecting that half Holland was called Van something, that