Read Online Saint Goes West by Leslie Charteris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leslie Charteris
Ads: Link
not very clever,” Esther confessed.
He didn’t argue with her.
She said at last: “Do you think I did it?”
“I’ve been trying very conscientiously to figure out how you could have.”
“But I haven’t done anything.”
“Everybody else has said that too.”
She gazed at him steadily, and her lovely warm mouth richened with pouting.
“I don’t think you really like me, Simon.”
“I adore you,” he said politely.
“No, you don’t. I’ve tried to get on with you. Haven’t I?”
“You certainly have.”
“I’m not awfully clever, but I try to be nice. Really. I’m not a cat like Ginny, or all brainy and snooty like Lissa. I haven’t any background, and I know it. I’ve had a hell of a life. If I told you about it, you’d be amazed.”
“Would I? I love being amazed.”
“There you go again. You see?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t kid you.”
“Oh, it’s all right. I haven’t got much to be serious about. I’ve got a pretty face and a beautiful body. I know I’ve got a beautiful body. So I just have to use that.”
“And you use it very nicely, too.”
“You’re still making fun of me. But it’s about all I’ve got, so I have to use it. Why shouldn’t I?”
“God knows,” said the Saint. “I didn’t say you shouldn’t.” She studied him again for a while.
“You’ve got a beautiful body, too. Alllean and muscular. But you’ve got brains as well. I’m sorry. I just like you an awнful lot.”
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
She smoked her cigarette for a few moments.
He lighted a cigarette himself. He felt uncomfortable and at a loss. As she sat there, and with everything else in the world put aside, she was something that no man with a proper supply of hormones could have been cold to. But everything else in the world couldn’t be put aside quite like that …
“You know,” she said, “this is a hell of a life.”
“It must be,” he agreed.
“I’ve been watching it. I can think a little bit. You saw what happened this afternoon. I mean—”
“The blonde at the Tennis Club?”
“Yes … Well, it just happened that she was a blonde. She could just as well have been a brunette.”
“And then-Esther starts packing.”
“That’s what it amounts to.”
“But it’s been fun while it lasted; and maybe you take someнthing with you.”
“Oh, yes. But that isn’t everything. Not the way I mean. I mean…”
“What do you mean?”
She fiddled with a seam in her negligee for a long time.
“I mean … I know you aren’t an angel, but you’re not just like Freddie. I think you’d always be sincere with peoнple. You’re sort of different, somehow. I know I haven’t got anything much, except being beautiful, but-that’s something, isn’t it? And I do really like you so much. I’d-I’d do anyнthing … If I could only stay with you and have you like me a little.”
She was very beautiful, too beautiful, and her eyes were big and aching and afraid.
Simon stared at the opposite wall. He would have given his day’s thousand dollars to be anywhere the hell out of there.
He didn’t have to.
Freddie Pellman’s hysterical yell sheared suddenly through the silent house with an electrifying urgency that brought the Saint out of bed and up on to his feet as if he had been snatched up on wires. His instinctive movement seemed to coincide exactly with the dull slam of a muffled shot that gave more horror to the moment. He leapt towards the communiнcating door, and remembered as he reached it that while he had meant to get it unlocked that morning the episode of the obliterated fingerprints had put it out of his mind. Simulнtaneously, as he turned to the outer door, he realised that the sound of a door slamming could have been exactly the same, and he cursed his own unguardedness as he catapulted out on to the screened verandah.
One glance up and down was enough to show that there was no other person in sight, and he made that survey
He didn’t argue with her.
She said at last: “Do you think I did it?”
“I’ve been trying very conscientiously to figure out how you could have.”
“But I haven’t done anything.”
“Everybody else has said that too.”
She gazed at him steadily, and her lovely warm mouth richened with pouting.
“I don’t think you really like me, Simon.”
“I adore you,” he said politely.
“No, you don’t. I’ve tried to get on with you. Haven’t I?”
“You certainly have.”
“I’m not awfully clever, but I try to be nice. Really. I’m not a cat like Ginny, or all brainy and snooty like Lissa. I haven’t any background, and I know it. I’ve had a hell of a life. If I told you about it, you’d be amazed.”
“Would I? I love being amazed.”
“There you go again. You see?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t kid you.”
“Oh, it’s all right. I haven’t got much to be serious about. I’ve got a pretty face and a beautiful body. I know I’ve got a beautiful body. So I just have to use that.”
“And you use it very nicely, too.”
“You’re still making fun of me. But it’s about all I’ve got, so I have to use it. Why shouldn’t I?”
“God knows,” said the Saint. “I didn’t say you shouldn’t.” She studied him again for a while.
“You’ve got a beautiful body, too. Alllean and muscular. But you’ve got brains as well. I’m sorry. I just like you an awнful lot.”
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
She smoked her cigarette for a few moments.
He lighted a cigarette himself. He felt uncomfortable and at a loss. As she sat there, and with everything else in the world put aside, she was something that no man with a proper supply of hormones could have been cold to. But everything else in the world couldn’t be put aside quite like that …
“You know,” she said, “this is a hell of a life.”
“It must be,” he agreed.
“I’ve been watching it. I can think a little bit. You saw what happened this afternoon. I mean—”
“The blonde at the Tennis Club?”
“Yes … Well, it just happened that she was a blonde. She could just as well have been a brunette.”
“And then-Esther starts packing.”
“That’s what it amounts to.”
“But it’s been fun while it lasted; and maybe you take someнthing with you.”
“Oh, yes. But that isn’t everything. Not the way I mean. I mean…”
“What do you mean?”
She fiddled with a seam in her negligee for a long time.
“I mean … I know you aren’t an angel, but you’re not just like Freddie. I think you’d always be sincere with peoнple. You’re sort of different, somehow. I know I haven’t got anything much, except being beautiful, but-that’s something, isn’t it? And I do really like you so much. I’d-I’d do anyнthing … If I could only stay with you and have you like me a little.”
She was very beautiful, too beautiful, and her eyes were big and aching and afraid.
Simon stared at the opposite wall. He would have given his day’s thousand dollars to be anywhere the hell out of there.
He didn’t have to.
Freddie Pellman’s hysterical yell sheared suddenly through the silent house with an electrifying urgency that brought the Saint out of bed and up on to his feet as if he had been snatched up on wires. His instinctive movement seemed to coincide exactly with the dull slam of a muffled shot that gave more horror to the moment. He leapt towards the communiнcating door, and remembered as he reached it that while he had meant to get it unlocked that morning the episode of the obliterated fingerprints had put it out of his mind. Simulнtaneously, as he turned to the outer door, he realised that the sound of a door slamming could have been exactly the same, and he cursed his own unguardedness as he catapulted out on to the screened verandah.
One glance up and down was enough to show that there was no other person in sight, and he made that survey
Similar Books
