The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything

Chapter Six

He arrived at the Elise at quarter to five, and though he went directly to his room without stopping at the desk, the phone began to ring ten seconds after he had closed the door. It rang and it also flashed an imperative red light at him.

“Couldn’t you have let me know you’d be delayed, dear?” Charla asked.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Do you have anyone with you?”

“No.”

“That seems very odd.”

“What’s odd about it?”

“Don’t public figures usually have a swarm of people around them, eh?”

“Public figures?”

“Kirby dear, you’re so lovably obtuse. You better scoot right down here before the sky falls on you. Down the hall, dear. To the suite. I guess we’re lucky we didn’t try to do any shopping. We’ll be lucky if we can make it to the Glorianna, dear. She got in this morning.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Dear God, don’t you really know?”

“No.”

“Didn’t you stop at the desk?”

“No.”

“Then you better hustle down here and let me tell you about it.”

She hung up. As soon as he hung up the phone began ringing again. He answered it. A tense male voice said, “Kirby Winter?”

“Yes?”

“Look, fella. I won’t horse around. If nobody’s got to you, twenty-five hundred bucks on the line for a twenty-four-hour exclusive. This is Joe Hooper. Remember that name, hey? And I’ll see you get protection from everybody else until this time tomorrow. Is it a deal?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t be coy, sweetie. You got to move fast. You sneaked by pretty good, but word got around and they’re on their way up there now.”

“Who?”

“Are you Kirby Winter, for Crissake?”

He heard a commotion in the hall, and people began pounding on his door. “Excuse me, but there seems to be somebody at the door.”

“That’s them, you nut! Is it a deal?”

Kirby sighed and hung up. He started toward the door and hesitated. It sounded like a big crowd out there. Suddenly there was a sharp rapping on the locked interconnecting door at the other end of his room, and a muffled voice. “Kirby?” He recognized Charla’s voice. He went over to the door and answered her. “Open the latch, dear,” she said.

He opened the door. She smiled at him and tilted her head and listened to the commotion in the hall. “My word, they gather quickly don’t they?” She wore a yellow mandarin coat over white Bermuda shorts, and she was wearing huge opaque sunglasses.

“Who?”

“All the news people, lover. All jostling and pushing and despising themselves and each other and you, their nasty little strobe lights and pencils and tape machines all aimed and ready. I thought it might be like this, so just in case, I had Joseph pick up this room in between you and the suite. These interconnect so this whole oceanside can be turned into a big suite. Joseph had to get a dear little honeymoon couple moved out of this room to arrange it.”

“What do those people want?”

“Don’t stand there like a ninny, dear. They sound as if they might actually break the door down.”

He went with her through the extra bedroom and into the suite. She closed the interconnecting door behind them. In the suite she handed him an afternoon edition of the Miami News. They had a two-column picture of him on page one. It was an old picture. The head said, MYSTERY NEPHEW IN KREPPS TAX DODGE. He sat down very abruptly.

“At noon today Walton Grumby, Executive Vice President of Krepps Enterprises, revealed that serious estate tax problems are anticipated in the Omar Krepps estate because of the refusal by Kirby Winter, nephew of the late Krepps, to reveal the whereabouts of approximately $27,000,000 diverted over an eleven-year period from Krepps Enterprises into a mystery company known as O.K. Devices, entirely owned by Krepps.

“Grumby told reporters that O.K. Devices occupied a small rental office in the Fowler Building, employing only a Miss Wilma Farnham of Miami, and Kirby Winter. The day after the death of Krepps, Miss Farnham, either on her own initiative, or on the advice of Winter, destroyed all the files and records of O.K. Devices and closed the rental office. Grumby stated that Krepps was always highly secretive about the operations of O.K. Devices, and it seems possible that the company was merely a device for draining off the liquid assets of Krepps’ other ventures and placing them out of the reach of the Internal Revenue Service.

