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Authors: John D. MacDonald
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clear and loud he was certain it could be heard all over the hotel. By gestures he told her to leave. She left with the pile of towels and a look of hurt, red heels clumping.
Paul shut the door and went over and sat on his bed. He felt abused and cheated. Damned little slut. Probably a half-wit. No sense of decency. Didn’t mean a damned thing more to her than if I’d asked for two extra towels. Or wanted to shake hands.
After Margarita had delivered the rest of the towels, she wandered thoughtfully out into the back of the hotel looking for Felipe. Because he had worked for so long for Señor Drummond, Felipe, of all of them, would be the one most likely to be able to explain to her the odd behavior of the
Americano
.
She found Felipe Cedro sitting on the stone step in front of the doorway of the room he had appropriated in the staff quarters behind the hotel. He was languidly shining Miles Drummond’s black dress shoes. She leaned against the side of the building patiently until he was ready to take notice of her.
“¿Qué, tal, Margarita?”
“Felipe, a most curious thing has happened. I took the towels to the room of Señor Ball.”
“There is no Señor Ball. I have seen the list. What room?”
“Number eight.”
“Ah, that is Señor Ball Klauss. In English Ball is the same as Pablo in Spanish. What of this Señor Klauss?”
“When I started toward the door he stepped in front of me. He told me his name. I told him mine. He looked at me in that certain way. You know that way. And he put his hand here, on the waist. So … I knew what it was he wanted. And I was not very busy. And you know I am a loving person. And he is apretty little man with yellow hair. And I suppose I am curious. In a sense. So with motions I make certain it is what he wants and I can see from his face I am right, so I begin to take off the dress, and he stops me, and his face is red and he says no, no, no. From that moment, whatever I say, he says no, no, no, and he makes signs for me to go and I do so. I do not understand such a man, Felipe.”
Felipe mustered his thoughts while he scratched at a daub of black polish on the side of his thumb. “It is not an easy thing to have an understanding of them,
chica
. Their blood is cold. I swear by all the saints that in all the years I have worked for Señor Drummond, I have not known him to be with a woman. Yet he is not one of the others.”
“Incredible!” Margarita gasped.
“It is the truth of God. Here is what I believe about this Señor Klauss. I believe that he is shy and timid. I believe he is frightened of you. They are like that. He made a little gesture and he believed you would be alarmed, and with them it is a game without meaning. He could not know that you are a woman of warm blood and honesty. Maybe he has never been with a woman. There are thousands of them who have never attempted it, not even as a child.”
“Incredible. The poor frightened little man with yellow hair. What can I do to help Señor Ball?”
“They grow more bold at night, but still not bold enough for such a one as you. Let me make a plan.” She waited patiently, squatting on her heels, as Felipe thought. He reached into his pocket and took out a key, looked warily around and handed it to her. “Hide it away. Do not tell anyone you have it. And you must give it back to me. It will open every door in the hotel.”
“A valuable thing to have.”
“What you must do is go to the room of this Señor Klauss and let yourself in. Hide naked in the darkness in his bed. Before you do so, unscrew the bulb a little bit so that the light will not function. Then when he comes to bed he will be unable to help himself.”
She laughed softly. “Ah, then he will not say no, no, no. I will make him say yes, yes, yes.”
“One more thing you must do, in return for my courtesy in loaning the key to you. Once it is finished, you must say onething in English. Now say this after me and remember it
Paul shut the door and went over and sat on his bed. He felt abused and cheated. Damned little slut. Probably a half-wit. No sense of decency. Didn’t mean a damned thing more to her than if I’d asked for two extra towels. Or wanted to shake hands.
After Margarita had delivered the rest of the towels, she wandered thoughtfully out into the back of the hotel looking for Felipe. Because he had worked for so long for Señor Drummond, Felipe, of all of them, would be the one most likely to be able to explain to her the odd behavior of the
Americano
.
She found Felipe Cedro sitting on the stone step in front of the doorway of the room he had appropriated in the staff quarters behind the hotel. He was languidly shining Miles Drummond’s black dress shoes. She leaned against the side of the building patiently until he was ready to take notice of her.
“¿Qué, tal, Margarita?”
“Felipe, a most curious thing has happened. I took the towels to the room of Señor Ball.”
“There is no Señor Ball. I have seen the list. What room?”
“Number eight.”
“Ah, that is Señor Ball Klauss. In English Ball is the same as Pablo in Spanish. What of this Señor Klauss?”
“When I started toward the door he stepped in front of me. He told me his name. I told him mine. He looked at me in that certain way. You know that way. And he put his hand here, on the waist. So … I knew what it was he wanted. And I was not very busy. And you know I am a loving person. And he is apretty little man with yellow hair. And I suppose I am curious. In a sense. So with motions I make certain it is what he wants and I can see from his face I am right, so I begin to take off the dress, and he stops me, and his face is red and he says no, no, no. From that moment, whatever I say, he says no, no, no, and he makes signs for me to go and I do so. I do not understand such a man, Felipe.”
Felipe mustered his thoughts while he scratched at a daub of black polish on the side of his thumb. “It is not an easy thing to have an understanding of them,
chica
. Their blood is cold. I swear by all the saints that in all the years I have worked for Señor Drummond, I have not known him to be with a woman. Yet he is not one of the others.”
“Incredible!” Margarita gasped.
“It is the truth of God. Here is what I believe about this Señor Klauss. I believe that he is shy and timid. I believe he is frightened of you. They are like that. He made a little gesture and he believed you would be alarmed, and with them it is a game without meaning. He could not know that you are a woman of warm blood and honesty. Maybe he has never been with a woman. There are thousands of them who have never attempted it, not even as a child.”
“Incredible. The poor frightened little man with yellow hair. What can I do to help Señor Ball?”
“They grow more bold at night, but still not bold enough for such a one as you. Let me make a plan.” She waited patiently, squatting on her heels, as Felipe thought. He reached into his pocket and took out a key, looked warily around and handed it to her. “Hide it away. Do not tell anyone you have it. And you must give it back to me. It will open every door in the hotel.”
“A valuable thing to have.”
“What you must do is go to the room of this Señor Klauss and let yourself in. Hide naked in the darkness in his bed. Before you do so, unscrew the bulb a little bit so that the light will not function. Then when he comes to bed he will be unable to help himself.”
She laughed softly. “Ah, then he will not say no, no, no. I will make him say yes, yes, yes.”
“One more thing you must do, in return for my courtesy in loaning the key to you. Once it is finished, you must say onething in English. Now say this after me and remember it
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