Bloody Passage - Jack Higgins [39]
"I read the file Stavrou has on you. Some of the things you did when you were an Intelligence Officer were incredible, but afterward..."
"There was only one difference," I said. "Afterward I did it for rather large sums of money."
She said fiercely, "I don't understand. There was no need. With your background, your intelligence, there wasn't a single thing you couldn't have done if you'd wanted to. Instead ..."
"I turned thief," I said. "To put it in simple and honest terms."
"But why? I don't understand."
"Because I enjoyed it."
"I don't believe you."
"Why not? The kind of intelligence work I did for the army before I was kicked out was simply criminal behavior made legal and I happen to have a flair for that sort of thing."
"You ruined yourself." There was a note of genuine concern in her voice. "What you did for that student who was in trouble in Czechoslovakia was magnificent, but the other things." She shook her head. "You threw everything away. Career, reputation, and for what?"
"Money," I said. "Lots of it. On top of that I've enjoyed it. Every golden moment."
She went out angrily without another word, banging the door. I didn't have much time to consider what she'd said because right about then it started to blow, hail rattling against the windshield like lead bullets.
I checked the chart again, then altered course a couple of points and increased speed, racing the heavy weather and the waves grew rougher, rocking the Palmyra from side to side.
The door opened in a flurry of rain and Barzini came in wearing a yellow oilskin. "So, it starts!"
"Likely to get worse before it gets better," I said.
He looked pleased at the prospect, but then he always had been more at home with a deck under his feet than a pavement. "Good, I'll take over for a while. You get some more sleep."
I didn't argue, gave him the wheel, negotiated the heaving deck, not without some difficulty, and went below.
Langley was still sleeping, or apparently sleeping, in the saloon, but there was no sign of Simone when I went into the aft cabin. Presumably she was in the galley, not that I intended to lose any sleep over it because I was suddenly rather tired. I closed my eyes and opened them again, apparently in the same moment, to find her shaking me gently.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Almost two o'clock. You've slept about seven hours. Mr. Barzini told me to leave you."
Gray light streamed in through the port hole above the bunk and waves slapped against the hull with a sullen angry sound. I followed her out into the saloon and found Barzini seated at the table eating ham and eggs.
He grinned. "Heh, she can cook, this girl."
He slipped an arm around her waist. She said to me, "See, I'm appreciated by someone."
"That must make you feel warm all over," I said. "If you can spare the time, I'll have the same."
She went into the galley and I helped myself to coffee. "Who's got the wheel?"
"Langley," Barzini said.
I frowned. "What about Nino and Carter?"
"See for yourself."
I opened the door of the forrard cabin and the smell told me everything I needed to know before I looked in. Nino was sitting on the edge of a bunk with a plastic bucket between his knees and Angelo Carter was flat on his back groaning loudly.
I closed the door. "Not so good."
"Men of straw," Barzini said.
I watched him shoveling in the ham and eggs and suddenly my own appetite seemed to have waned considerably. I put down the coffee and reached for an oilskin.
"Tell Simone I changed my mind. I'll go topside and see how Langley is doing."
The sea really was running now and cold rain lashed my face as I went along the heaving deck to the wheelhouse. Langley was standing at the wheel, a cigarette in his mouth.
"Ah, there you are, old stick. Anything to eat down there?"
"I should imagine so." I took over the wheel and he moved out of the way. "How's it going?"
"Pretty fair. I just checked the weather on the radio. Wind force seven--heavy squalls--rain. Moderating towards evening. How are Nino and Carter?"
"Flat on their backs."
He grinned.