‘That’s not my fault, Harry,’ he said. ‘I’ve been in Washington for the past month. I’ve only just got back. How are you? I hear you have a job.’
‘Well, call it that,’ I said. ‘It’s better than nothing.’
I dropped into a lounging chair. Nina sat on the arm, her hand on mine and Renick went back to his chair. The searching, probing stare was still there.
‘Look, Harry,’ he said, ‘you can’t go on like this. You’ve got to get settled. I think I can swing this thing with Meadows if you want it.’
I stared at him.
‘Meadows? Swing what?’
‘My boss,’ Renick said. ‘I told you: I spoke to him about you. We need a good Public Relations man: you’re hand-made for the job.’
‘Am I? Well, I don’t think so,’ I said. ‘After what those jerks did to me, I wouldn’t work for the City for any money.’
Nina’s grip tightened on my hand.
‘Be reasonable, Harry, for heaven’s sake!’ Renick said. ‘The old gang’s gone. This is a big opportunity. We don’t know what it’ll pay yet, but it’ll be good money. Meadows knows all about your case and your reputation as a newspaper man. If we can get a grant for the salary, and we’re pretty sure we can, the job’s yours.’
It crossed my mind that here was my chance to drop this kidnapping stunt and get down to a solid job of work. I hesitated, thinking of the fifty thousand dollars. With that amount of money behind me, I could be my own boss.
‘I’ll think about it,’ I said. ‘Maybe the old gang has gone, but I’m still not sold about working for the City. Anyway, I’ll think about it.’
‘But don’t you think you should take it?’ Nina said anxiously. ‘It’s work you like and you…’
‘I said I’d think about it,’ I said curtly.
Renick looked disappointed.
‘Well, all right. Of course it’s not certain we’ll get a grant, but if we do, we’ll want a quick decision.
There are a couple of other guys after the job already.’
‘There always are,’ I said, ‘Thanks, John, for the offer. I’ll let you know.’
He gave a helpless little shrug, then got to his feet.
‘Okay. I must get moving. I just dropped in to tell you. You give me a call.’
When he had gone, Nina said, ‘You’re not going to turn this offer down, are you, Harry? You must see…’
‘I’m going to think about it. Come on, let’ s go to bed.’
She put her hand on my arm as she said, ‘If they get the grant, I want you to take this job. We can’t go on much longer like this. You must get settled.’
‘Will you let me handle my own life?’ I said sharply. ‘I said I would think about it, and that’s what I’m going to do.’
I went into the bedroom, and after putting the tape I had recorded into a drawer, I got undressed.
I could hear Nina moving about the kitchen, clearing up. I got into bed.
Again I balanced this offer of Renick’s against Rhea’s fifty thousand dollars. Maybe this grant wouldn’t jell. Maybe something would turn sour with the kidnapping. I would have to wait and see.
Maybe with any luck I might land both Renick’s offer and Rhea’s money.
Nina came in. I pretended to be half asleep. I watched her undress through half closed eyes. She got into bed beside me and turned off the light. When she moved close to me, I shifted away. I felt such a heel, I couldn’t bear to have her touch me.
The next day was Thursday. Nina wanted the car as she had some pots to take down to the shop.
There was nothing for me to do, so I hung around the bungalow and I kept thinking of Odette.
By now my first feeling of guilt had worn off. I had told myself as I had driven from the cabin last night that when we met again, there would be no repetition of what had happened. This was my first slip; there wasn’t going to be another, but this morning, as I mooned around the bungalow, I found myself thinking differently.
I was now telling myself it couldn’t possibly hurt Nina if I again made love to Odette. The time to have stopped was the first time; the second time made no difference. Once you did it, you had done it. I even began to imagine I had enjoyed Odette’s savage, primitive embrace, and as the hours dragged by, I found myself waiting impatiently for tomorrow night.
Later in the day, I went to the bank and lodged the tape with the other one, then I went to the beach cabin and spent the rest of the day swimming and sitting in the sun, my mind gradually becoming obsessed with Odette.
The following morning, as we were finishing breakfast, Nina said, ‘Have you decided about John’s offer?’
‘Not yet,’ I said, ‘but I’m considering it.’
She stared steadily at me and I had to shift my eyes.
‘Well, while you are making up your mind,’ she said, ‘there are three bills that must be paid. I haven’t the money.’ She dropped the bills onto the table. ‘The garage man won’t let us have any more gas until we have settled his account. The electricity bill must be paid or we’ll be without light. The grocery bill must be settled. They won’t give us any more credit.’
I still had sixty dollars left from the hundred Rhea had paid me. At least I could take care of the grocery and the electricity bills.
‘I’ll fix these,’ I said. ‘The garage man must wait. Have we any gas?’
‘About half a tank.’
‘We’d better use the bus whenever we can.’
‘I have four pots to deliver tomorrow. I can’t use the bus.’
There was a sharp note of exasperation in her voice I had never heard before. I looked at her. She faced me, her dark eyes unhappy and angry. The prick of conscience made me angry too.
‘I didn’t say you couldn’t use the car,’ I said. ‘I just said when we could we’d better use the bus.’
‘I heard you.’
‘All right then.’
She hesitated. I could see she wanted to say something further, but instead, she turned and left the room.
I felt bad. This was the nearest we had ever come to a quarrel. I left the bungalow and walked to the bus stop. I settled the two bills: that left me with fifteen dollars. At the end of the week Bill Holden would want the rent for the cabin, but with any luck, I would be worth fifty thousand by then.
I spent the rest of the day at the beach cabin, swimming, lounging in the sun and watching the clock, counting the minutes to the time when Odette would come up the veranda steps.
Again the beach became deserted soon after half past eight. I was now sitting on the veranda, as tense as any schoolboy waiting for his first date.
A little after nine o’clock, she came out of the darkness. As soon as I caught sight of her, I was out of my chair, stupidly excited, my heart thumping, and as she came up the steps, I caught hold of her, my hands gripping her arms, pulling her to me.
Then I got a shock.
She put her hands on my chest and gave me a hard shove, sending me backwards.
‘Keep your paws to yourself,’ she said in a cold, flat voice. ‘When I want you to paw me, I’ll tell you,’ and she walked past me into the cabin.
I felt as if I had come under a douche of icy water. I felt suddenly deflated and horribly cheap. After a moment’s hesitation, I followed her into the cabin and shut the door.
She was wearing powder blue slacks and a white pleated shirt. Her black hair was caught back by a white bandeau. She looked very desirable as she curled herself up on the settee.
‘You should never jump to conclusions, little man,’ she said and smiled. ‘You mustn’t ever take any woman for granted. You amused me the other night, but you don’t amuse me tonight.’
This was my moment of truth. I could have killed her. I could have taken her by force, but those words put a picture of myself in a frame. They were needles, pricking a balloon.