The Danger. Part 34

"YournameisAndrewDouglas,"hesaidinEnglish.Hisaccentwasp.r.o.nounced, likeallItalianshehaddifficultywiththeunfamiliarScotssyllables,buthis meaningwasclear.

Ilookedbackathimflatlyanddidn'treply.

Withoutexcitementbutwithconcentrationhereturnedmelookforlook,andI begantosenseinhimthesamefeelingaboutmeasIhadabouthim.Professional curiosity,onbothsides.

"Youwillmakeataperecordingforme,"hesaidfinally.

"Allright."

Thereadyagreementliftedhiseyebrows:notwhathe'dexpected.

"Youdonotask...whoIam."

Isaid,"You'rethemanwhoabductedmefromthehotel."

"Whatismyname?"heasked.

"Idon'tknow,"Isaid.

"ItisPeter."Averypositivea.s.sertion.

"Peter."Iinclinedmyhead,acknowledgingtheintroduction."WhyamIhere?"

"Tomakeataperecording."

Helookedatmesomberlyandwentaway,hisheadroundanddarkagainstthesky, allhisfeatureslongfamiliarbecauseofthepicture.I'dnearlygothimright, Ithought.MaybeinthelineoftheeyebrowsI'dbeenwrong:hiswerestraighter attheouteredge.

HewasgoneforaperiodIwouldhaveguessedatasanhour,andhereturned withabrowntravelingbagslungfromoneshoulder.Thebaglookedlikefine leather,withgoldbuckles.Allofapiece.

Fromhisjacketheproducedalargesheetofpaperwhichheunfoldedandheld formetoread.

"Thisiswhatyouwillsay,"hesaid.

Ireadthemessage,whichhadbeenwritteninlaboriousblockcapitalsbyan American,notbyGiuseppe-Peterhimself.

Itsaid: IAMANDREWDOUGLAS,UNDERCOVERCOP.YOUINTHEf.u.c.kINGJOCKEYCLUB,LISTEN.

GOOD.YOU'VEGOTTOSENDTHETENMILLIONENGLISHPOUNDS,ASWa.s.sAID.THE CERTIFIEDCHECK'SGOTTOBEREADYTUESDAY.SENDITTOACCOUNTNUMBER ZL237/42806,CREDITHELVETIA,ZURICH,SWITZERLAND.WHENTHECHECKISCLEARED,.

YOUGETFREEMANTLEBACK,NOFINGERSMISSING.THENSITTIGHT.IFTHECOPSCOME.

IN,IWON'TBEMAKINGIT.IFEVERYTHINGISONTHELEVELANDTHEBREADIS SATISFACTORY,YOU'LLBETOLDWHERETOFINDME.IFANYONETRIESTOBLOCKTHEDEAL AFTERFREEMANTLEGOESLOOSE,I'LLBEKILLED.

Hetuckedthepaperinsidethefrontofhisjacketandbegantopullatape recorderfromtheleatherbag.

"I'mnotreadingthat,"Isaidneutrally.

Hestoppedinmid-movement."Youhavenochoice.Ifyoudonotreadit,Iwill killyou."

Isaidnothing,simplylookedathimwithoutchallenge;tryingtoshownoworry.

"Iwillkillyou,"hesaidagain:andIthoughtyes,perhaps,butnotforthat.

"It'sbadEnglish,"Isaid."Youcouldhavewrittenitbetteryourself."

Heletthetaperecorder'sweightfallbackintothebag."Areyoutellingme,"

heaskedwithincredulity,"thatyouarenotreadingthisbecauseofthestyle literary?"

"Literarystyle,"Isaid."Yes."

Heturnedhisbackonmewhilehethought,andafterawhileturnedback.

"Iwillchangethewords,"hesaid."ButyouwillreadonlywhatIsay.

Understand?No..."HesearchedforthewordsbutsaidfinallyinItalian,"Nocode words.Nosecretsignals."

IthoughtthatifIkepthimspeakingEnglis.h.i.+tmightfractionallyreducemy disadvantage,soIsaid,"Whatdidyousay?Idon'tunderstand."

Henarrowedhiseyesslightly."YouspeakSpanish.Themaidatthehotelsaid youwereaSpanishgentleman.IthinkyoualsospeakItalian."

"Verylittle."

