Free The Mask of Sumi by John Creasey Page A

it routine.”
    â€œAll right,” Lorna said. “What about Pearl?”
    â€œShe’ll fly back later today,” Mannering said. “Try to persuade her to stay with you until—”
    He broke off, for Pearl Toji thrust a slip of paper in front of him. It read: “Please tell your wife not to worry about me. I also shall be on the East Africa Star. ”
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Chapter Eight
ON BOARD
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    Mannering sat in the tender with Pearl by his side, aware of the countless covert glances from the passengers going back after a few hours on the Rock. Sun-browned and sun-reddened faces and knees, short-sleeved shirts and dresses, shorts and T-shirts, made a kind of homogeneous mass. Except for a child clinging to its mother’s knees and whining, everyone seemed happy. A boy of five or six suddenly started to climb on to the tender’s rail. His mother shrieked: “Nigel! You’ll fall!”
    A man grabbed the boy.
    Someone said: “Doesn’t she look beautiful.”
    Two men glanced at Pearl. “Oh, she’s a fine ship,” another man put in.
    Mannering, his leg against Pearl’s, glanced down at her and saw how intently she was staring across the still water towards the East Africa Star. Two or three people moved into position for a photograph. Mannering had not taken much notice of the ship until now, but as they neared it and it seemed to grow bigger, he felt a stirring of interest – even of pride – in her clean white lines, vivid as the late afternoon sun shone on her. A few people lined the ship’s rails, a few moved about. Cameras clicked. A burst of laughter came from a group of teenagers in the bows.
    Mannering leaned his head close to Pearl.
    â€œWhat do you think of your fellow passengers?”
    She looked up at him with a slow, thoughtful smile.
    â€œMost people are good,” she said simply.
    â€œThere’s at least one very bad one on board if we’re right.”
    â€œThat is what my father always told me,” said Pearl. “You look at fruit and there is one bad and you see it and throw it out. It is the same with fish, even the same with pearls. But with people you cannot tell.”
    â€œYou can tell some people,” Mannering declared.
    â€œYes, some perhaps. But among all these – can you say who is good and who is bad?”
    â€œNot many people would think you were bad.”
    She smiled more freely. “How easily I could deceive them.”
    She looked away towards the ship. They were passing the bows and the ship itself was head-on to the Rock of Gibraltar which rose so dark and massive against a sky now clear of cloud.
    The tender pulled alongside and the crowd surged towards the gangway. A few held back. A young man with sandy-coloured hair and a pleasant face came towards them.
    â€œI haven’t seen you on board, have I?”
    â€œWe’re just coming on,” Mannering said.
    â€œOh, good! We can do with a bit of brightening up.” The young man’s eyes were on Pearl with deep admiration. “My name is Joslyn – Raymond Joslyn.”
    â€œI’m John Mannering.”
    â€œGlad to know you, Mr. Mannering.”
    â€œMay I introduce you to Miss Pearl Toji?”
    â€œ Very glad to know you!” Joslyn showed good teeth in an easy smile. “If you need anyone to show you round, just say the word.”
    He turned away. A little dark man with a dozen garishly-coloured silk scarves over his arm was selling one to an elderly woman in black, otherwise the tender was almost empty. They went towards the gangway, which was quite steep as it led up from the tender to a doorway in the ship’s hull.
    Joslyn stood back for Pearl. She stepped on the gangway. For a distance of no more than four feet there was nothing above her – the gangway was a kind of bridge. For a moment Pearl was in the bright sunlight.
    From above, someone shouted: “Look