Read Online A Darkening Stain by Robert Wilson - Free Book Online

him the olives.
    â€˜Lebanese,’ he said, chewing one.
    â€˜Time’s wingèd chariot, Jean-Luc.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜It’s hurrying near.’
    â€˜You have an education,’ he said. ‘Now look, I want you to do something for me.’
    â€˜Is it to do with why you’re hiding?’
    â€˜I’ll be honest with you...’
    â€˜Is that unusual?’
    â€˜You’re very interesting, M. Medway,’ he said, looking at me out of the corner of his head.
    â€˜Call me Bruce, for God’s sake.’
    â€˜You’re quicker than I thought, Bruce,’ he said.
    â€˜I can be slow too. As Carole found out.’
    â€˜And my
gardien,
he said. ‘It means you have a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. Self-knowledge is a rare thing.’
    â€˜Pity I don’t adhere to the little that’s come my way.’
    â€˜Then you’re unpredictable as well ... not a bad thing.’
    â€˜Let’s get back to what you want me to do for you. The
Kluezbork II,
for instance.’
    â€˜That will resolve itself.’
    â€˜You’re not hiding from angry relatives.’
    â€˜I don’t follow.’
    â€˜Of the five dead men. Your stowaways.’
    â€˜Mine? Where did you hear that from?’
    â€˜It’s well known that you shift a little human cargo along with your cotton seed.’
    â€˜They won’t be able to stick that on me.’
    â€˜They’re talking to the
chef d’équipe
of that final shift...’
    â€˜They won’t get anywhere.’
    â€˜You don’t know the man who’s running the investigation.’
    â€˜Your M. Bagado? He still won’t get anywhere.’
    â€˜You’re covered then?’
    â€˜You don’t think I can work out of Cotonou without a lot of ... support. Very expensive support, I might add. You must realize by now, Bruce, that’s the beauty of Africa. Everything is possible
avec la graisse.
”
    â€˜This isn’t port business. It’s police business. And Bagado doesn’t...’
    â€˜Let me ask you something,’ he said, lighting another cigarette from the butt of the last. ‘Have you heard of Bondougou? Le Commandant.’
    The name disappeared into the smoke over Marnier’s shoulder and then on into the darkness of the room.
    â€˜I see.’
    Marnier gave me a huge Gallic shrug and stubbed out the butt in the tuna can available. He picked up the refilled glass of whisky.
    â€˜Your health.’
    â€˜Yours too,’ I said, pouring myself one and joining him. ‘You need it more than I do.’
    â€˜If I stopped smoking,’ he said, ‘I’d come apart. The tar glues me together.’
    â€˜I don’t want to think about that for too long,’ I said. ‘Are you hiding or aren’t you? You went through quite a performance to get to me.’
    â€˜You came to see me first. I don’t know all your connections yet. Maybe someone has asked you to find me,’ he said, shrewd eyes on mine.
    â€˜Is that why you’re keeping my phone occupied?’
    â€˜Expensive but safe.’
    â€˜So somebody’s after you?’
    â€˜Somebody’s always after me.’
    â€˜You’re that kind of businessman.’
    â€˜Sometimes people disagree with the way I make things work.’
    â€˜For them or for yourself.’
    â€˜Ha! Yes,’ he said, and fingered the couple of inches of thick scar tissue he had between the corner of his mouth and jawline.
    â€˜Maybe you’re not being so honest about how your face was cut up,’ I said.
    â€˜It was a machete attack.’
    â€˜I can see that.’
    â€˜Let’s talk about what you’re going to do for me.’
    â€˜Good, I’ve got a home to go to.’
    â€˜How nice,’ he said, irritable now, the breathing going suddenly. ‘I want you to take me to Grand-Popo.’
    â€˜You’ve