In bed was what I meant. The allusion was not lost on Juana. She flushed.
"Now. Let's assume Parson was present as well as Moscato when Arturo was killed. Parson was following me, of course. Then he must have heard the instructions I got from Arturo as he was dying. Right so far?"
"All right."
"Then Parson goes to the meeting to hide out and wait for Corelli to appear. But who appears? Me. Not Corelli. There's Parson standing there, and I come barging up, and there's egg all over his face."
"But why didn't Corelli go to the meet?"
"You heard what Kelly just said. He said Corelli was frightened off when Arturo was shot. I have to assume he just copped out on the whole thing and let it happen without him."
"Why didn't The Mosquito go there to kill Corelli?" Juana asked innocently.
"I've been wondering about that," I admitted. "Let's suppose that he was in such haste to get away after killing Arturo that he didn't hear what Arturo said to me."
She frowned.
"Okay," I said, going on quickly, "there's Parson there, and I'm there. What does Parson say? The only thing he can say, really. He knows I'm not Corelli. And he knows the meet is set. So he says, 'I'm Corelli! And he plays it out, setting up the meet with you."
"But what about the microfilm? He gave me the film."
"We're checking that out. But it's an easy thing to substitute information of that type: names, places, and dates."
"Well…"
"He fakes the film, sets up the meet with you. He makes the meet, playing Corelli. He hands over the fake film to you, and meanwhile Moscato tries to kill him and I kill Moscato."
"But how did Moscato know about the meet?"
"The bug in the Renault," I told her.
"What is Parson waiting for now?" she wondered.
"He's waiting for Tina to show up. He knows about her, even if he may not know her personally. I think he must have been faking those 'telephone calls' to Tina in order to confuse Elena. But he knows Tina will eventually show up at Sol y Nieve. He'll wait for her and let her lead hjm to Corelli, and bingo! You see?"
"And what good will intercepting Tina do?"
"I want to warn her what her appearance at Sol y Nieve will do to Corelli."
She nodded. "And then?"
"Let me work it out," I suggested softly. "I haven't got the punch line yet."
Juana Rivera drove Gervasio and me to a car rental in Granada where I selected a Seat mini with a stick shift. Then Juana took Gervasio back to the Alhambra where his minibike was parked.
I took off in the Seat on the Malaga-Granada highway, headed for Malaga. It was pretty late in the afternoon, but the sun was still out I kept my eyes open for a red Jaguar — an easy car to distinguish.
It must have been no more than twenty minutes later that I saw it, braking on a fast descent across the valley from me. I pulled around quickly, backing out into a burned-over wheat field to make a quick three-corner turn. I was in front of the Jaguar and headed back toward Malaga when I saw it come up on me in the rearview mirror.
I stuck out my hand and waved it down a few times, signaling her to stop.
She saw the arm, and then she saw the car, and finally she saw me. She was surprised, but not overcome. I pointed to the side of the highway and we both pulled off together.
I got out of the Seat and walked over to the Jag. She was sitting there looking cool and chic in that very Scandinavian way she had, profiled smashingly in a bright green sweater and gray skirt.
"I talked to Kelly," I said, when I could get my voice going.
"Yes. You know why I am here?"
"Of course. But there's been a change in plans."
Her face fell. "Rico has gone home already?"
"Possibly so. Possibly no. But there is a problem. Another man is pretending to be Rico."
"How do you…?" She blinked. "I see. Yes. Someone is pretending to be Rico."
"Unless Rico changed his mind after talking to you."
"No. He was positive." Her eyes shifted slightly. "Listen. You do not believe me? On my word of honor…?"
"I believe you," I said. "The problem is, we have another gemini, another substitute, another Rico Corelli."
"Then I must warn the real Rico…"
I shook my head. "Someone is trying to kill him. The minute you go up there and meet him, the killer will know who Rico is. You see?"
Her face changed. "Yes, yes, I see!" She looked at me seriously. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to stay in Granada."
She bit her lip. "It is so lonely."
"But you've been in the clinic alone."
"It was maddening!"
"How is your shoulder?"
"Very good," she smiled. "You see?" There was only a tiny bandage apparently. It did not even show in the spectacular curves of her sweater.
"Well, will you do it, Tina?"
"Do what?"
"Stay in Granada?"
She sighed. "Well…"
"I'll take you to dinner," I said conspiratorially.
Her eyes lighted up. "You will, George?"
I laughed. "I'd love to."
"Then I'll do it."
"Follow me in the Jag. We'll go to a hotel and check you in."
She nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"You think Rico will be mad when he hears?"
"What — that I had dinner with you?"
"Yes." She shrugged. "Anyway, who cares?"
She had lived dangerously so far with great success. I suppose she figured she could live dangerously forever with the same degree of security.
We had dinner In a marvelous little restaurant not far from the shopping section of Granada. Musicians played Spanish music in one corner, and the waiters hovered over us and went to great effort to spoil us rotten.
It was about ten when we walked out of the restaurant and made for the hotel. Granada is a beautiful town at night. The lights of the shops are on and the people walk the streets at all hours. Ten was pretty late, but there were still some people out. The Guardia Civil seemed to keep the streets free from crime.
We went into the hotel and Tina strolled over to get her key. Every eye in the lobby turned and followed her walk. I heard a few sighs. It was a repeat of her performance in Malaga.
She held her key and turned to me with a wicked look.
"I am so clumsy with keys."
I nodded. "Good. I am so expert with them."
"Ahah. Then you come up and put the key in the lock, please." Her eyes were bright with the food and the wine and the anticipation.
"I'm only human," I said, and followed her into the elevator. As the doors closed on us I could see every male in the lobby watching me with envious eyes.
We rose in the elevator and I was brushed by the silken tendrils of her hair as she stirred quietly beside me. I turned and looked in her eyes. She smiled.
The elevator doors opened and we stepped out into the corridor. There was a long red velvet rug on the floor. A large ancient settee was standing against the wall. There were flowers in vases hanging from the walls.
I found the room number and made an attempt to insert the key in the lock.
Tina giggled.
I had not realized I was quite so drunk. I tried again.
The door opened magically.
She moved into the room in front of me, turning slightly as she did so, and brushing past me with all of her body. I could feel the contact from head to toe in a kind of AC-DC jolt.
I moved in and the door closed behind me. I am sure no one touched it. Some hotel doors are enchanted.
I stood there and looked at her with a silly grin on my face. I know it was a silly grin because I happened to see my face in a small gilt-edged mirror that hung on one of the walls. And she was looking at me with what could only be described as an expression burdened with primitive lust.