“Grumby stated that Winter traveled to all parts of the world on confidential orders from Krepps, returning infrequently to Miami. Earlier today, Winter refused to disclose his confidential activities to Krepps Enterprises executives or to state what had happened to the $27 million. The Farnham woman also refused to reveal any details of the operations of O.K. Devices or to state on whose instructions she had burned all the records.

“Grumby told reporters that in view of these indications of conspiracy, it seemed possible that Winter and the Farnham woman may attempt to flee the country. At press time neither Winter nor the Farnham woman had been located for comment.”

“Good Lord,” Kirby said, staring blankly at Charla.

She came and sat close beside him and took off the sunglasses.

“Do you see all the implications, dearest?” she asked.

“I guess they’re anxious to talk to me.”

“That figure has a horrid fascination. A million dreary little people are absolutely vibrating with the vision of all that money hidden away in the romantic corners of the world. They hate you for having it. And they have a sneaking admiration for you for grabbing it all as soon as your uncle died.”

“But it wasn’t that way!”

“Does that make any difference, really?”

“But if I explain the whole operation in detail—”

“Without any documentation at all? And you did tuck a little bit away here and there for yourself, didn’t you? Don’t look so indignant. If you didn’t, you are an idiot, of course. Didn’t Miss Farnham intercept a little? How can you be sure? But it isn’t the news people you have to worry about.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dear Kirby, the world is jammed with animals who would happily put you and your Miss Farnham on a double spit and roast you over coals for just one per cent of that much money. All of a sudden, dear, you two are very tasty animals in the wrong part of the jungle. And I think you might find out how sharp the teeth are if you walk out that door.” She had been edging close to him and he had been trying to move away, inconspicuously. Now he was at the end of the couch and the satin weight of one breast was on his arm.

“You need us more than ever,” she said.

“Huh?”

“The Glorianna, dear. Don’t be so dense. Either we smuggle you away, or the world tears you to pieces, believe me. And I really don’t know why we should even dream of helping you, after that nasty trick you pulled on us. Ice skates, indeed!”

“I was just checking.”

“Joseph was livid with rage, but I told him it served us right for underestimating you. It was quite clever, really. But I imagine you wouldn’t have been so wary if Betsy hadn’t given you a lot of wrong impressions about us.”

“But — I guess you do want something.”

“Of course, dear! Isn’t it refreshing to have it out in the open? We can all stop playing games, can’t we?”

“I guess so.”

“No secrets?”

“I guess — that depends.”

“On what? Darling, if you’re thinking of being so crude as to require some sort of agreement, you might spoil things for us, don’t you think? I couldn’t promise to be your absolute slave. But it might turn out that way, once we’re at sea. I wouldn’t really strike a whore’s bargain, no matter what is at stake. It would make it all so terribly ordinary. And we want it to be extraordinary, don’t we?”

Thinking of Betsy, he chose his words carefully. “I think, instead, I’m thinking in terms of a different kind of bargain. How my end of it will come out. And what the safeguards are.”

She was so close he could see a tiny amber wedge in the gray-green iris of her left eye, and see the exquisite detail of her lashes and brows, the individual hairs like gold wire.

The eyes narrowed and she took a deep breath and held it. “Then you have it!”

“Have what?”

“Just don’t get too bloody clever, Mr. Winter. You could bitch it for yourself, you know.”

“How could I?”

“All of a sudden, pet, your dead uncle has put more pressure on you than we ever could. Now I think you’re going to have to make a deal. Maybe you won’t have any choice.”

He was feeling his way. This was a new and rather deadly Charla, a confirmation of Betsy’s description. “Just suppose, even with all that pressure, I don’t need you.”

“Indeed?”

“Just suppose a goodly chunk of that money did get stashed. Where I can get to it. And suppose I have the idea you people are a little crude.”

“Crude?” she said thinly, shocked.

“Ransacking all Uncle Omar’s little hideouts.”

She studied him for a long time. “So you’re a good actor too. I think that makes you twice as dangerous as cleverness alone, you know. When the stakes are high enough, it’s worth making a direct move sometimes. It could have worked. Then who would need you?”

“But it turns out you do.”

