I changed into slacks and an open neck shirt and drove to the golf club. I found Joe Harkness of the American Express hopefully looking for a partner. He brightened when he saw me.
‘You’re in for a beating, buddy,’ he said. ‘I’m feeling right on form.’
With Val very much in my thoughts, I was in no mood to concentrate, and I played my worst ever round of golf.
As we went together to the bar, Harkness said. ‘Boy! You’ve certainly things on your mind. Is Dyer worrying you?’
Knowing he would find out sooner or later, I told him, starting from tomorrow, I was going to work for Vidal. The news seemed to shock him out of his jocular mood.
‘Is that such a bright idea Clay?’ he asked. ‘Of course it’s no business of mine, but the last man I would care to work for would be Vidal.’
‘He’ll probably be tricky, but the money is good and I need a change.’
‘But for how long? I have an idea he isn’t going to last. This empire he’s built gives off a smell. Frankly, I’ve never slept better since we lost the account. I have a feeling that before long there’s going to be a godawful crash.’
I looked sharply at him.
‘Just a feeling? Anything to support it?’
‘Nothing tangible but people are talking and there’s no smoke without fire.’ He glanced around to make sure we couldn’t be overheard, then went on, ‘I know for a fact that when his contract with U-Drive comes up for renewal at the end of this month, they are only going to give him a month’s credit instead of six. Once that leaks, all his other creditors will do the same. Has it occurred to you Clay that if your people still had his account and learned no one was going to give him six months credit any longer, wouldn’t they follow suit? If Vidal suspected that his credit was going to be cut, it I would be a smart move to hire an experienced operator like yourself to handle his travel. At least, he would be saving agency commissions.’
I stared at him. This certainly hadn’t occurred to me but I didn’t go along with the idea. It had been Val who had made the suggestion. However, I could see that if Vidal did suspect he was only going to get a month’s credit from the A.T.S. in the future, he would jump at the idea of employing me.
‘Well, it’s no skin off my nose,’ I said and finished my beer. ‘Even if Vidal comes unstuck, I’m safe. Massingham is holding my job open. Let’s hope Vidal keeps going long enough for me to pick up some extra money before he goes crash always providing he is going to crash.’
‘I hope so.’ He still looked worried. ‘I’d better be moving or the little lady will have my hide. See you next week, huh?’
When he had gone, I thought over what he had said. I recalled that after checking with the Credit rating people, Massingham had discovered that Vidal didn’t own a thing: that the house, cars, yacht and even Val’s jewellery were hired. I remembered my reaction. A pretty convenient arrangement if you want to skip suddenly.
If Massingham hadn’t assured me my job would be waiting, I would have been worried. As it was, I shrugged. I was in the position of having my cake and eating it.
Leaving the clubhouse, I drove down town and bought groceries for the weekend. The Public Library was across the way from the self-service store and on impulse I dumped the two sacks of groceries in the trunk of the car and entered the library.
A large, matronly looking woman with white hair and twinkling grey eyes, smiled a welcome.
‘It’s Mr. Burden,’ she said. ‘I was wondering when you would visit us.’
I was nonplussed.
‘How do you know my name?’ I asked.
She laughed.
‘It’s part of my job to know all the new arrivals. You’re with A.T.S. at the Spanish Bay hotel.’
‘Guilty.’
‘And what can I do for you, Mr. Burden?’
I asked her if she had anything on hypnotism.
‘Nothing specialised. There will be a reference in one of our encyclopaedias. I’ll get you the volume.’
The information I got from the encyclopaedia did interest me although it was scanty. I learned that women were more susceptible to hypnotism than men that mediums (persons hypnotised) could not be ordered to do any act disagreeable to them. They could not be ordered to hurt themselves, to eat food repugnant to them, but they would eat, for example, beef and believe it was lobster if told so by the hypnotist. They would obey any normal order and if told to do so, would not remember what they had done. And finally, hypnotism practised by an unqualified person could be dangerous.
If correct, it was reassuring to know that a medium could not be forced under hypnotism to do something that he/she would not do when in a normal state. If I could rely on that statement then it would seem unlikely that Vidal could obtain a confession from Val that we were lovers.
Still thinking about this and feeling more confident, I drove back to my apartment. I was preparing a chicken salad when Rhoda came in.
‘Supper’s just ready.’ I said. ‘Did you get all you wanted?’
‘No. Get me a big martini, honey. My feet are killing me.’
I never knew when Rhoda’s feet were not killing her.
‘What were you looking for then?’
‘Nothing particular. I was just looking. Palm Beach is even more expensive than here. That didn’t stop Mrs. Slinky throwing her husband’s money around.’
I stiffened.
‘Look, Rhoda, must you always refer to Mrs. Vidal as Slinky?’
‘Why shouldn’t I? Do you object?’
‘No.’ I fixed the drinks. ‘Call her what you like if it amuses you.’
‘Thanks, I will. She was in Elizabeth Arden buying the whole shop. She gave me one of those catty smiles, but she was far too snooty even to say hello.’
‘How depressing for you.’
Her eyes snapped.
‘Don’t be sarcastic! Does she know I am your wife?’
I moved out on to the balcony and began to set the table for dinner.
‘Why should she?’
‘I wondered if you had told her. After all, she is a customer of mine. Did you tell her?’
‘No. Are you ready to eat?’
‘Maybe if she had known I was your wife she would have stopped to talk.’
‘If you are so anxious to have her talk to you if I see her, I’ll tell her you are my wife.’
‘If you see her? Of course you’ll see her. What do you mean?’
‘I think I told you, she is away a great deal.’
She gave me a sly little grin.
‘How very depressing for you,’ she said and laughed.
The telephone bell was shrilling in the living room: it brought me awake.
It seemed only a few minutes since I had fallen asleep. We had sat up for the late TV show and had finally got to bed at half past midnight. I was in my first heavy sleep when awakened.
Slightly dazed and cursing, I snapped on the bedside lamp as Rhoda sat up. Her face was smothered in grease and her hair in curlers. She looked like hell.
‘What is it?’ she mumbled. ‘Put the light out!’
‘It’s the telephone.’
I was groping around for my slippers.
‘To hell with it! It’s a wrong number. Let it ring!’
Maybe over the years with A.T.S. I had become a slave to the telephone. One thing I could never do was ignore its bell. I went into the living room and snatched up the receiver.
‘Burden? That you?’
Startled, I recognised Vidal’s high squeaky voice.
‘Yes. Is that Mr. Vidal?’
‘Of course it is Burden. I have to be in San Salvador at 09.30 tomorrow morning... this morning. Arrange it and call me back,’ and he hung up.