The Thousand Faces of Night - Jack Higgins [21]
'That's pretty rough luck,' Marlowe said.
The Jamaican grinned and sat back in his chair. 'Don't think I'm crying in my beer, man. Life's just a big wheel going round. Now I'm down, next time I go up.' He spread his hands. 'It's the law of nature.'
Marlowe grinned and nodded. 'Maybe you've got something there,' he said. 'What were you doing for O'Connor?'
Mac shrugged. 'Anything that came to hand, packing fruit, making up loads. He took me on as a truck driver.'
'What did you think of him?' Marlowe said.
The smile faded from the Jamaican's face. 'I didn't like him. They're a bad lot over there. If it hadn't been for Miss Jenny I'd have left long ago. She was the only one that treated me decent.'
'And who's Miss Jenny?' Marlowe asked him.
'O'Connor's niece,' Mac said. 'She's like a flower on a dung heap over there.' He laughed shortly and added, 'One good thing. There isn't a man in that crowd who'd dare to lay a finger on her. O'Connor would sure have his scalp.' He glanced across at a clock on the wall. 'I guess I'd better be moving. There's a train for London in twenty minutes.'
Marlowe reached across and pulled him back down into his seat. 'Why go to London?' he said. 'I can get you a job right here.'
Mac frowned. 'You mean that, friend? What kind of a job?'
Marlowe pushed his cigarettes across. 'Truck driving, but I warn you. It might get a little rough. I work for a man called Magellan, in Litton. O'Connor is trying to put him out of business.'
'O'Connor put quite a few people out of business. How are you going to stop him doing the same thing to you?'
Marlowe held up a clenched fist. 'There are ways,' he said. 'There are ways.'
A slow smile appeared on the Jamaican's face. He held out his hand. 'Mr Marlowe, it'll be a pleasure working with you.'
'Right,' Marlowe said in satisfaction. 'Let's get out of here.'
They left the cafe and went down the street and back into the square. Men were still working busily on every side and when they reached the truck Marlowe said, 'Climb in. You do the driving. We'll go back to Litton and I'll introduce you to Papa Magellan.'
Suddenly he was aware of a hand on his arm. He turned and looked down into the blue eyes of the girl with the flaxen hair. They looked at each other without speaking for a brief moment and he was conscious of a sudden dryness in his throat and a crawling sensation in the pit of his stomach. 'Mr Marlowe?' she said.
He nodded and cleared his throat. 'That's me. What can I do for you?'
'I'm Jenny O'Connor,' she said, 'Mr O'Connor's niece.'
Mac leaned out of the cab and said, 'Hallo, Miss Jenny.'
She glanced up and there was pain on her face. 'I heard what happened. I'm really sorry, Mac. What are you going to do?'
He smiled. 'I'll make out, Miss Jenny. I'm going to work for Mr Magellan, at Litton.'
Her eyes clouded over and she turned to Marlowe and there was urgency in her voice. 'But that makes it even worse. Please, Mr Marlowe, you must go away. Believe me, I know my uncle. He can't bear to be crossed. He'll stop at nothing to put Mr Magellan out of business. Any outsider who gets involved will only end up by getting hurt.'
Marlowe shook his head. 'No man can play God forever and expect to get away with it, Miss O'Connor.'
'But he'll break you,' she said desperately. 'I've seen him do it to other people.'
'I don't break easily,' Marlowe told her. For a moment it seemed as if she would speak again and then her shoulders drooped and she turned away. 'Thanks for the warning, anyway,' Marlowe said.
He stood watching her as she walked back to the warehouse and went inside. He climbed up into the cab beside Mac and said, 'Well, now we know where we stand. Let's go, boy.'
As they moved away Marlowe turned his head and looked back towards the warehouse in time to see Kennedy, Monaghan and O'Connor emerge from the interior and stand on the ramp gazing after them. For a brief moment he had them in view and then