Hepulledthepaperfromhisjacketandfoundapen,and,turningth.e.s.h.eet over,begantowriteanewversionforme,supportingitonthebag.Whenhe'd finished,heshowedittome,holdingitsothatIcouldread.

Ineleganthandwritingthenotenowsaid: IamAndrewDouglas.JockeyClub,collecttenmillionEnglishpounds.Tuesday, sendcertifiedbanker'sdrafttoaccountnumberZL237/42806,CreditHelvetia, Zurich,Switzerland.Whenthebankclearsthedraft,MorganFreemantlereturns.

Afterthat,wait.Policemustnotinvestigate.Whenallispeace,Iwillbe free.IfthemoneyisnotabletobetakenoutoftheSwissbank,Iwillbe killed.

"Well,"Isaid."It'smuchbetter."Hereachedagainforthetaperecorder.

"Theywon'tpaytenmillion,"Isaid.

Hishandpausedagain."Iknowthat."

"Yes,I'msureyoudo."IwishedIcouldrubanitchonmynose."Inthenormal courseofeventsyouwouldexpectalettertobesenttoyourSwissaccount numberfromtheJockeyClub,makingamorerealisticproposal."

Helistenedimpa.s.sively,sortingthewordsintoItalian,understanding."Yes,"

hesaid.

"Theymightsuggestpayingaransom.o.f.onehundredthousandpounds,"Isaid.

"Thatisridiculous."

"Perhapsfiftythousandmore,tocoveryourexpenses."

"Stillridiculous."

Welookedateachothera.s.sessingly.Inthenormalcourseofeventsnegotiation ofaransompricewasnotconductedlikethis.Ontheotherhand,whatwasthere toprevent.i.t?

"Fivemillion,"hesaid.

Isaidnothing.

"Itmustbefive,"hesaid.

'TheJockeyClubhasnomoney.TheJockeyClubisjustasocialclub,madeupof people.Theyaren'tallrichpeople.Theycannotpayfivemillion.Theydonot havefivemillion."

Heshookhisheadwithoutanger."Theyarerich.Theyhavefivemillion, certainly.Iknow."

"Howdoyouknow?"Iasked.

Hiseyelidsflickeredslightly,butallhesaidagainwas,"Fivemillion."

"Twohundredthousand.Positivelynomore."

"Ridiculous."

Hestalkedawayanddisappearedbetweenthelaurelbushes,andIguessedhe wantedtothinkandnothavemewatchhimat.i.t.

TheSwissbankaccountwasfascinating,Ithought:andclearlyheintendedto movethemoneymoreorlessatoncefromZL237/42806toanotheraccountnumber, anotherbankeven,andwantedtobesuretheJockeyClubhadn'tthoughtofaway ofstoppinghimortracinghim,orlayingatrap.a.s.someofEngland'stop bankingbrainscouldbefoundeitherinoradvisingtheJockeyClub,his precautionsmadeexcellentsense.

Onevictiminreturnfortheransomitself.

Onevictimtoreturnwhentheransomhaddisappearedintofurtheranonymity.

MorganFreemantleformoney,AndrewDouglasfortime.

Nodropstobeambushedbyhepped-upcarabinieri:nostacksoftatty-and photographed-notes:justnumbers,storedelectronically,sophisticatedandsafe.

SubtractthenumbersfromthegentlemenoftheJockeyClub,addthetotal,telex ittoSwitzerland.

WithhismoneyinZurich,Giuseppe-PetercouldlosehimselfinSouthAmericaand notbeaffectedbyitsendemicinflation.Swissfrancswouldrideanystorm.

Alessia'sransom,ataguess,hadgonetoSwitzerlandthedayithadbeenpaid, changedintofrancs,perhaps,byalaundryman.Samefortheracecourseowner, earlier.EvenwiththeDominicoperationshowingaheavyloss,Giuseppe-Peter mustalreadyhaveama.s.sedanEnglishmillion.Iwonderedifhehadsetatarget atwhichhewouldstop,andIwonderedalsowhetheronceakidnapper,alwaysa kidnapper,addicted:inhiscase,foreverandever.

IfoundIstillthoughtofhimasGiuseppe-Peter,fromlonghabit.Pietro Goldoniseemedastranger.

Hecamebackeventuallyandstoodinfrontofme,lookingdown.

"Iamabusinessman,"hesaid.

"Yes."

"Standupwhenyoutalktome."

