he had me by the throat with a strength I never knew he possessed and there was a fire in his eyes like hot coals as I started to choke.
âNot a thingânot a solitary damned thing. She treated me like a son. She was a lady, do you hear me? The last time I heard a man say a wrong word about her I broke his jaw.â
He released me suddenly and I sucked in air. âI get the message. Sarah Kelsoâs the first lady youâve met since?â
âSheâs got quality, thatâs for sure and itâs a scarce commodity in the world we live in.â He emptied his glass and shook his head. âWhatâs it all about, Joe? Life, living, the whole bit. Ever ask yourself?â
âAt a rough average Iâd say around twenty-seven times a day.â
âYou can always see the funny side,â he said, âI wish to hell I could.â He stared sombrely into space. âIâve been living on Stage 6 at Horizon Studios for so long that nothing seems real any more.â
âExcept Sarah Kelso?â
There was a cutting edge to my voice that I was unable to conceal and he was immediately aware of it and frowned. âWhat do you mean?â
âAnd the good Mr. Hans Vogel and his associateâthe claims surveyor who can afford to wear eighty-guinea Savile Row suits. Salary scales in insurance offices musthave risen considerably since I worked in the City.â
âWhat are you getting at?â he demanded.
âI can smell fish as well as the next man and in this case you donât need to stand too close.â He stared at me blankly. âItâs shot full of holes, Jack, the whole tale. There are so many loose ends I wouldnât know where to start.â
âAre you trying to tell me that Vogelâs some kind of crook?â
Is anything ever that simple? I shook my head. âMaybe youâre right, Jack. Perhaps youâve been acting one part after another for so long that youâve lost all touch with reality. Do you think the villain of the piece always has to look like Sidney Greenstreet or his bully boy like Bogart or Cagney?â
âStratton?â he said incredulously. âYouâre trying to tell me that two-by-four is some kind of tough guy?â
âAt a rough guess Iâd say heâd slice your throat for a packet of cigarettes in the right circumstances.â
He stared up at me, eyes wide. âBrother, do you need a good nightâs sleep.â
âWhich is just what I intend to get,â I said sweetly and stood up. âSee you around, Jack.â And I turned and pushed my way through the crowd to the hall.
Â
I didnât go to bed straight away, there was too much to think about. Outside the wind drove hail like lead bullets against the window and I lit a cigarette and lay on the bed with the radio playing.
When I first heard the knock I thought I was mistaken, it was so gentle, but it came again, a little louder thistime and I crossed to the door and opened it.
Sarah Kelso smiled diffidently. âCould you spare me a minute?â
âMy pleasure.â
As I closed the door she moved to the window and looked out into the darkness. âIs it always as rough as this?â
I crossed to the bed and turned down the radio. âI donât get the impression you came here to discuss the weather, Mrs. Kelso.â
She turned, a wan smile on her face. âYouâre very direct, arenât you, Mr. Martin? In a way that makes it easier. Youâre quite right, of course. I didnât come here to discuss the weather. To tell you the truth I was hoping you might put me in touch with this pilot you mentionedâArnie Fassberg I think you said his name was.â
âYou mean tonight?â I shook my head. âI thought I made it clear that he was otherwise engaged.â
âYes, I know,â she said, a touch of impatience in her voice. âHeâs with some girl. Surely
Sharon Kleve, Jennifer Conner, Danica Winters, Casey Dawes