‘ I know that. I have had her watched… she is part of my investment.’ Radnitz shifted his bulk in the chair. ‘What are your feelings about her?’
Sherman shrugged.
‘I can’t say I have any great feelings about her. She just doesn’t fit in with my way of life. It would be impossible to have her with us at the White House… utterly impossible.’
There was a long pause, then Radnitz said in his quiet, deadly voice, ‘Suppose some unfortunate accident happened to her and you lost her… would you mind?’
Sherman stared at the squat fat man who reminded him of a stone Buddha.
‘I don’t understand
‘You are wasting time!’ Radnitz’s voice was savage. ‘You heard what I asked you. If you never saw your daughter again, would you mind? That’s simple enough, isn’t it?’
Sherman hesitated, then slowly shook his head.
‘No. In fact, it would be a relief to me if I was sure I would never see her again. But why go into this? She’s here…making a nuisance of herself, and I have to accept it.’
‘Do you?’ Radnitz flicked ash again onto the carpet. ‘Your daughter presents a permanent embarrassment to you as long as she is alive. Suppose Girland is successful and he gets the films… what good does that do you? She can make other films or she can make other scandals. The fact is she hates you and your way of life as much as you dislike her and her way of life. I have had your daughter investigated. She is tied up with this stupid, juvenile Ban War organisation. She goes around with a man called Pierre Rosnold who runs this vapid organisation for profit. She is under his influence. He is politically minded if you can call his mind a mind. She and he are determined you should not be President. He, because you stand for the escalation of the Vietnam war and because he can profit by his power: she, because you are her father and she wants revenge for the way you have neglected her.’ Radnitz paused to stare at Sherman. ‘Children have a way of paying back old scores. You wanted to be rid of her, she resented it, and now she has you where she thinks she wants you.’ Again Radnitz paused. ‘This is why,’ he continued, ‘you should have brought this problem immediately to me. Dorey may find your daughter, but he would not silence her, nor would he silence Rosnold.’ The ice cold eyes surveyed Sherman. ‘But I would and can.’
Sherman felt sweat break out on his forehead.
I can’t listen to this kind of talk,’ he said. T am sure you don’t mean what you seem to be suggesting.’
‘What other solution is there to this problem?’ Radnitz asked. ‘Suggest something. Girland will probably find your daughter… then what?’
Sherman had no answer to this. He gnawed his lip, staring down at the carpet.
‘Are you going to allow a degenerate chit of a girl to stand between you and the White House?’ Radnitz asked. ‘Because of the way you have treated her in the past, she will stop at nothing to prevent you becoming President… and she has the power to do this if she is allowed to. These films can be found and destroyed… they are nothing. It is not the films that need to be destroyed… it is she.’
A voice broke in on this conversation, coming through the loudspeaker on the wall.
‘Passengers for Flight 025 to New York should now proceed to Gate 10. Thank you.’
Sherman got hastily to his feet
I must go,’ he said huskily. He looked at Radnitz for a brief, furtive moment, then looked away. T feel sure I can leave this in your hands…’
But Radnitz wasn’t going to let this tall, white-faced future President of the United States off his hook, nor let him shift has responsibilities nor let him salve his conscience so easily.
‘I am going to cancel my flight,’ he said. ‘I am at the Georges V hotel. When you get home, telephone Dorey and find out what is happening. Then telephone me. Is that understood?’
Sherman nodded and began edging to the door.
‘One moment…’ The ice cold eyes surveyed Sherman. T am to take it that I can arrange to get rid of your daughter?
Sherman swallowed and dabbed his face with his handkerchief.
I’ll must discuss it with Mary… but if you think there is no other alternative… I -1 suppose I must leave it to you.
Gillian has always…’ He stopped with a shudder. ‘I must go.’
‘Very well then, I will wait to hear from you. It is your responsibility. I will act if you say so.’
As Sherman hurried from the room, Radnitz made a grimace of contempt.
Vi sat on the bed, her eyes round as she listened to what Labrey was saying. He was sitting in the shabby armchair, facing her, a cigarette between his nicotine-stained fingers, his eyes glittering behind the green glasses.
At first she thought he was joking, but now she realised he was serious. As he talked on, she felt a cold chill of fear crawling over her.
Paul! Working for the Russians! She had a child-like terror of anything to do with the Russians. She had seen all the James Bond films. She had adored Michael Caine in his spy films. She had read about Philby and Blake. Spies fascinated her so long as they remained on the screen or in newspapers or in books, but now Paul was telling her she was committed… suddenly she was a spy for Russia!
‘I won’t do it!’ she said fiercely. ‘I won’t have anything to do with it! Take your things and get out! Now… do you hear?
This very minute!’
‘Oh, shut up!’ Labrey said wearily. ‘You’re going to do what I tell you! You’ve only got yourself to blame for this because you have hot pants. If you had left Girland alone, you wouldn’t be in this mess. Now you’ve got to make yourself useful.’
‘Girland?’ Bewildered, Vi clutched her wrap close to her ‘What has he to do with this?’
‘Don’t be so goddamn dumb! Girland is an agent as I am. You’re meeting him tonight. We want to know what he is up to and you are going to find out!’
‘Then I won’t meet him! A spy? Is he a spy? I’m not having anything to do with this! You pack your things and get out!’
‘My boss has decided you are going to work for us,’ Labrey said quietly. ‘He has decided, so you will work for us or else…’ He paused, staring at her through his green tinted glasses.
Vi shivered. The quietness of his voice was much more effective than if he had shouted at her. She was used to men shouting and getting into rages. During her short experience as a prostitute, so many men had shouted at her and she had learned how to handle them, but this quiet, deadly voice terrified her.
‘Or else… what?’ she asked, her voice quavering.
‘They have a technique with women who won’t cooperate,’ Labrey said. ‘Women are easy. You can’t hope to run away and hide. Sooner or later, wherever you are, they will find you. There are two things they can do: you are walking along some street and a man appears. He has a spray-gun of acid. You get the acid in your face, and your flesh peels off the way you skin an orange. That is one thing they can do. The other is they grab you and shove you in a car and take you to some house they have rented. Then they do things to you. I don’t know just what they do… I haven’t bothered to ask, but the girls after the treatment, don’t walk well’ He stared at her. "They have to keep their legs apart as they walk… so they hobble. I’ve heard girls prefer the acid to the other treatment…’
Vi regarded him in horror.
‘I don’t believe it! You’re trying to frighten me!’
Labrey got to his feet.
‘Think about it. Turn it over in your little mind. I’m not trying to frighten you. I’m sorry for you. You have a hook in your mouth now… and it won’t come out. You will go to this restaurant and meet Girland tonight. You will find out what he is planning to do. If you don’t find out, you will get the treatment. Nothing can save you. You can run, but they will always find you. So think about it.’