He left the sordid little room and taking the stairs three at a time, he made his way down to the street.
Girland eased open the door, leading to Mavis Paul’s office and moved silently into the room. If he had hoped to catch Dorey’s pretty secretary unawares, he was disappointed. She was about to enter Dorey’s office and she had the door half open.
‘You again?’ she said with a half-smile. She stepped into Dorey’s office, leaving the door wide open. ‘Mr Girland is here, sir.’
‘Send him right in,’ Dorey said, laying down his pen and pushing aside a file.
Girland entered the big room, giving Mavis a suggestive wink which she ignored.
‘Would you please do something for me?’ he said pausing. ‘Would you get the Alpenhoff Hotel at Garmisch on the phone for me?’
Mavis looked questioningly at Dorey who nodded.
‘Right away,’ she said and giving Girland a wide berth, she left the room.
Girland came over and helped himself to one of Dorey’s cigarettes. He sat on the arm of the visitor’s chair and lit the cigarette.
‘I’m making progress. I wanted to check with you. What do you know about Ban War… an organisation?’
Dorey shrugged.
‘It’s like the rest of them… they have about five thousand members… most of them young. Their headquarters is in a cellar club on the Left Bank. I’d say they are pretty harmless. They throw the occasional brick, squat in the streets, paint signs on the walls and generally enjoy themselves. They are no more violent, no more vicious than the rest of the anti-brigades.’
‘Gillian Sherman is a member.’ Girland went on to tell Dorey what he had learned that afternoon. ‘So it would seem that Rosnold and
Gillian have gone off to Garmisch. I’m catching the 07.50 flight to Munich tomorrow. From there I’ll hire a car and drive to Garmisch.’ He tapped ash into Dorey’s ashtray. T could catch up with this girl… just what do I do with her if I do catch up with her?’
‘You are to persuade her to give you the other three films and make her come back with you to Paris. You are to bring her to me. I’ll then arrange for her to be sent home.’
Girland lifted his eyebrows.
‘Suppose she tells me to jump into a lake… what then?’
Dorey moved impatiently.
‘This is part of your job, Girland. You are free to offer her any reasonable sum of money if she will co-operate. Sherman doesn’t care what this costs so long as he gets the films and gets his daughter home.’
‘Has it crossed Sherman’s small mind that she might not give a damn about money?’
Dorey stiffened.
‘That’s no way to talk about your future President, Girland. Don’t you realise this is a national emergency?’
Girland laughed.
‘Oh, come on! It isn’t. It’s Sherman’s emergency. I dare say the American public could easily find another President. But why should I care? Suppose she isn’t interested in money? There are still some people who aren’t interested in money… odd as it seems. Do you authorise me to kidnap her?’
‘I am paying you twenty thousand dollars to bring this girl here and get those films! I don’t wish to discuss how you will do it… do it!’
There came a tap on the door and Mavis looked in.
‘I have the Alpenhoff Hotel on the line,’ she said and withdrew.
Girland picked up the telephone receiver on Dorey’s desk.
‘Reception, please,’ he said, then went on, ‘Is Mr Pierre Rosnold staying with you?’ He listened, then said, ‘No, thank you. I just wanted to be sure he is still with you. Will you reserve a single room with bath for me for tomorrow… three or four days. Mark Girland. Fine… thank you,’ and he hung up. ‘He’s still there,’ he said to Dorey, ‘and I imagine she’ll be there too.’
‘Can’t you get off tonight?’
Girland shook his head.
‘Too late tonight.’ He was thinking of his date with Vi Martin. He believed in pleasure before business. ‘I’ll get off first thing tomorrow
morning. I’ll be in Munich by 9.15, pick up a Hertz car at the airport and be in Garmisch by 11.30. Can you get your.secretary to book me on the 07.50 flight?’
‘Of course. Your ticket will be waiting for you at the airport.’
‘Then I’ll get along.’
‘Keep me informed and be careful.’
As Girland started for the door, Dorey said, ‘There’s one thing you should know… Malik is in Paris.’
This news stopped Girland in his tracks.
I thought he was in Moscow, standing in a corner with a dunce cap on his head.’
‘He’s in Paris, but he is probably standing in a corner. Knowing Kovski, he could turn Malik onto this if they really mean to make trouble for Sherman.’
‘That would make this job a real beauty,’ Girlandsaid. ‘Well, okay, thanks for telling me.’
Dorey got to his feet and walked with Girland to the door. He stood in the doorwayas Girland passed Mavis who didn’t look up from her typing. Aware Dorey was watching him, Girland kept on his way down to the street.
He took a taxi to Benny Slade’s studio, made sure that the two guards he had hired were on the job, then he collected his car and drove back to his apartment. He didn’t bother to check to see if he was being followed. The time to make sure he wasn’t being followed was when he set off for Orly airport the following morning. Now, he could relax, reserve a table at Chez Garin, pack a bag, take a shower, have a couple of drinks, then stretch out on his bed until it was time to meet Vi Martin.
A few minutes to 21.00 hrs., Girland arrived at Chez Garin restaurant to.be welcomed by Georges Garin who, before coming to Paris, had lived for some years in Nuits-St. Georges where the truly great Burgundy wines are born.
As Girland was settling at his table, Vi arrived. The moment he saw her approaching him, he knew something was wrong. Th unnatural glitter in her eyes and her quick grimace of a smile as he got to his feet made him wonder if she wasn’t loaded with pep pills. He was disappointed. There was now something about her that made her less attractive, less sexually exciting than when he had first seen her.
She further dampened his spirits by declaring she wasn’t hungry. He had hoped that she would have enjoyed the decor of this gracious restaurant, but she didn’t look around her so when Garin joined them, Girland explained that Mademoiselle would prefer something very light. Garin suggested his truite soufflee explaining the trout was first boned, then stuffed with the pounded flesh of a pike. The trout was cooked in butter and served with a butter sauce to which was added almonds and raisins.
Watching her, Girland saw Vi cringe as Garin explained the dish, but she said quickly it sounded marvellous and she would have it. Feeling even more depressed, Girland ordered a steak au poivre en chemise. Garin suggested a slice of smoked salmo with buttered shrimps to begin the meal.
Vi was hipped up. Terrified by Labrey’s threats, she had decided to do what he told her to do. To get herself into the right mood, she had taken four Purple Heart pills before leaving her room. Their effect made her now feel light-headed, reckless but queasy. Somehow she managed to eat the smoked salmon. She prattled to Girland about Benny, her modelling work, what a gorgeous restaurant this was, about the movies she had seen in a non-stop flow that quickly got on Girland’s nerves.
Well. You can’t expect to pick them all the time, he thought as he toyed with his glass of Chablis. She looked marvellous. Now she was hipped to her eyeballs, and for God’s sake, woman! do stop this awful yakkiting!
Suddenly aware that she was boring him and suddenly terrified that she was handing this badly, Vi pulled herself together.