She tilted her head. “And why the aw shucks, gee whiz, Huckleberry Finn reactions to my little — attentions, Kirby?”

“I like to be disarming.”

“Dear Jesus, you are! So what makes you immune? Is Farnham that good?”

“Probably.”

She got up to pace slowly, frowning. He noticed she had lost some of her accent in the past few minutes. “Very nice,” she said. “Set the mark up and when you get to the kill, he second-cards you to death. I suppose you are thinking in terms of a partnership.”

“Not particularly.”

“Is it in the same place the money is?”

“Is what?”

She stamped her foot. “Don’t be so damned coy! Certainly you know we could have done it the other way at any time. You drank whatever I handed you. And we could have gotten you to a place where screaming wouldn’t matter. Joseph hasn’t got the stomach for it, but I have, friend. I have. I find it very interesting.”

He swallowed a sudden obstruction in his throat. “So I guess that must mean it wouldn’t have done you any good.”

“It wouldn’t do you any good, dear.”

“I guess you have to assume I know what I’m doing.”

She nodded, reluctantly. “I’m beginning to think so. But what the hell was your uncle thinking of? He must have realized this would happen.”

“If this is the way he planned it.”

She gestured toward the newspaper. “If you brought this down on yourself, you must have a lot of confidence, Kirby.”

“I didn’t make any public statement.” He went over to the phone. He looked at his watch. “I want to see if I can get Grumby at home by now.”

“Better let me place the call for you. Knowing where you are would be worth money to the girl on the switchboard.”

He looked up the number. Charla placed the call. When she had Grumby on the line, she handed the phone to Kirby.

“Interesting press conference you held, Mr. Grumby.”

“Ah, Winter! You must understand that we have to protect ourselves.”

“Then you’ll understand my statement when I make it.”

“I don’t think I follow.”

“All I can say is that I was an underling. Uncle Omar certainly didn’t leave me anything. All I can say is that O.K. Devices was some sort of tricky corporate thing I never quite understood. It never made sense to me, using all that money to buy property and securities abroad and then putting the deeds and certificates and a lot of cash into Swiss banks in your name and the names of your associates. But I did it because I was paid to do it. And I can tell them that Miss Farnham is baffled too, because she burned the records at your request.”

There was a long silence. In a rather rusty voice, Grumby asked, “What is the purpose of all this, Mr. Winter?”

“I am going to try to avoid making any statement at all.”

“A statement like that — fictitious one might destroy us all.”

“In the absence of any documentation, it could get sticky for everybody. I’m just suggesting that you don’t try to get any cuter.”

“We may have seriously underestimated you, Mr. Winter.”

“You can’t retract the statement. But you can avoid making any more. I have all the trouble I need right now.” He hung up.

Charla looked at him approvingly. “You can be quite a serpent.”

“At heart I’m a ninny.”

“It’s an effective disguise. Omar did look like such a sweet, baffled old man. We should have assumed you’d take after him.”

The phone rang and she answered it. “Who? Oh, yes, of course. What is that? Oh, no, my dear. My brother and I hardly know the young man. Seen with him? You must be mistaken. Not that I would mind, you understand. It’s really quite exciting being in the same hotel, actually. Even the same floor, I understand. He must be a very interesting chap. All that money. My word! I’m sorry my brother and I have to leave this evening. It would be amusing to stay here and watch the fun. No, of course not. You’re very welcome.”

She hung up. “A bright girl, that one. Playing percentages, bribing the help, I imagine. Possibly the bellhops who carried you upstairs last night. I tried to stay well out of it, but those boys are quite observant. Well, darling, you might as well bring your suitcases in here and we’ll leave it up to Joseph to plan a good way to get you out of here tonight and onto the Glorianna. She’ll be refueled by now. And it’s just what you need, you know. The dramatic, mysterious disappearance.”

“That’s all I need.”

“We’ll do our bargaining at sea, Kirby.”

“Will we?”

“Dear boy, give me credit for some intelligence. If you weren’t interested in making a deal, you wouldn’t be hanging about, would you?”

“I guess not. I — uh — think I’ll shower and change.”

