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Authors: Jack Higgins
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Passion
Oliver Van Horn's villa was perched on the extreme end of a narrow finger of rock that jutted out into the calm waters of a secluded bay on the other side of the headland from the town. It was a two-storeyed building with a flat roof arid stood in a couple of acres of garden surrounded by a high wall.
They went down the hillside and crossed the white dusty strip of road and approached cautiously. The great. iron-bound gates stood open. They moved inside and Katina led the way along a narrow flagged path between olive trees.
The garden was a riot of color, the night air heavy with the scent of flowers. Palms lifted then" heads above the wall and gently nodded hi the cool breeze and a fountain splashed in a fish pool in a small clearing.
They could hear the low murmur of voices from somewhere near at hand and Katina moved forward quietly and crouched down.
They were on the edge of the circular driveway in front of the main entrance. A German command staff car was parked at the bottom of the steps and two NCOs in grey uniforms and forage caps lounged beside it smoking cigarettes.
A moment later, the front door opened and two men moved out into the lighted porch. Lomax recognised Van Horn at once from the many photos he had seen. Lean and wiry in a white linen suit, his clipped moustache and grizzled hair prematurely grey.
The other man was a German staff officer, a colonel of infantry and astonishingly young for such a rank with, a mobile intelligent face.
He limped heavily as he went down the steps and climbed into the car and Van Horn stayed in the porch. He raised his hand as the car moved away, scattering gravel, and then went back inside.
As the door closed, Lomax turned to Katina. "Who was the German officer?" v
"Colonel Steiner. He is in command here."
"They looked too bloody friendly for my liking," Boyd said.
She shook her head. "Mr. Van Horn depends on Steiner's goodwill for all his medical supplies. That's why he plays chess with him every week." She got to her feet. "I think it would be better if we went round to the rear of the house."
They followed another path round a corner and she paused in the bushes a few yards from a flight of shallow steps that led up to a covered terrace. A french window stood open to the night, curtains lifting in the wind, light $pilling into the darkness.
Someone was playing the piano rather well, an old, pre-war Rodgers and Hart number, nostalgic and wistful, a hint of a summer that had gone and memories only now.
"Wait here!" Katina said.
She crossed the lawn, mounted the steps and went in through the french window. Lomax leaned against a tree, the sub-machine gun crooked in his arm, and waited.
The piano stopped. The silence which followed seemed to go on for ever and he could hear the waves breaking across the rocks on the beach below. Suddenly, the curtain was pulled back and Van Horn appeared.
He moved across the terrace, leaned over the balustrade and called softly, "Captain Lomax?"
Lomax stepped out of the bushes, Boyd at his heels, and crossed the lawn.
"My dear fellow, delighted to see you," Van Horn said as calmly as if he were greeting an old friend arriving for dinner. "Let's go inside."
The room was large and comfortably furnished, its low roof crossed by great beams. A grand piano stood against one wall and a fire of logs burned on a wide stone hearth.
There was no sign of Katina, but at that moment the far door opened and she came in followed by an old woman with brown wrinkled face and sharp black eyes. She was drying her hands on the white apron she wore over her dress and looked at them curiously.
Van Horn crossed the room, the three of them held a hurried conversation in Greek and then he returned.
"I've asked Maria, my housekeeper, to fix you up with a room and a meal. We'll
Oliver Van Horn's villa was perched on the extreme end of a narrow finger of rock that jutted out into the calm waters of a secluded bay on the other side of the headland from the town. It was a two-storeyed building with a flat roof arid stood in a couple of acres of garden surrounded by a high wall.
They went down the hillside and crossed the white dusty strip of road and approached cautiously. The great. iron-bound gates stood open. They moved inside and Katina led the way along a narrow flagged path between olive trees.
The garden was a riot of color, the night air heavy with the scent of flowers. Palms lifted then" heads above the wall and gently nodded hi the cool breeze and a fountain splashed in a fish pool in a small clearing.
They could hear the low murmur of voices from somewhere near at hand and Katina moved forward quietly and crouched down.
They were on the edge of the circular driveway in front of the main entrance. A German command staff car was parked at the bottom of the steps and two NCOs in grey uniforms and forage caps lounged beside it smoking cigarettes.
A moment later, the front door opened and two men moved out into the lighted porch. Lomax recognised Van Horn at once from the many photos he had seen. Lean and wiry in a white linen suit, his clipped moustache and grizzled hair prematurely grey.
The other man was a German staff officer, a colonel of infantry and astonishingly young for such a rank with, a mobile intelligent face.
He limped heavily as he went down the steps and climbed into the car and Van Horn stayed in the porch. He raised his hand as the car moved away, scattering gravel, and then went back inside.
As the door closed, Lomax turned to Katina. "Who was the German officer?" v
"Colonel Steiner. He is in command here."
"They looked too bloody friendly for my liking," Boyd said.
She shook her head. "Mr. Van Horn depends on Steiner's goodwill for all his medical supplies. That's why he plays chess with him every week." She got to her feet. "I think it would be better if we went round to the rear of the house."
They followed another path round a corner and she paused in the bushes a few yards from a flight of shallow steps that led up to a covered terrace. A french window stood open to the night, curtains lifting in the wind, light $pilling into the darkness.
Someone was playing the piano rather well, an old, pre-war Rodgers and Hart number, nostalgic and wistful, a hint of a summer that had gone and memories only now.
"Wait here!" Katina said.
She crossed the lawn, mounted the steps and went in through the french window. Lomax leaned against a tree, the sub-machine gun crooked in his arm, and waited.
The piano stopped. The silence which followed seemed to go on for ever and he could hear the waves breaking across the rocks on the beach below. Suddenly, the curtain was pulled back and Van Horn appeared.
He moved across the terrace, leaned over the balustrade and called softly, "Captain Lomax?"
Lomax stepped out of the bushes, Boyd at his heels, and crossed the lawn.
"My dear fellow, delighted to see you," Van Horn said as calmly as if he were greeting an old friend arriving for dinner. "Let's go inside."
The room was large and comfortably furnished, its low roof crossed by great beams. A grand piano stood against one wall and a fire of logs burned on a wide stone hearth.
There was no sign of Katina, but at that moment the far door opened and she came in followed by an old woman with brown wrinkled face and sharp black eyes. She was drying her hands on the white apron she wore over her dress and looked at them curiously.
Van Horn crossed the room, the three of them held a hurried conversation in Greek and then he returned.
"I've asked Maria, my housekeeper, to fix you up with a room and a meal. We'll
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