Read Online An Ace Up My Sleeve by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online
Authors: James Hadley Chase
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where the Mercedes was parked.
Larry was standing by the car. She looked quickly at him. He gave her his warm, friendly smile as he opened the offside door. The porter put her bags into the boot and she tipped him. The manager, his nose now blue with the cold, still managed to keep a bright smile on his face. She shook hands with him, slid into the passenger's seat while Larry ran around the car and got in under the wheel.
There were more bows, then Larry moved the car into the traffic. "Morning, ma'am," he said, his voice cheerful.
"You turn right at the end of the street, then straight ahead," Helga said, her voice cold and hostile.
"Sure, ma'am, I know the way, I got it all figured out on a map." "That was very clever of you."
The snap in her voice wasn't lost on him and he looked quickly at her.
"Are you okay, ma'am?"
"I have a headache. Would you please keep quiet?"
"Sure, ma'am ... is there anything I can do?"
"Just keep quiet."
She knew she was behaving badly and she realized looking at him, that her petulance had made no impression on him. She saw him give a slight shrug, then he concentrated on his driving. She was irritated that he was so efficient, getting them through the Basle traffic with ease and then on to the autobahn to Zurich. She had always hated this part of the drive and often she had made a mistake.
Determined to sulk, she smoked cigarette after cigarette in silence, staring at the broad road as it came towards her. She had done this run so often, it bored her. But finally, as they approached the outskirts of Zurich, she said, "Do you know the way through the City?"
"Sure, ma'am," he said calmly. "Right ahead, forking left at the traffic lights, through the tunnel and on to the Chur bypass."
"That's right."
She looked at him. He was chewing gum and his face was completely relaxed. She looked at his big hands on the steering–wheel and again her body melted in desire for him.
It wasn't until they had begun to climb the twisting road to Chur that she began her probe.
"Where did you go last night, Larry?" she asked abruptly.
He whipped the Mercedes past a Peugeot 504, then stormed up the road with the speedometer needle at 180 k.p.h.
"Last night, ma'am?"
"You are driving too fast!"
"Sorry, ma'am," and the needle drifted down to 130.
"I asked you where you were last night."
"In the hotel, ma'am."
She clenched her hands into fists.
"Don't lie to me!" She was shocked to hear how shrill her voice sounded. She paused, then controlling her voice, she went on, "I wanted to speak to you. They told me you had gone out. Where did you go?"
He shot the car past a Jaguar. The driver tapped his horn as a protest at the speed of the Mercedes.
"You are driving too fast, Larry ... stop it!"
"Yes, ma'am," and the speed of the car slackened.
"Where were you last night?" she persisted.
"I went for a walk." He glanced at her, then away. "Des that bother you, ma'am?"
The gentle rebuke was like a slap in the face to her. She was losing her head about this boy, she told herself. Why shouldn't he go for a walk if he wanted to? Because she had longed for him and still longed for him, she realized she was making a drama out of everything he did.
"No ... it didn't bother me," she said, steadying her voice. "I just wondered where you were."
"I took a look at the town." His jaws moved rhythmically as he chewed. "It's not much. I got cold. I was glad to get into bed."
"Yes." She had a feeling he was lying but she wasn't sure.
They drove for the next hour in silence and it irritated her that he seemed quite happy to drive and not to have to listen to anything she might say. When they came to the entrance to the Bernadino tunnel and he flicked on his dipped headlights, she remembered the call to Hamburg.
She said, "The hotel charged me for a call to Hamburg. They said you had made it."
She was watching him, but his face remained relaxed and he continued to chew.
"That's right, ma'am. I made the
Larry was standing by the car. She looked quickly at him. He gave her his warm, friendly smile as he opened the offside door. The porter put her bags into the boot and she tipped him. The manager, his nose now blue with the cold, still managed to keep a bright smile on his face. She shook hands with him, slid into the passenger's seat while Larry ran around the car and got in under the wheel.
There were more bows, then Larry moved the car into the traffic. "Morning, ma'am," he said, his voice cheerful.
"You turn right at the end of the street, then straight ahead," Helga said, her voice cold and hostile.
"Sure, ma'am, I know the way, I got it all figured out on a map." "That was very clever of you."
The snap in her voice wasn't lost on him and he looked quickly at her.
"Are you okay, ma'am?"
"I have a headache. Would you please keep quiet?"
"Sure, ma'am ... is there anything I can do?"
"Just keep quiet."
She knew she was behaving badly and she realized looking at him, that her petulance had made no impression on him. She saw him give a slight shrug, then he concentrated on his driving. She was irritated that he was so efficient, getting them through the Basle traffic with ease and then on to the autobahn to Zurich. She had always hated this part of the drive and often she had made a mistake.
Determined to sulk, she smoked cigarette after cigarette in silence, staring at the broad road as it came towards her. She had done this run so often, it bored her. But finally, as they approached the outskirts of Zurich, she said, "Do you know the way through the City?"
"Sure, ma'am," he said calmly. "Right ahead, forking left at the traffic lights, through the tunnel and on to the Chur bypass."
"That's right."
She looked at him. He was chewing gum and his face was completely relaxed. She looked at his big hands on the steering–wheel and again her body melted in desire for him.
It wasn't until they had begun to climb the twisting road to Chur that she began her probe.
"Where did you go last night, Larry?" she asked abruptly.
He whipped the Mercedes past a Peugeot 504, then stormed up the road with the speedometer needle at 180 k.p.h.
"Last night, ma'am?"
"You are driving too fast!"
"Sorry, ma'am," and the needle drifted down to 130.
"I asked you where you were last night."
"In the hotel, ma'am."
She clenched her hands into fists.
"Don't lie to me!" She was shocked to hear how shrill her voice sounded. She paused, then controlling her voice, she went on, "I wanted to speak to you. They told me you had gone out. Where did you go?"
He shot the car past a Jaguar. The driver tapped his horn as a protest at the speed of the Mercedes.
"You are driving too fast, Larry ... stop it!"
"Yes, ma'am," and the speed of the car slackened.
"Where were you last night?" she persisted.
"I went for a walk." He glanced at her, then away. "Des that bother you, ma'am?"
The gentle rebuke was like a slap in the face to her. She was losing her head about this boy, she told herself. Why shouldn't he go for a walk if he wanted to? Because she had longed for him and still longed for him, she realized she was making a drama out of everything he did.
"No ... it didn't bother me," she said, steadying her voice. "I just wondered where you were."
"I took a look at the town." His jaws moved rhythmically as he chewed. "It's not much. I got cold. I was glad to get into bed."
"Yes." She had a feeling he was lying but she wasn't sure.
They drove for the next hour in silence and it irritated her that he seemed quite happy to drive and not to have to listen to anything she might say. When they came to the entrance to the Bernadino tunnel and he flicked on his dipped headlights, she remembered the call to Hamburg.
She said, "The hotel charged me for a call to Hamburg. They said you had made it."
She was watching him, but his face remained relaxed and he continued to chew.
"That's right, ma'am. I made the
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