The Death Dealers (16 page)

The other man was reported to be an accidental death that occurred while he was fixing a television set. The explanation was brief and sufficiently vague to invite little curiosity. Although his name was given, there was no mention of his prior prison record. I.A.T.S. had done a beautiful cover-up and it was unlikely that any more would be said. Even the guests in the room when the attempt was made on Teish’s life were unaware of what had happened. It was too fast and their attention was centered somewhere else. Being hustled from the room was only natural under the circumstances and the less said the better. That type was inclined to say only what they were told to say and weren’t offering anything for free.

Although I went over every item in the paper from front to back, there was not even a squib about Lily Tornay. She lived and died anonymously, her death buried in the police files, and if the case were never closed there still would be nothing written about her except in a letter to her family if she had one.

It was the nature of the business. Like the Air Corps song, you live in fame and go down in flame. Nobody saw you go. There was nothing left to see anyway.

I pulled the collar of my trench coat up around my ears while the rain dripped down off the brim of my hat. The taxis were filled going by, the drivers happy with the unending business, never having to cruise for a fare, faces blankly ignoring those who didn’t make it in time as they discharged passengers, friendly only to those already inside.

Except for the few equipped with raincoats or umbrellas hugging the sides of the buildings to stay out of the driving wet, I had the sidewalk to myself. I turned west and started walking toward the U.N. building complex whose main structure still rose like a giant air conditioner over the side of the city, not caring whether I got drenched or not.

My mind kept reaching for that evasive little piece of information that danced around back there like an invisible dervish trying to make itself heard, and when it did, scampered away and hid again. By the time I reached the U.N. I gave up the mental chase and located a page I knew to go collect Miss Caine. He said she was at a special session and rd have to wait so I walked around the pile of masonry dedicated to peace, listening to the war talk and mingling with the tourists who thought it was all part of the World’s Fair.

Rondine took twenty minutes before she broke loose and I followed her into the lounge that we had to ourselves for a change. I didn’t feel loose with her this time. I kept remembering the blood-red ruby and meeting her eyes wasn’t easy. If she had any intuitive feeling about it at all it didn’t show or else she understood, because she was there in my arms, ready for the way I held her and I knew that nothing was ever going to tear this woman from me.

“I only have a few minutes, Tiger.”

“Sure.” I handed her the compact and told her what I had in mind. She was to keep it with her at the party that night and cover Vey Locca if she digressed from a language she couldn’t understand. I said, “How close is your embassy working on this?”

“Tight. They met this morning with your people and have everything arranged. Did you know that Teish has asked specifically for AmPet?”

I nodded.

“You might be interested in something else.”

“Like what?”

“This is restricted information, but since you’ll find out about it anyway I’ll tell you now. There was another meeting this morning and one of our staff was invited in an advisory capacity. Teish is going to ask for a ... a ... how do you call it?”

“Handout?”

Rondine grinned at me. “Crazy Americans. Really, it’s a long-term loan and a sizeable sum. He had already made overtures in London and it’s still under consideration, but I think your government will come through with it. Of course, it’s still unofficial and has to go through the usual channels, but it can’t afford to be ignored.”

“He’s working fast,” I said.

“Teish has to.”

“I suppose he guarantees repayment if the oil recovery is successful.”

“Exactly. And from what I gather, AmPet is the only company far enough advanced in their research to handle it.”

I let out a short laugh. “I can see them putting the heat on Martin Grady now. He’s holding all the hole cards and if the deal goes through hell be bigger than ever with a club over their heads they won’t forget.”

“Perhaps.”

The way she said it made me lose the smile. Behind her words there was a depth of meaning and I said, “What’s the angle?”

“Do you know Seaton Coleman and Porter Lockwood?” Mention either one of them and my back would crawl. “Damn right I do. They’re giveaway artists who kick over American business to those lousy little dictators who stamp their feet and wave their fists. Those slobs push their screwball idealist notions into our diplomacy and figure billions lost to our economy is worth some country’s going to the democratic scheme of things when it’s really a Commie power play. Where do they come into it?”

“I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but I was in a position where I couldn’t help but hear. They have a clique ready to start action that will take AmPet right out of Martin Grady’s hands and put it under government control. They have enough influence to do it, or at least enough to cause trouble. I wouldn’t even tell you this, but I have certain ideals too and this pair were responsible for some of the difficulties our government encountered when they were trying to retain control of some parts of the Empire.”

“Okay, doll, thanks for the word. If Grady moves fast enough he can forestall any action. Those damn striped-pantsers aren’t going to louse this job up. Not if I can help it.” I kissed the tip of her nose and she crinkled it at me. There would have been more, but the door opened behind me to admit a half dozen men all talking at once. “See you tonight. Make sure you aren’t alone.”

“Talbot’s with me. He’s picking me up at eight. Everybody is so jumpy they travel in threes and fours.”

“I’m not worried about the others. Turos is picking his target and hell wait for the right time. He’s not fanatic enough to lose his own hide when he doesn’t have to so I’m not worried about him trying for a hit out in the open. Whatever he does will be well thought out with an escape route ready for himself. He’s a pro with a hell of a lot of experience. He’ll make his move knowing what our countermeasures are. What we have to do is hope he slips somewhere along the line.”

Rondine lifted herself on her toes and kissed me lightly on the mouth. “Please, Tiger ... be careful.”

