‘Well, I didn’t. I’ve got something for you.’ I gave her the snakeskin belt.
She promptly found fault with it:
‘It’s not my size and what am I going to wear with it?’
‘That’s your problem. Come on... I’m hungry.’ We went down to the coffee shop and ordered steaks.
‘How did you get on with the slinky Mrs. Vidal?’ she asked, once the order was given. She looked at me with a jeering little grin. ‘Have you fallen for her?’
I reached for a roll and began to butter it.
‘Sorry to disappoint you. There is no romance in the offing.’
‘Well, at least, admit she isn’t bad looking.’
‘I admit she isn’t bad looking.’
I could see she was irritated, I wasn’t rising to the bait ‘You mean she didn’t try to drag you into her bed?’
‘Shall we skip this drivel, honey,’ I said quietly. ‘I’ve something important to tell you, but if you must play you’re not so funny game, I’ll wait until you are through.’ I thought this was the safest way to play it. I was right. She flushed angrily. She hated to be treated like a child.
‘So what’s so important?’ she demanded.
‘Are you quite sure you don’t want to continue about Mrs. Vidal?’
‘Cut it out Clay! Don’t be so filthy! What’s important?’
‘I’m changing my job. Vidal made me an offer to come on his staff and I’ve accepted it!’
Her eyes popped open wide.
‘You mean you’re leaving A.T.S.?’
‘That’s right.’
‘But why?’
‘The money is twice as good as I’m getting now and the work will be much more interesting. It’s an opportunity too good to miss.’
‘Is it?’ She paused as the waitress set the plates before us. ‘How about your pension? You’ve worked for A.T.S. for years. I think you are nuts. Suppose Vidal drops dead? What will you do then?’
These were shrewd points which I hadn’t considered. I couldn’t tell her the reason I was going to work for Vidal and the only reason was that I would be in continual contact with Val.
‘He won’t drop dead and he’s taking care of the pension angle.’
She ate some of the steak, frowning.
‘Well, I suppose you know what you are doing. Where will you work?’
‘He has offices close to the house.’
‘Hey! What about me?’ She put down her knife and fork and stared at me. ‘How do I get to work and home again?’
‘With the extra money he is paying I can afford to buy a car for you.’
Her eyes lit up.
‘Honest?’
‘That’s what the man said.’
‘I don’t want some crummy heap Clay. I want either an Austin Cooper or a Toyota.’
‘You can have what you want.’
‘Big deal, huh?’ I could see she was pleased. She was so busy thinking about the car, she raised no further objections. It was as easy as that. However, while we were getting ready for bed after watching TV, she said suddenly, ‘I suppose you’ll be seeing a lot of Slinky?’
‘Who?’
‘Mrs. Vidal.’
‘I doubt it. From what I hear she travels a lot with Vidal.’
‘Oh.’ Rhoda thought for a moment, then decided not to pursue the subject. ‘Come on to bed. I feel sexy.’
I didn’t but this wasn’t the time to say no. When I put out the light and took her in my arms, I thought of Val, but even thinking of her wasn’t enough to turn me on.
When it was over, Rhoda said crossly, ‘What’s the matter with you? That was a complete drag.’
‘Sorry. I have a lot on my mind.’
‘You can say that again,’ and she turned her ‘back to me.
I lay in the darkness, thinking of Val. It was long past midnight before I fell asleep.
The following week proved a busy one and I was glad to have Olson to handle the routine work. I saw Massingham and told him of Vidal’s offer.
He took it well, ‘It’s up to you Clay,’ he said. ‘We’ll be sorry to lose you. Are you sure you’re doing the right thing? Vidal could be here today, gone tomorrow.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I’ve thought about it. I need a change. There will be more to it than booking tickets and the money is good.’
‘All right. Try it. See how you like working for him. If it doesn’t work out, come back to us. There’ll always be a place for you.’
It was more than I had expected.
I called on Vidal’s attorney, Jason Shackman. He had my contract ready. It was a simple affair. Either party could give six months’ notice: the contract to run for three years with a salary increase each year. I signed. He signed, and that was that.
Rhoda had her Austin Cooper and loved it. Although I was busy, the days dragged. I longed for the moment when I would see Val again.
On Saturday morning, as I was clearing my desk. Dyer came in.
‘All fixed for Monday, old boy?’ he asked. ‘I’ve been saving it all up for you. You’ll be as busy as a buzz saw. Tiny is going on a trip at the end of the week. Bring plenty of tranquillisers with you.’ He took a blue card in a plastic envelope from his pocket. ‘This is your pass. Show it to the guard at the barrier. Don’t lose it.’ He looked around my office, then rested a hip on my desk. ‘It foxes me why you’re giving this up. Here, you are your own boss and you have fixed hours of work.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s your funeral. You’ll appreciate this after a week or so working for Tiny.’ He looked thoughtfully at me. ‘Take a tip from me and be careful of Mrs. V. Strictly between you and me, she’s an odd ball. There are times when she really baffles me. She’s fine one day, then moody and far away the next. The damnedest thing happened a couple of months ago. She and I were discussing the arrangements for a big dinner party. I couldn’t remember the name of one of the guests. She couldn’t either. Then just when we were about to give up, I remembered. I snapped my fingers like this.’ With thumb and third finger, he made a loud snapping noise. ‘Believe it or not, she went into a trance. You know... like a subject who has been hypnotised. She just sat motionless, her eyes empty: she looked like a goddamn zombie. Gave me a hell of a turn. I had seen the trick done at a nightclub. I snapped my fingers twice in her face and she came to as fast as she had gone into the trance. She didn’t seem to know what had happened.’ He took out his gold cigarette case and offered it. ‘Odd, don’t you think?’
I refused the cigarette. It was as much as I could do to keep my face expressionless.
As I said nothing, he scowled. That I appeared to show no interest in what he had told me plainly irritated him.
‘Well, don’t say you haven’t been warned,’ he went on. ‘No finger snapping, old boy, unless, of course, you want to make her your slave, but with Tiny around that would be most unwise.’
‘You’ll have to excuse me,’ I said curtly. ‘I’m trying to clear up,’ and opening a desk drawer I began to empty it.
‘Mustn’t hold you up gossiping then.’ He slid off my desk. ‘Have a nice weekend.’ He moved to the door, then paused. ‘Oh, one other thing. Tiny works seven days a week. Don’t count on your future weekends. I never do,’ and on that cheerful note, he left.
I had no time to think over what he had told me about Val as Olson came in with some last minute queries. We were all kept busy until 13.00. Then, as it was my last day, I invited Sue and Olson to join Rhoda and me for lunch. When we broke up, Rhoda said she wanted to go into Palm Beach to do some shopping. As she now had her own transport, I gladly opted to return to the apartment.
Sitting on the balcony, I thought over what Dyer had told me and recalled what Val had also told me. Had Vidal really hypnotic powers? If he had, was Val under his influence? If she was, could he get from her that we were lovers?
Remembering her terror and her warning of his viciousness (he would have us killed!), I became so uneasy I just couldn’t continue to sit on the balcony any longer. I had to find something to do to rid myself of this pressure of growing alarm.