There was a long pause while she continued to stare up at the ceiling,
‘And now... after six years?’ I was depressed. I couldn’t accept this extraordinary story. Trilby and Svengali! (What did she mean?) Spirits. Devils. I would much rather she told me that she had fallen madly in love with Vidal and now that love had turned sour. I could have accepted that but not this nonsense about being possessed and hypnotised.
‘My life is becoming my own again,’ she said. ‘He has less use for me. I have become redundant. He is too busy to entertain much, but when he does, then I have to arrange everything. He spends weeks locked in his office. He has many people working for him. For a year now he hasn’t told me what he is doing, what he is planning. He likes to have me around. I am an ornament... nothing else. He doesn’t need my help anymore and I am thankful. I have leisure now. This has given me time to think, and my thoughts, Clay, have been of you. You don’t know how I have regretted sending your ring back, but please try to understand, at that time, I was half out of my mind. Even when life was most hectic and we were rushing from one city to another, one country to another, I found time to think of you. Then last month I saw in the papers that A.T.S. were opening at the Spanish Bay hotel and you were to be in charge. I went to Dyer. He is nervous of me He isn’t sure if I have influence or not. He knows I once worked for the A.T.S. It wasn’t difficult to persuade him to transfer the account to you. I said I wanted to do my old firm a favour. He accepted that, and made no difficulty about the change. Then when I heard Henry was going on a business trip here, I persuaded him to let me come with him. I hadn’t been on a trip with him for some time. I said I wanted a change, that I would have a guide and see the country while he worked. I told Dyer you were to be the guide.’ She patted my hand. ‘You resisted, didn’t you? I got my way in the end and here we are.’ She rolled towards me, sliding her arms around me. ‘Forgive me for hurting you, darling, and do try to understand how it happened.’ I gently stroked her hip.
‘Although I have never forgotten you, Val. I really believed I had lost you for good. You know I’m married?’
She nodded.
‘Dyer told me. Does she make you happy Clay?’
‘We are married.’
‘I’ve been honest with you Clay, please be honest with me. Does she make you happy?’
‘No. We get along. We have really nothing in common. You’ve met her. She works at The Trendie Miss.’
‘Rhoda? Is she your wife?’
‘Yes.’
‘But she’s pretty and so gay. Have you been married long Clay?’
‘Two years. It was a mistake.’
She looked searchingly at me.
‘You don’t love her?’
‘I love you.’
She rested her face again mine.
‘You don’t know how good it is to hear you say that. I don’t think I can live without you now Clay.’
‘I thought about you all last night. I can’t bear the thought of losing you again. What can we do!’ Would he divorce you?’
I felt her stiffen.
‘No! I wouldn’t dare even ask him. If he thought I wanted to leave him for you, God knows what he would do!’
‘But what can he do?’ I said impatiently. ‘Tell him you love me and I’ll tell Rhoda I love you. They must give us a divorce.’
‘Clay! I told you he is evil. I told you he is a devil. He has thugs working for him. He has only to give them instructions and they follow out those instructions. A man once tried to cheat him. That man was attacked by these thugs. He is going about in a wheelchair now. He is half an idiot.’ I stared at her.
‘Didn’t the police...’
‘A dark night, a vicious blow... what can the police do? If he found out we are lovers he would turn his thugs loose on you and on me. There was a stupid, greedy girl who tried to threaten him with a paternity case. She hoped to get money out of him. She was crazy. One of his thugs threw acid in her face. She is now blind.’
Fear laid cold hands on me.
‘So when I said God knows what he would do to you and to me if I asked him for a divorce I’m stating a fact. He might even have us killed.’
‘I can’t believe...
‘I’m telling you!’ Her voice became shrill. She half sat up, glaring at me, the fear in her eyes was chilling. ‘He’ll have us killed!’
Her fear was so real I could only stare helplessly at her.
‘Does that mean...’
‘There is a way. I’ve been thinking and thinking for the past week and I have found a solution that would be safe. Always providing you really don’t want to be parted from me as I can’t bear the thought of being parted from you. It is a solution that won’t even interfere with your marriage.’
‘What is it?’
‘I will persuade him to employ you to look after his travel affairs. You would be like Dyer, a member of the staff. You would have an office in the house. When he is away; there would be no danger.’ She looked questioningly at me. ‘What do you think?’
I shook my head doubtfully.
‘Why should he be persuaded?’
‘He would agree for two reasons. He would save agency fees and I would be occupied. He is continually telling me to find something to do. You see darling, we would work together, I would again be your secretary,’ She gripped my arm, her eyes shining. ‘Of course we would have to be careful, but we would have moments like this again when he goes away.’
I was still doubtful but I could see the possibility of such a plan.
‘But what about Dyer?’
‘He is overworked as it is. He would be glad to be rid of the travel business. There would be no problem with him.’ I was beginning to get excited.
‘It sounds too good to be true!’
‘It’s better than that. What are you earning now?’ I told her.
‘He would pay you twice as much and even then save money. You would work office hours. You would return home as you always do.’ She brushed my cheek with her lips. ‘Neither he nor Rhoda would ever know.’
And stupidly, I believed her.
Four
The next four days followed a pattern. Every morning we set off sightseeing with Rivera. It was irritating that we had to be separated in the car, but we both agreed that it would be unwise to sit together. A change like that might make Rivera suspicious.
We toured the city and visited the Mercado central which was swarming with Indians: their multi-coloured produce black beans, water melons, yellow corn, scarlet tomatoes and pink, sticky cakes — making an exotic carpet on the dusty, litter strewn street. Rivera drove us to Acajalta to see the Port where liners from Panama disgorge tourists into waiting buses for a brief glimpse of the city. We visited a coffee beneficio where we watched the turning of the red berries into cafe de oio, the final drying out of the bean before sacking. He took us to the village of Ilobasco where elderly craftsmen made microscopic dolls of clay: a dying art, Rivera told us sadly. ‘The young have no patience for such exact work.’