“Take your time, dear. We won’t be out of this for hours and hours. Want your back scrubbed?”

“No thanks.”

“Don’t look so severe. Any other little service you can think of?”

“Not right now. I’ll let you know.”

“I’m sure you will, you lovely serpent.”

When he was back in his room with the door bolted, he went and listened at the corridor door. He could hear a murmur of voices in the hall, and some laughter. He walked back and forth, biting his lip, smacking his fist into his palm. He remembered her words, “a place where screaming wouldn’t matter.” It made him feel sweaty and chilled.

At seven-thirty he stood on the exposed landing with the green eye looking out of the porthole in the bright door at him, shadowed by the dusk.

“It’s me,” he said in a squeaky, muffled, breathless voice. “Me!”

Betsy opened the door and let him in. “Dear Lord,” she said softly. “Anybody follow you here? No, I guess they wouldn’t.”

He undid the jacket and belt of the hotel uniform and took the hotel pillow out. He pulled the wads of tissue out of his cheeks. He collapsed into a chair and said, “They sent up a fat one.”

“A fat what?”

“A fat waiter. I called from the honeymooner’s room.”

“From the whose room?”

“I haven’t hit anybody since I was thirteen years old. He put the tray down and turned around and — Pow. I left a fifty-dollar bill in his hand. Then I walked right through all of them.”

“All of who?”

“Why would they have uniforms this color? Salmon and emerald?”

“Kirby, I heard all about you on television, on the six o’clock news, and I could guess that the thundering herd is after you, but really, you’d better start at the beginning. Unless you start somewhere near the beginning, I am going to all of a sudden start screaming.”

“She said something about screaming, and it was very nasty.”

“Kirby!”

“All right. All right.” And he told her. There was, for once, no need for in-process editing. She listened carefully, thoughtfully.

“So she finally showed her teeth, did she?”

“My God, the last place I ever want to be is on that yacht. And it’s a damn strain to talk to somebody and not really know what you’re talking about.”

“I think you are a sweet lamb and I think you did very well. But where are we? Now she thinks you know what it is she’s after. But you have no idea what it is?”

“Absolutely none.”

“But now she knows she’s either got to be awfully damn cute to get it away from you, or awfully rough, or pay your full price, or come in as a partner. What does it sound like, whatever it is?”

“All I can think of, I swear, is some sort of an invention.”

She nodded gravely. “That’s where I’ve been going too. Years and years ago, he did try to invent things. And suddenly he became rich and powerful. He got an edge, a gimmick, something that works. I think that Charla and Joseph reasoned it all out by inference. Maybe they don’t even know exactly what it is. But they could guess it could be written in his personal papers.”

“And they think I know exactly what it is.”

“Maybe it would be awfully useful right about now if you could lay your hands on it, Kirby.”

He closed his eyes. “You know, I’m just about whipped. Everybody in the world thinks I’ve got twenty-seven million dollars squirreled away and they all want it. Just six people know I gave it all away. You, me, Wilma, Wintermore, Charla and Joseph. And I gave Charla the idea I’d kept some. But they want something else, and I don’t know what it is, and you don’t, and you seem to think they don’t either.”

“Leaves Wilma, doesn’t it?”

He opened his eyes. “Could she know?”

“Maybe she could know without knowing she knows. Maybe she could have it without knowing she has it.”

“Guess I better phone her.”

He phoned Wilma. A man answered. He had a precise, high-pitched voice. “Who wishes to speak to her, please?”

He hesitated. Betsy was listening too. She nodded. “Kirby Winter.”

“You wouldn’t mind proving you’re Mr. Winter?”

“How do you expect me to—”

“Just a moment, please. I must get the questions she wrote down. You can prove you are Mr. Winter by answering them correctly.” He was gone for twenty seconds. “Are you there? Good. First, please give me the name of the man you were dealing with at the time of your uncle’s death.”

“Uh — Manuel Hernandez y Gomez.”

“And the name of the man in Rangoon in December?”

“Oh. Dr. Na Dan Boala.”

