Read Online Midnight Runner by Jack Higgins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jack Higgins
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bent or something?"
Dillon spluttered and then started to laugh. When he was in control, he said, "It's simple, Billy. I'm always drawn to the wrong women."
"You mean the bad ones."
"And the Hannah Bernsteins of this world wouldn't touch me with a bargepole, not with my wicked past. Now if we could postpone this discussion of my sexual proclivity for a while, here she comes."
Kate Rashid approached and Billy went and stood behind his uncle. She passed the group at the table and moved to the piano. Rupert lit a cigarette.
"Very nice, Dillon," she said.
"I told you once before, Kate: Good barroom piano is all. I take it this is the famous Rupert Dauncey?"
"Of course. Rupert, the famous Sean Dillon."
They nodded, then Dillon shook a cigarette from a pack of Marlboros and put it in his mouth one-handed. Dauncey offered him a light and Dillon moved into another number. "You recognize this one, Kate?"
"Of course. 'Our Love Is Here to Stay.'"
"I wanted you to feel at home. Why don't you say hello to the boys?"
"Why not, indeed." She turned to the table. "Why, General Ferguson, what a pleasant surprise. I don't think you've met my cousin, Rupert Dauncey."
Ferguson said, "No, but I feel I know him well." He shook Dauncey's hand.
"A pleasure, General."
"Join us for a glass of champagne."
"Thank you," Kate Rashid said, and Dauncey pulled a chair forward and seated her. "You'll be fascinated by the General's friends, Rupert. Mr. Salter here is a gangster, but no ordinary gangster. For years, he was one of the most important guvnors, as they call it, in the East End of London. Isn't that so, Mr. Salter? Billy here is his nephew, another gangster."
Billy didn't say a word but simply looked at her, his face pale, and left it to his uncle.
"If you say so, Countess," Harry said, and turned to Rupert. "We know all about you, son, you do a good act."
"I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you, Mr. Salter."
Rupert drank some champagne and Dillon came back and joined them. "So what do you want, Kate?"
"Why, Dillon, nothing--nothing at all. I thought it was you who wanted to see me. You left your calling card, after all, and I wouldn't want to disappoint you, of all people." She picked up her glass of Cristal and emptied it in a single swallow. "But I'm hungry, and I don't want to eat here. Where should we go, Rupert?"
"Don't ask me, sweetie. London's your town."
"Somewhere fresh would be nice, somewhere new." She turned to Salter. "Come to think of it, didn't I read in one of the gossip columns that you've opened a new restaurant, Mr. Salter? Harry's Place? Hangman's Wharf, isn't it?"
"Going a bomb," he said. "Booked up for weeks."
"What a shame, Rupert, and I so wanted to try Mr. Salter's cooking."
"We can make room," Harry said. "Call the restaurant, Billy."
Billy's face was almost bone white now. He glanced at Dillon, who nodded slightly. Billy took out a mobile and dialed. After a few moments, he said, "All right, it's done."
Kate Rashid said, "How kind. So, we'll be on our way, Rupert." He pulled out her chair and she got up. "We'll see you gentlemen there."
"You can count on it," Dillon told her.
She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Later, then, Dillon."
She turned and went. Rupert said, "Gentlemen," and followed her.
"There's something about that bastard," Billy said. "And I just don't like it."
"That's because you have good taste, Billy," Dillon said. He drained his glass. "Let's go."
A s the Bentley drove away from The Dorchester, Kate Rashid pulled the partition glass panel shut.
"Make the call."
Rupert dialed a number on his mobile and said, "It's on." He frowned. "How the hell do I know what time? You wait, okay?" He switched off and shook his head. "I've said it before. Good help is so hard to find these days."
"Poor Rupert." She took out a cigarette, he lit it for her, and she leaned back.
H arry's Place was another of Salter's warehouse conversions on Hangman's Wharf. The old yard had been
Dillon spluttered and then started to laugh. When he was in control, he said, "It's simple, Billy. I'm always drawn to the wrong women."
"You mean the bad ones."
"And the Hannah Bernsteins of this world wouldn't touch me with a bargepole, not with my wicked past. Now if we could postpone this discussion of my sexual proclivity for a while, here she comes."
Kate Rashid approached and Billy went and stood behind his uncle. She passed the group at the table and moved to the piano. Rupert lit a cigarette.
"Very nice, Dillon," she said.
"I told you once before, Kate: Good barroom piano is all. I take it this is the famous Rupert Dauncey?"
"Of course. Rupert, the famous Sean Dillon."
They nodded, then Dillon shook a cigarette from a pack of Marlboros and put it in his mouth one-handed. Dauncey offered him a light and Dillon moved into another number. "You recognize this one, Kate?"
"Of course. 'Our Love Is Here to Stay.'"
"I wanted you to feel at home. Why don't you say hello to the boys?"
"Why not, indeed." She turned to the table. "Why, General Ferguson, what a pleasant surprise. I don't think you've met my cousin, Rupert Dauncey."
Ferguson said, "No, but I feel I know him well." He shook Dauncey's hand.
"A pleasure, General."
"Join us for a glass of champagne."
"Thank you," Kate Rashid said, and Dauncey pulled a chair forward and seated her. "You'll be fascinated by the General's friends, Rupert. Mr. Salter here is a gangster, but no ordinary gangster. For years, he was one of the most important guvnors, as they call it, in the East End of London. Isn't that so, Mr. Salter? Billy here is his nephew, another gangster."
Billy didn't say a word but simply looked at her, his face pale, and left it to his uncle.
"If you say so, Countess," Harry said, and turned to Rupert. "We know all about you, son, you do a good act."
"I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you, Mr. Salter."
Rupert drank some champagne and Dillon came back and joined them. "So what do you want, Kate?"
"Why, Dillon, nothing--nothing at all. I thought it was you who wanted to see me. You left your calling card, after all, and I wouldn't want to disappoint you, of all people." She picked up her glass of Cristal and emptied it in a single swallow. "But I'm hungry, and I don't want to eat here. Where should we go, Rupert?"
"Don't ask me, sweetie. London's your town."
"Somewhere fresh would be nice, somewhere new." She turned to Salter. "Come to think of it, didn't I read in one of the gossip columns that you've opened a new restaurant, Mr. Salter? Harry's Place? Hangman's Wharf, isn't it?"
"Going a bomb," he said. "Booked up for weeks."
"What a shame, Rupert, and I so wanted to try Mr. Salter's cooking."
"We can make room," Harry said. "Call the restaurant, Billy."
Billy's face was almost bone white now. He glanced at Dillon, who nodded slightly. Billy took out a mobile and dialed. After a few moments, he said, "All right, it's done."
Kate Rashid said, "How kind. So, we'll be on our way, Rupert." He pulled out her chair and she got up. "We'll see you gentlemen there."
"You can count on it," Dillon told her.
She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Later, then, Dillon."
She turned and went. Rupert said, "Gentlemen," and followed her.
"There's something about that bastard," Billy said. "And I just don't like it."
"That's because you have good taste, Billy," Dillon said. He drained his glass. "Let's go."
A s the Bentley drove away from The Dorchester, Kate Rashid pulled the partition glass panel shut.
"Make the call."
Rupert dialed a number on his mobile and said, "It's on." He frowned. "How the hell do I know what time? You wait, okay?" He switched off and shook his head. "I've said it before. Good help is so hard to find these days."
"Poor Rupert." She took out a cigarette, he lit it for her, and she leaned back.
H arry's Place was another of Salter's warehouse conversions on Hangman's Wharf. The old yard had been
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