Ithrustawaythefirstoverwhelminginstincttorefuse.Neverantagonizeyour kidnapper:victimlessonnumbertwo.Makehimpleasedwithyou;makehimlike you;hewillbelessreadytokill.

Sodthetrainingmanual,Ithoughtmordantly:andstoodup.

"That'sbetter,"hesaid."EverytimeIamhere,standup."

"Allright."

"Youwillmaketherecording.YouunderstandwhatIwishtosay.Youwillsay it."Hepausedbriefly."IfIdonotlikewhatyousay,wewillstartagain."

Inodded.

Hepulledtheblacktaperecorderfromtheleatherbagandswitchediton.Then hepluckedth.e.s.h.eetofinstructionsfromhisjacketpocket,shookitopen,and heldit,withhisownversiontowardsme,formetoread.Hegesturedtometo start,andIclearedmyvoiceandsaidasunemotionallyasIcouldmanage: "ThisisAndrewDouglas.TheransomdemandforMorganFreemantleisnowreduced tofivemillionpounds..."

Giuseppe-Peterswitchedoffthemachine."Ididnottellyoutosaythat,"he saidintensely."No,"Iagreedmildly."But.i.tmightsavetime."Hepursedhis lips,considered,toldmetostartagain,andpressedtherecordb.u.t.tons.

"ThisisAndrewDouglas.TheransomdemandforMorganFreemantleisnowreduced tofivemillionpounds.Thismoneyistobesentbycertifiedbankersdraftto theCreditHelvetia,Zurich,Switzerland,tobelodgedinaccountnumber ZL237/42806.Whenthataccounthasbeencreditedwiththemoney,Morgan Freemantlewillbereturned.Afterthattherearetobenopolice investigations.Iftherearenoinvestigations,andifthemoneyintheSwiss bankhasbeenpaidclearofallrestrictionsandmaybemovedtootheraccounts withoutstoppage,Iwillbefreed."

Ihalted.Hepressedthes...o...b..u.t.tonsandsaid,"Youhavenotfinished."I lookedathim.

"Youwillsaythatunlessthesethingshappen,youwillbekilled."Hisdark eyeslookedstraightatmine;level,atmyownheight.Isawonlycertainty.He pressedthestartb.u.t.tonsagainandwaited.

"Iamtold,"Isaidinadryvoice,"thatunlesstheseconditionsaremet,I willbekilled."

Henoddedsharplyandswitchedoff.

Ithought:hewillkillmeanyway.Heputhistaperecorderintoonesectionof hisbagandbeganfeelingintoanothersectionforsomethingelse.Ihadthe mostdreadfullurchoffearinmygutandtriedwiththeseverestphysicalwill tocontrolit.But.i.twasn'tagunoraknifethathebroughtoutofthebag:it wasacolabottlecontainingamilky-lookingliquid.

Thereactionwasalmostasbad.Inspiteofthechillyair,Iwa.s.sweating.

Heappearednottohavenoticed.Hewasuns.c.r.e.w.i.n.gthecapandlookinginthe bagforwhatprovedtobeafat,plastic,gaily-stripeddrinkingstraw.

"Soup,"hesaid.Heputthestrawintothebottleandofferedittomymouth.

Isucked.Itwaschickensoup,cold,fairlythick.Idrankallofitquitefast, afraidhewoulds.n.a.t.c.hitaway.

Hewatchedwithoutcomment.WhenI'dfinishedhethrewthestrawontheground, screwedthetoponthebottleandreplaceditinthebag.Thenhegaveme anotherlong,considering,concentratedstare,andabruptlywentaway.

Isatdownregrettablyweaklyontheloamyground.

G.o.ddammit,Ithought.G.o.ddammittoh.e.l.l.

Itisinmyself,Ithought,asineveryvictim;thehopelessfeelingof indignity,thesickeningguiltofhavingbeens.n.a.t.c.hed.

Aprisoner,naked,alone,afraid,dependentonone'senemyforfood...allthe cla.s.sicingredientsofvictimbreakdownsyndrome.Thetrainingmanualcometo life.Knowingsowellwhat.i.twaslikefromotherpeople'saccountsdidn't sufficientlys.h.i.+eldonefromtheshockofthereality.

InthefutureIwouldunderstandwhatIwastoldnotjustintheheadbutwith everyrememberedpulse.

Iftherewereafuture.