The Savage Day - Jack Higgins [46]
Dooley was back again with a couple of men this time. 'Outside, all of you,' one of them ordered roughly.
We followed the same route as before, up through the green baize door to the hall, then mounted the marble stairs to the main landing and turned along the corridor. We paused at another of those tall double doors, Dooley opened it and led the way in.
It was a rather similar room to the old man's although there was no bed, but it was pleasantly furnished in Regency style. Norah Murphy sat in a chair by the fire, her hands tightly folded in her lap. Barry stood beside her, a hand on the back of the chair.
'Good, then as we're all here, we can get started. I should tell you gentlemen that Dr Murphy is being more than a trifle stubborn. She has certain information I need rather badly which she stupidly insists on keeping to herself.' He put a hand on her shoulder. 'Shall we try again? What happened to the bullion, Norah? Where's he hidden it?'
'You go to hell,' she said crisply. 'If I did know, you're the last man on earth I'd tell.'
'A great pity.' He nodded to Dooley, speaking slowly, enunciating the words so that he could read his lips. 'Come and hold her.'
Dooley slung his Sterling over one shoulder and moved behind the chair. Norah tried to get up and he shoved her down and twisted her arms back cruelly, holding her firm.
Barry leaned down to the fire. When he turned, he was holding a poker, the end of which was red-hot. Binnie gave a desperate cry, took a step forward and got the butt of a Sterling in the kidneys.
He went down on one knee and Barry said coldly, 'If any one of them makes a move, put a bullet in him.'
He turned to Norah, grabbed her hair, turning her face up to him and held the poker over her. 'I'll ask you once more, Norah. Where's the bullion?'
'I don't know,' she said. 'You're wasting your time. This will get you nowhere.'
He touched her cheek with the tip of the poker, there was a plume of smoke, the smell of burning flesh. She gave a terrible cry and fainted.
Binnie forced himself up on one knee and put out a hand in appeal. 'It's the truth she's telling you. Nobody knows where the gold is except the Small Man himself. Not even her because that's the way he wanted it.'
Barry looked down at him, frowning for a long moment, then he nodded. 'All right, I'll buy that. Where is he now?'
Binnie got to his feet and stood swaying, a hand to his back, not saying a word. Barry grabbed the unconscious girl by the hair again, the poker raised in threat.
'You tell me, damn you or I'll mark the other side of her face.'
'All right,' Binnie said. 'But much good it'll do you. He's in the old hidey-hole in the Sperrins and there's nothing he'd like better than for you and your men to try and take him there.'
Barry underwent another personality change, became once again the smiling, genial man I'd taken wine with earlier. He dropped the poker into the fireplace and nodded to Dooley.
'Take her into the bedroom.'
Dooley picked her up effortlessly, crossed the room and kicked open a door on the far side. Barry moved to a sideboard and poured himself a whiskey. When he turned he was smiling. 'I wouldn't get within ten miles of that farmhouse. There isn't a farm labourer or shepherd or snotty-nosed little boy in every village you touch on up there who isn't another pair of eyes for the Small Man.'
'Exactly,' Binnie said.
'I know,' Barry nodded. 'But you, Binnie, they'd welcome with open arms.'
Binnie stared at him amazement on his face. 'You must be mad.'
'No, I'm not, old love, I've never been saner in my life. You're going to go and see my old friend Michael for me and you're going to point out the obvious and unpleasant fact that I'm holding his favourite niece. If I get the gold or details of its whereabouts, he gets her back in one piece. If I don't...'
'By God, they broke the mould when they made you,' Binnie said. 'I'll kill you for this, Barry. Before God, I will.'
Barry sighed heavily and patted the boy's face. 'Binnie,