The Thousand Faces of Night - Jack Higgins [46]
Marlowe laughed coldly. 'My heart bleeds for you.'
He took O'Connor by the arm and helped him out to the car and the fat man leaned heavily on him, every step an effort.
When he was safely seated behind the wheel, Marlowe slammed the car door and said, 'I don't want to see your face round here again.'
O'Connor pressed the starter and leaned out of the window. 'You tell the old man to think it over,' he said. 'I'll give him until tonight. I'll be at the warehouse till nine. He can phone me there.'
Before Marlowe could reply his car moved rapidly away across the farmyard in a burst of speed, swerving dangerously as it went through the gate, narrowly avoiding a collision with the Bedford which was about to enter.
Mac halted the truck beside Marlowe and leaned out of the window. 'Hey there, man,' he said. 'It's good to see you. How did it go?'
Marlowe raised a thumb. 'Perfect. I'd no difficulty in getting rid of the stuff at all. In fact, I've promised another load for tomorrow.'
Maria had jumped down from the other side of the cab and she came round, a smile of welcome on her face. 'Was it really a success, Hugh?' she said excitedly.
Marlowe nodded. 'A hundred and sixty quid I got,' he told her. 'As long as we can make up a full load each time, there'll be no difficulty in making it pay.'
'Who was that crazy guy who just left in the saloon?' Mac demanded.
Marlowe grinned. 'No less a person than Mr O'Connor himself.'
An expression of alarm crossed Maria's face. 'What did he want, Hugh? Has there been any trouble?'
Marlowe shook his head. 'There's nothing to worry about. He was here on business. He offered to buy your father out again, but the old man wasn't interested.'
She looked puzzled. 'But what made him try again, I wonder? Papa told him very definitely last time that nothing would make him sell.'
'Yes, but things have changed some since then,' Mac put in. 'We've got him on the run now. And what's more, he knows it.'
The girl turned to Marlowe. 'Do you think that's it, Hugh?' she demanded.
Marlowe nodded reassuringly. 'That's about the size of it, angel. There's nothing to worry about. You go on up to your father and Mac and I will see to this load.'
She smiled in relief and went into the house. Marlowe went round to the other side of the truck and climbed up beside Mac and they drove down into the barn.
'Did you have any trouble on the way?' Mac asked when he had switched off the engine.
Marlowe lit a cigarette and nodded. 'Plenty,' he said and gave the Jamaican a quick summary of the events of the previous night.
When he had finished Mac whistled softly. 'Man, it was a good thing you took that shotgun along.'
Marlowe nodded. 'You're telling me.'
They climbed down from the cab and Mac said, 'Do you think they'll try anything tonight?'
'I don't know,' Marlowe frowned. 'I still can't quite understand why O'Connor turned up here today. It doesn't fit.' He grinned and slapped the Jamaican on the shoulder. 'Anyway, not to worry. You can take the shotgun along, just in case.' He shook his head. 'Somehow I don't think you'll need it.'
Mac nodded and said feelingly, 'I hope not.' As they walked round to the back of the truck he added, 'I'd sure like to know how Miss Jenny's getting on. I hate to think of her being mixed up with that mob.'
Marlowe frowned slightly. 'That's one thing I can't understand,' he said. 'O'Connor must be anxious to know what's happened to her and yet he never mentioned it to me.'
Mac considered the point for a moment. 'Perhaps she phoned through from London this morning and told him she wasn't coming back. I can't see her having anything more to do with him after the way she's been treated.'
'I wish I could be as sure,' Marlowe said and lowered the tailboard of the truck.
He yawned and closed