“Thank you, Mr. Winter. I suggested this precaution to my sister. She was in such a state of horrible emotional shock, she wasn’t thinking with — her customary precision. I am Roger Farnham. She hoped you might call. Now, thank God, I shall be able to leave also. The harassment is sickening, as I guess you must have learned by this time. I must say, it is a grim reward for my sister’s years of loyal faithful service to your uncle.”

“I didn’t have anything to—”

“I realize that, of course. And there is much about this I can’t pretend to understand, sir. Wilma will tell me very little. But I do know, of course, she is — uh — incapable of hanky-panky.”

“Yes. Of course.”

“I’ll doubtless be followed when I leave here, but I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing I won’t be leading them to Wilma. Do you know that the reporters actually badgered her into hysterics?”

“That’s too bad.”

“It took considerable guile to get her hidden safely away.”

“I can imagine.”

“And it would be a shame if you led the world to her hiding place.”

“I’ll certainly try not to.”

“She’s too delicate for this sort of thing. I’m leaving it up to you to do the right thing, and find some way out of this for her. Someone should be sued for the filthy hints they put in that interview.”

“I don’t think they’ll be doing any more hinting.”

“The damage is done, apparently. At any rate, sir, I have a home, a family and a profession to return to. Please tell her I cannot be expected to damage my own life in some vain attempt to assist her.”

“Where is she?”

“You will be careful about contacting her? She does want to see you.”

“I’ll be very careful, Mr. Farnham.”

“I smuggled her to the house of one of my associates, Mr. Winter. He is on a sabbatical leave in France, and he left the key with me. Unfortunately the phone is disconnected. Have you a pencil? Two-ten Sunset Way, Hallandale. It has considerable privacy due to the plantings Professor Wellerly arranged with that in mind. A small pink house. She has food and water, and she should be quite safe there, from the rabble and the curiosity seekers. But she is upset, naturally. Give a long ring then a short and then a long, and she will know it is either you or me, sir. She will open the door to no one else. And I believe I am right in saying we are both depending on you to do something to clear up this unfortunate situation.”

“Thank you.”

“Not at all, sir. It’s my duty to my sister. Good evening.”

“Well now!” Betsy said as he hung up. “How cozy you’ll be! In your wittle pink housey.”

“So how do I get there?”

“I can’t say that I really care how you get to Hallandale, friend.”

“In this uniform?”

“Bernie Sabbith is almost your size, and there is a whole closet loaded with stuff. Be his guest.”

“She wouldn’t think of letting me stay in that house with her.”

“You’re kidding!”

“I mean it. She’s a very — she’s sort of an odd girl. Uh — very proper.”

“Even under emergency conditions like this?”

“I wouldn’t want to risk it. Really, it would be a terrible risk for me to leave here. Any cab driver might recognize me.”

“Well, my friend, you can’t stay here. I’m a very odd girl too.”

“Is it or is it not important to you to help me?”

“Indeed it is, but there are some kinds of help—”

“I was thinking, Betsy, I could write a note to her telling her to trust you. You know, she really doesn’t think much of my judgment. Then you could go out there and stay there with her tonight and talk the whole thing out and maybe you and she can figure out what it is that Charla is after. I can reduce the risks by staying here alone. Then you can come back tomorrow and if you’ve learned anything we’ll know what to do, and if you haven’t, then we can try to figure out the next step.”

At first Betsy was reluctant, but at last she agreed the idea had some merit. She made drinks while he wrote the note. Then, having laid in some stores during the day, she cooked ham and eggs in the tiny kitchen corner. Just before she left, a little before nine, she showed him where the television set was. She crawled on her hands and knees to the intricate headboard of the enormous bed, flipped the switch that moved a ceiling panel aside exposing the picture tube built into the ceiling. The other controls were next to the switch.

“If Charla locates the place, ask her to watch TV with you, Kirby.”

“If I can arrange my life properly, I’ll never see that woman again.”

“What’s the matter. Scared of her?”

“Totally.”

Betsy gave him a wan smile. “Frankly, so am I.”