Ackie could never stay mad for long. He scowled at me, then his face cleared. “I might have known it,” he grumbled. “Of all the double-crossin’ punks, you are the biggest. All right, I’ll keep it quiet. Now what’s it all about?”
I lowered my voice. “Seems like the Colonel got too ambitious. You know what he is with dames. Well, this one wasn’t playin’, an’ what’s more she outs with an equaliser an’ starts poppin’. This dame is one of the upper crust. Even I don’t know who she is. I agreed with Kennedy to smuggle her out while you boys were talkin’.”
Ackie brooded. “No one got hurt?” he asked bitterly.
I shook my head.
“Hell! There ain’t a story at all. Everyone knows about Kennedy an’ his women. That ain’t news. Pity she didn’t drill him. Boy! That would have been a front-page splash!”
I looked at him with distaste. “Ain’t you a nice guy?” I said. “But now you know. You can see it wasn’t worth the fuss.”
Ackie glanced at his watch. “I guess I’m beatin’ it,” he said. “Maybe I was a little hasty about the hundred bucks. I’ll see you get it.”
I grinned. “Suppose we split it?” I said. “Send me fifty an’ I’ll receipt the hundred.”
Ackie nodded. He looked quite happy again. “You ain’t such a bad punk,” he said. “Maybe you’ll play straight one of these days, an’ then I’ll quite like you.”
The other boys began to crowd out of the room. They looked at us curiously, but Ackie didn’t let on. He took them off to the waiting cars.
“You wantta come?” he asked over his shoulder.
I said, “Sure… I ain’t got any reason to walk.”
Kennedy appeared at the doorway. “No,” he said, “You stay. I want to talk to you.”
I was glad. I liked this guy, and I was getting mighty hungry.
As soon as the last car had driven off, Kennedy came back from the porch and shut the front door. He grinned at me. “Well, that was a nice bit of work,” he said approvingly. “You sure pulled me out of a jam. It seems that I’m continually getting into your debt.”
I said hastily, “Forget it, will you? That sort of talk gives me the itch.”
He laughed. “I haven’t seen you for so long, I guess we got plenty to catch up on. You’re going to stay with me for a few days. What do you say?”
I hesitated, but he shook his head. “You’re staying, Mason, so make up your mind.”
I grinned. “It’s okay with me,” I said.
He glanced at the clock. “Suppose we have some lunch and then I can telephone for my man to pick up some of your things and bring them out here. He’s got to bring some of mine, so he may as well make himself useful.”
Lunch was ready by the time we had had a wash and a drink. It was laid out in the suntrap outside: a small verandah, screened by glass, overlooking the river. We sat down to a swell meal.
“You got a grand spot here,” I said, helping myself to lobster salad.
Kennedy nodded. “It is very convenient,” he said, with a faint smile. “I don’t see people for weeks here. Just the place for relaxation.”
I looked at him quickly. “I’ve got another name for it,” I said with a grin.
He laughed. “You don’t look as if you’ve had much relaxation,” he said. “What have you been doing with your face?”
That put me in a fix. I wasn’t sure how far he might be involved in this business.
I said carelessly, “Oh, I got into a scrap last night.”
We finished our meal and sat there in the sun with a nice cigar and some old brandy, and talked. I said casually, after we had been talking some time, “I’m thinkin’ of buyin’ some stock. Can you advise me?”
He began to go through a list of names that didn’t mean much to me.
“What about Mackenzie Fabrics?” I shot out.
He looked startled. “That’s funny,” he said, “I’ve just been getting rid of some of those myself.”
“What’s so funny about it?” I asked, keeping my voice casual.
He shook his head. “Oh, nothing,” he said shortly, and changed the subject.
I wondered if the dame who’d just gone had anything to do with this. I didn’t like to risk asking him outright who she was. These guys, once they’ve been through the army, have got ideas about mentioning names of women who they’ve compromised. He might have turned tough, so I shelved it for the moment.
After we had settled our lunch, we went out and had a look at the grounds. The more I saw of the place the more I liked it.
He’d got everything. Even a bathing-pool, cut in the rocks in the thickest part of the wood, and fed by the rushing water of the river.
We spent the next four days fishing, swimming, and lazing about. He and I hit it off together pretty well. The food was good and there was plenty to drink. I’ll say this, it was one of the nicest holidays I’ve spent. There was nothing that guy didn’t know about fishing, and with his help I found I wasn’t doing too badly myself. We’d go out after breakfast with rods and long waders, and walk slowly into the shallow, fast-moving river and fish. It was a grand way of spending the day.
One evening we were sitting on the verandah in the moonlight, finishing a cigar before turning in. The night was still and hot and we were both pleasantly tired. I was thinking that it was time I got back and did some work, when he looked up suddenly. “You know, Mason, a guy like you ought to marry and settle down. You’d make more money that way.”
Six months ago a crack like that would have made me laugh, but now I pondered before answering him. “Yeah,” I said at last, “I guess there’s somethin’ in that.”
He was silent for a little while, then he went on, “When you find the girl, I’m going to give you this place.”
Didn’t I tell you this guy smothered me? I sat up sharply. “You be careful what you’re saying,” I said, “I might take you seriously.”
He smiled a little. “I reckon it would be a bit heavy for you to carry, anyway,” he said. “There’s a hell of a lot of upkeep that goes with it. But this I will promise you. When you get married, you can use this place as often as you like. I’m getting out pretty soon. I want to go to China. Maybe I’ll be away a number of years. So when you’re fixed up, let me know.”
I said it was mighty white of him and we let the matter drop. All the same, I kept thinking of Mardi, and I kept thinking what a surprise it would be for her to come here for our honeymoon. I kept thinking about it until I got restless. I told myself that I’d been there too long. My eye and nose were back to normal and I was anxious to get away.
The following morning I broke the news to him. He just grinned. “I believe you’ve got a girl, after all,” he said.
I nodded. “You’re right. It’s just a matter of fixing things up.” Although I spoke like that, I was wondering how long it would take to get Mardi on the dotted line. Maybe I would come unstuck. Anyway, it was worth a try.
I got back to town the next afternoon. And I rang up the Mackenzie Fabrics right away. “I want to speak to Miss Mardi Jackson,” I said to the operator.
“Hold on a minute,” she snapped. I heard a faint plopping as she jerked out the plug and connected it somewhere else. Then she came back over the line again. “Miss Jackson no longer works here,” she said, and cut off.
I put the telephone down very thoughtfully. So Mardi wasn’t working any more for the Mackenzie Fabrics. Why? Had she walked out on them, or had they given her the bird? How long had she been gone? I suddenly felt annoyed with myself for staying with Kennedy so long. If I’d ’phoned her on the day Ackie took me out, I might have caught her.