‘Some of the ransom.’
‘So, fill me in.’
He wasn’t sure if he had hooked her, but he now knew he had to give her the plan. For the next half hour, he talked persuasively. He explained what she would have to do. He explained about the tax evasion money.
‘He can’t do a thing without going to jail, honey. You get your freedom, I get the ransom. Between us, we have him over a barrel,’ he concluded. He paused, aware he was sweating. ‘How does it look to you?’
Her hands stroked her breasts, and she smiled at him.
‘Marvellous... wonderful.’
He regarded her uneasily.
‘Sure?’
‘Of course, I’m sure. So Saturday... I’ll be free!’ She slid down the bed and pulled him to her. ‘No more talk, Mike... let’s have some action!’
Six
Frost had just finished dressing when Suka came to the cabin.
Frost had slept badly. Although Gina had seemingly agreed excitedly to the idea of her being kidnapped, she worried him. He was almost sure that she was reefer smoking, and had been high the previous night. Suppose when she sobered up, she had a change of mind? He had rehearsed over and over again what she had to do.
At exactly three o’clock on Sunday morning, she was to I go to the guardroom. There she would find Marvin drugged. She was to press the red button on the third row I on the panel and wait for at least ten minutes. Then she was to press the fourth button in the same row. She was then to go straight to the harbour where she would find a boat waiting for her.
‘Marvellous! Wonderful! Exciting!’ she had said, and repeated what he had said, but he kept wondering if she would remember to press the right buttons. If she pressed a wrong button, every cop in Paradise City would be arriving. The thought made him sweat.
As Suka tapped, then peered into the cabin, Frost scowled at him.
‘What do you want?’ he demanded aggressively.
‘Mr. Grandi asks for you,’ Suka said. ‘Please to come with me.’
Alert, Frost followed him along the path and into the villa. Suka conducted him into the room where Frost had met Grandi before.
Grandi was behind his desk. Standing by the window, his hands behind his back, was Amando.
Frost paused in the doorway, aware that Suka had faded away.
‘Come in, Frost,’ Grandi said.
Frost moved up to the big desk while Grandi stared up at him.
‘I am leaving now,’ Grandi said. ‘I’ve talked to Marvin. From now on, Frost, you are in charge. Marvin will do what you say. Understand?’
‘If you say so, sir,’ Frost said, startled.
‘That’s what I’m saying. You have more experience than he has. This has been explained to him. From now on you get nine hundred dollars a week.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ Frost said, stiffly.
Grandi leaned forward, his stubby finger pointing at Frost.
‘You’ll earn it! My daughter is to remain here! If anything goes wrong, I’ll make you wish you were dead! Understand?’
Frost looked into the ruthless, evil little eyes and felt himself flinch.
‘Yes, sir.’ He paused, then went on, ‘I told you...’
Grandi cut him short with a wave of his hand.
‘I know what you told me. My daughter stays here! Do you understand?’
Frost drew in a deep breath.
‘Yes, sir.’
Grandi swung around to Amando.
‘You hear what he said?’
‘Yes, Mr. Grandi.’
‘Right,’ Grandi made a gesture of dismissal.
‘Excuse me, sir,’ Frost said, ‘but as I am in charge now, I want to know where I can contact you.’
Grandi leaned back in his chair, staring at Frost.
‘Why?’
Frost wanted to lick his dry lips, but he stopped in time.
‘In case of any emergency, sir.’
‘What emergency?’ The ruthless eyes bored into Frost.
Suddenly, Frost lost his fears of this squat tycoon.
‘How the hell do I know?’ he snarled in his cop voice. ‘Anything can happen! If you want to stay out of sight, it’s your funeral, but if this guy, Amando, walks under a truck, if Marvin falls into the lagoon, if I break my goddamn neck somehow, this, to me is an emergency. You following me, Mr. Grandi?’
Grandi relaxed.
‘You have made your point, Frost.’ He scribbled on a scratch pad, tore off the sheet and shoved it across the desk. ‘Any time, you can reach me.’
Frost took the sheet, stepped back, and said, ‘Thank you, sir.’
‘I’m relying on you,’ Grandi said.
‘That you can do, sir,’ Frost said, then he walked out f of the room, and shut the door behind him.
An hour later, back in his cabin, Frost watched, through the big window, Grandi drive away in the Rolls.
He then walked to the guardroom where he found Marvin.
‘Hi, boss,’ Marvin said as Frost walked in.
‘Cut it out, Jack,’ Frost said. ‘We’re both in this racket. Don’t blame me for Grandi’s ideas. We’re here to make a living. I’m no more boss than you.’
Marvin grinned wryly.
‘Yeah... so let’s earn a living. So you’re in charge now. Do you have any extra ideas?’
‘The setup is sweet to me. I’m going for a swim. Remember? It’s my day off.’
‘You think about it, Mike. Maybe you could have ideas.’
Frost walked up to him and gave him a playful thump on his chest.
‘We’re organised, Jack. No problem. This fink’s just shooting off with his mouth.’
Marvin relaxed.
‘When dealing with a thug like him, anything can happen. Okay, Mike, we work together.’
Although his date with Silk was at 18.00, Frost decided there was no point in waiting, so when he left Marvin, he drove to the Ace of Spades, arriving there a little after 14.20.
The restaurant was crowded, but Umney, moving around, showing his teeth at the clients, saw Frost as he came in, and he came quickly to his side.
‘Where’s Silk?’ Frost demanded.
‘He’s busy,’ Umney said, ‘but he’ll be free in half an hour. How about some lunch, Mike?’
‘Where’s Marcia?’
‘On her back. I haven’t eaten yet. Let’s you and me have a lobster salad... right?’
Frost found he was hungry.
‘Okay.’
Umney led him to a side room. A waiter materialised.
‘A drink?’
‘Sure... gin on the rocks.’ Frost sat at the table, and looked around. In a corner, two girls were eating. One was wearing black slacks and was topless; her tiny breasts were like poached eggs. Her companion was lush, blonde and stupid looking. On the far side of the room was a fat, elderly man caressing the hand of a blond boy who was giggling.
As the waiter brought the drinks, Frost said, ‘Nice people you have here.’
‘Turds, but they have the money,’ Umney said indifferently, ‘and we are all after the money.’
‘You can say that again,’ Frost said.
The lobster salad was served.
As they began to eat, Umney said, ‘You got it fixed, Mike?’
‘I’ve got it fixed,’ Frost said.
Umney forked lobster into his mouth.
‘Lu will be glad to hear the news.’
‘Rest your mouth, Ross, I’m eating,’ Frost said.
They finished lunch in silence, then Frost pushed back his chair.
‘Go find Silk,’ he said.
Umney found Silk in the shooting range. Silk had just won three thousand dollars off a playboy who thought he was the best shot in the city until he had challenged Silk.
‘Frost’s here,’ Umney said. ‘He says he’s fixed it. He’s acting tough.’
‘They all act tough,’ Silk said, handing his pistol to Moses. ‘Let’s see what he has come up with. Where’s Mitch?’
‘Stuffing his gut... where else?’