Sad Wind From the Sea - Jack Higgins [19]
He turned his back and stood at the window and peered through the slats of the blind out into the quiet street. He tried to ignore what was going on behind him but his mind refused to be baulked of its pleasure and he realized that his ears were cocked for each groan. Suddenly the girl said something in Cantonese so rapidly that he could not catch it and then the man said, 'No,' three times and each time he said it his voice was pitched a little higher. Suddenly he screamed and shouted in agony. Hagen turned quickly. Somewhere in the building he heard sounds of movement and he pulled Lee away and said to the man: 'Quickly now. Tell me where she is and I'll make him stop.'
Saliva dribbled from the corner of the man's mouth and tears oozed from his swollen eyes. Hagen shook him impatiently as the noises upstairs became more obvious and the man moaned through clenched teeth: 'The warehouse of Henry Wong on the waterfront. South side of the harbour.'
'And Kossoff - will Kossoff be there?'
'Yes, Kossoff will be there.' His head lolled to one side and he fainted.
At the same moment the girl began to scream loudly and piercingly and a thunderous knocking sounded on the door. Hagen ran to the window and jerked it open, grateful for the fact that the man lived on the ground floor. A moment later Lee was driving furiously through the back streets taking them away from the shouting and the hubbub behind them.
Hagen told him to take them to Clara's place. A vague idea was taking shape in his mind. He knew it would be useless to descend on the warehouse, gun in hand. Kossoff would simply blackmail him into submission by threatening to harm Rose. It would have to be something subtler than that. Whatever he did was going to be risky and he would have to move fast. Perhaps he was too late already. He shivered as he remembered the way Kossoff had talked about women.
As the car braked in front of Clara's door, Hagen leapt out and went straight through into her private lounge. She was waiting for him, puffing at a cheroot with ill-concealed anxiety. 'What happened?' she demanded. 'Have you found where she is?'
He nodded and picked up the telephone directory. A moment later he was dialling the number of Henry Wong's warehouse. Clara started to speak and he motioned her to silence as the receiver was lifted at the other end. There was silence and he listened to the sound of heavy breathing for a moment. He spoke quickly and economically: 'This is Hagen. Tell Kossoff I'm on the line. I think you'll find he'll speak to me.'
A voice said, 'Please wait,' and Hagen felt a little easier in his mind. So far so good.
The receiver was lifted and Kossoff spoke. Even over the wire he was unmistakable. 'Good morning, Captain. What a nice surprise.'
'Let's cut the pleasantries and get down to business,' Hagen said. 'You've fooled me. You've got the girl. I'm ready to do business with you now.'
'Ah, but do I need you now?' Kossoff said.
'Of course you do,' Hagen said. 'The girl is tough. She's had a rough time in Indo-China. She's just liable to die on you without opening her mouth.' There was a significant silence at the other end and Hagen continued: 'On the other hand she's in love with me. All I have to do is to come down there and tell her you'll kill me if she doesn't give you the information. She'll talk all right.'
There was still silence at the other end. Hagen could almost hear Kossoff's mind working. He was thinking that Hagen was a fool but that his plan had merit. After it had worked he could be conveniently killed. Kossoff spoke. 'I'll expect you within twenty minutes, Captain, and don't bother to bring a gun with you.'
The receiver clicked sharply into place. Hagen slammed a balled-up fist into his palm. 'It might work,' he said. 'It might just work.' He went over to Clara's desk and, opening a drawer, took out a .38