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Authors: Bill Pronzini
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what?”
“For the delivery into my hands of Marla King.”
“Because you think she killed La Croix.”
“Oh, she killed him. Most certainly.”
“And because you think she’s got this item of yours.”
“Quite correct.”
“What makes you think I know where to find her?”
“She came to you once. She will come again.”
“Why should she have come to me in the first place?”
“For the same reason as Monsieur La Croix.”
“Passage out of Singapore?”
“Exactly.”
“Why couldn’t she get out by the normal means?”
“She has very little money, and she will not be able to dispose of the item now in her possession on the island. She also happens to be on Singapore illegally.”
“Do you think I agreed to take her out?”
“I have no idea. But I do know that she could not have offered you anything approximating the sum of twenty thousand Straits dollars. And we are all mercenaries, are we not, Mr. Connell?”
I smiled at him. “She could have promised me half the worth of this item of yours,” I said. “That might be a hell of a lot more than twenty thousand Straits dollars.”
He blinked, and I knew that the idea hadn’t occurred to him before now. His soft mouth underwent a transformation, and the blue eyes were like chips of bright glass. “Did she make such an offer?” he asked softly.
I was pushing him too much again. I said, “No,” and crossed the room to the ice-cooler. When I had popped the cap on a bottle of Anchor Beer, I turned; Van Rijk was sitting forward in the rattan armchair, watching me intently.
“Well, Mr. Connell?”
I had a long drink from the bottle and went over to the settee near the window and sat down. “I’ll see what I can do.”
He relaxed. As far as he was concerned, our roles were fixed: master and hired menial. The power of the long green —a power I had, for too many years, used and abused with the same confidence and indifference as Van Rijk.
He removed a box of Players from an inside pocket of his suit jacket, opened it, and placed another of the cigarettes carefully between his lips; he fired it just as carefully with the jade-and-gold lighter. “I do not pay in advance for services not yet rendered,” he said. “When you have delivered the girl, I will see to it that you receive the amount I promised you.”
“Or a knife in the back.”
He gave me that injured look again. “You do me a great injustice, Mr. Connell. I am an honorable man.”
“Sure you are.”
“I would extend one word of warning, however.”
“I’m listening.”
“Should you be offered a percentage of the item which belongs to me, or by some method come into possession of it yourself, it would be most unwise for you to consider a double-cross. The grass may seem of a greener hue elsewhere, but green grass ofttimes conceals a shallow grave. Do I make myself clear?”
“The pointed homilies aren’t necessary, Van Rijk. I don’t underestimate you in the slightest.”
The gingerbread smile. “I am glad we understand each other.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Now how do I get in touch with you?”
“I will call you tomorrow evening at seven o‘clock,” he answered. “And each evening after that at the same time, should it be necessary. When Marla King contacts you again, you will arrange to meet her at an isolated location —Bukit Batok Hill, perhaps—at nine o’clock that same evening.”
“And then you keep the date.”
“Certainly.”
“Suppose she balks at the meeting place and wants it public?”
“Then it will be up to you to put her in my hands as best you can.”
“I get the feeling you don’t trust me much, Van Rijk.”
“No more than you apparently trust me.”
I shrugged. “Such is life in Southeast Asia.”
He liked that. He let me hear his burr-edged laugh. “Indeed,” he said. “Oh yes, indeed, Mr. Connell!”
“All right,” I told him. “We’ll do it your way. There’s just one thing.”
“Yes?”
“Keep your
“For the delivery into my hands of Marla King.”
“Because you think she killed La Croix.”
“Oh, she killed him. Most certainly.”
“And because you think she’s got this item of yours.”
“Quite correct.”
“What makes you think I know where to find her?”
“She came to you once. She will come again.”
“Why should she have come to me in the first place?”
“For the same reason as Monsieur La Croix.”
“Passage out of Singapore?”
“Exactly.”
“Why couldn’t she get out by the normal means?”
“She has very little money, and she will not be able to dispose of the item now in her possession on the island. She also happens to be on Singapore illegally.”
“Do you think I agreed to take her out?”
“I have no idea. But I do know that she could not have offered you anything approximating the sum of twenty thousand Straits dollars. And we are all mercenaries, are we not, Mr. Connell?”
I smiled at him. “She could have promised me half the worth of this item of yours,” I said. “That might be a hell of a lot more than twenty thousand Straits dollars.”
He blinked, and I knew that the idea hadn’t occurred to him before now. His soft mouth underwent a transformation, and the blue eyes were like chips of bright glass. “Did she make such an offer?” he asked softly.
I was pushing him too much again. I said, “No,” and crossed the room to the ice-cooler. When I had popped the cap on a bottle of Anchor Beer, I turned; Van Rijk was sitting forward in the rattan armchair, watching me intently.
“Well, Mr. Connell?”
I had a long drink from the bottle and went over to the settee near the window and sat down. “I’ll see what I can do.”
He relaxed. As far as he was concerned, our roles were fixed: master and hired menial. The power of the long green —a power I had, for too many years, used and abused with the same confidence and indifference as Van Rijk.
He removed a box of Players from an inside pocket of his suit jacket, opened it, and placed another of the cigarettes carefully between his lips; he fired it just as carefully with the jade-and-gold lighter. “I do not pay in advance for services not yet rendered,” he said. “When you have delivered the girl, I will see to it that you receive the amount I promised you.”
“Or a knife in the back.”
He gave me that injured look again. “You do me a great injustice, Mr. Connell. I am an honorable man.”
“Sure you are.”
“I would extend one word of warning, however.”
“I’m listening.”
“Should you be offered a percentage of the item which belongs to me, or by some method come into possession of it yourself, it would be most unwise for you to consider a double-cross. The grass may seem of a greener hue elsewhere, but green grass ofttimes conceals a shallow grave. Do I make myself clear?”
“The pointed homilies aren’t necessary, Van Rijk. I don’t underestimate you in the slightest.”
The gingerbread smile. “I am glad we understand each other.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Now how do I get in touch with you?”
“I will call you tomorrow evening at seven o‘clock,” he answered. “And each evening after that at the same time, should it be necessary. When Marla King contacts you again, you will arrange to meet her at an isolated location —Bukit Batok Hill, perhaps—at nine o’clock that same evening.”
“And then you keep the date.”
“Certainly.”
“Suppose she balks at the meeting place and wants it public?”
“Then it will be up to you to put her in my hands as best you can.”
“I get the feeling you don’t trust me much, Van Rijk.”
“No more than you apparently trust me.”
I shrugged. “Such is life in Southeast Asia.”
He liked that. He let me hear his burr-edged laugh. “Indeed,” he said. “Oh yes, indeed, Mr. Connell!”
“All right,” I told him. “We’ll do it your way. There’s just one thing.”
“Yes?”
“Keep your
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