“You know me, kid.”

“That’s the trouble,” she said, “I do.”

 

On the way back I leaned against the wind and the rain until I reached the Stacy. My friend was at his desk in the personnel office when I stuck my head in and he nodded an okay and made a motion with his finger to come in. At my request he phoned back to have Harry come in, ostensibly to make sure he had everything needed to prepare the specialties the house was serving to Teish.

Little Harry was all smiles, his face wreathed in pleasure, and when I had him alone he told me that there had been no trouble at all setting the plant up. He had coached Lennie in the proper procedure, secured all the necessities and been assigned a place in the kitchen to cook them, out of sight of the chef who thought the whole mess was too disgusting even to look at. Lennie had made several trips to the suite, always accompanied by another waiter, and had made numerous contacts with Teish and Sarim Shey who seemed pleased by the unexpected service.

Vey Locca had been there twice, but had not been asked to stay for any of the discussions. Evidently she operated on a social level for Teish, but at various times had been in conversations with several of the dignitaries who seemed impressed by her political awareness and ability to influence Teish’s decisions.

When he gave me the picture I let him go back to work, made an okay sign to my friend and went out to the lobby. I called Vey on the phone, knowing it was bugged. The screening didn’t take long. I was a cog in the machine now, unwanted, but necessary for a side phase of the operation.

Vey came on with a throaty hello and said, “You have waited a long time to call me, Tiger.”

“You knew I would.”

“Certainly. But I have waited. I find it hard to forget you.”

“I have something to return to you.”

Her laugh was warm and low. “Yes, I know. Tonight. You will call for me.”

“I thought you would be escorted by Teish.”

“He will be in conference until the last minute. I believe they have you under discussion. Tomorrow you will be invited to attend a rather important meeting.”

“I’d rather hear about tonight.”

“At eight I shall be ready. Not in a robe.”

“I prefer the robe.”

“So do I, but unfortunately it cannot be. Another time, another place and there will be many more things. Once a queen and there will be little left for me.”

“Except,” I said.

“Yes,” she repeated,
“except.
I wonder how long the enjoyment of them will last. I’m afraid I will always be thinking of the jungle and the tiger I gave up for them.”

I didn’t answer her.

“Tonight at eight,” she told me and I heard the phone click dead.

I started to move away from the partitioned row of phones when a porter went by pushing a floor polisher toward the service door at the end of the short hallway. He opened it with a key, reached back for the polisher, when I saw the figure go past in the opening, taking the steps two at a time. I only had a glimpse, but the face was that of Sarim Shey.

Before I could grab it, the door closed shut behind the porter and with the noise the polisher was making on creaky wheels I knew he’d never hear the pounding of my fist against the steel. I ran back to the desk, waved the clerk over and pointed to the door. “Where does that lead to?”

“Why?”

“I thought I saw a friend of mine coming down.”

He shook his head. “I doubt it. That’s just a service stairwell that leads to the back alley. It’s not a fire exit.”

“What’s the quickest way there?”

“You’ll have to go around the building from the east side. There’s an alley that goes up there, but I’m sure you’re making a mistake. I can tell ...”

But I didn’t wait to hear the rest of the sentence. I got back outside, cut up the street, turned the comer of the building and trotted against the rain until I found the alley. A grilled gate was open there and a taxi was pulling off, already halfway down the street, but hugging the left side as though it had been parked there.

In the alley, lounging against the wall under the overhang above the service entrance was Sarim Shey puffing slowly on a long black cigar. He never bothered to look at me, but blew a stream of smoke out to dissipate in the rain with a satisfied expression on his face.

Whatever Sarim Shey had come down to do was already done.

I didn’t think it was to find solitude to smoke a cigar.

Before he could notice me I walked on past, crossed the street to the newstand on the opposite comer and went inside where the fat guy behind the counter was staring disconsolately out into the gray afternoon. “Was there a taxi across the street a minute ago?”

I got the blank New York stare when you ask leading questions. I tried to find an annoyed look and said, “Damn, I told her to wait. ...” and let it drift off there.

And like all New Yorkers who enjoy being a part of other people’s problems, but who can’t get hurt by them, he said, “Oh ... yeah, I seen one.”

“Stand there long?”

His shoulders hunched in a shrug. “Didn’t notice. Just seen one, thassal. What happened?”

“Broads,” I said disgustedly.

The guy agreed with me. “Yeah, them.”

I walked back on the opposite side of the street from the hotel and looked down the alley. Sarim Shey was gone, but most of his cigar was still lying there smoking on the concrete. Upstairs somebody was going to catch hell for leaving him alone that long, but that was their trouble. Just the same, I wondered how he managed it.

I had a coded note waiting for me at the hotel to call Virgil Adams. When I rang him he said, “Stay put, Tiger. I have a man coming up in a few minutes. Remember Casey Ballanca?”

“We worked together ten years ago.”

“He’s got the poop. More information on Turos. Stay in close contact with us if you can.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”

“Think you’ll need any more men?”

“No, but I’ll want a car standing by ready to roll just in case.”

“We’ll spot two of them for you, one in Tillson’s Garage, the other at the Servicenter. Ernie Bentley will drop an emergency kit in each under the seat.”

“Got it,” I said. “Now here’s something ... call Martin Grady and tell him Seaton Coleman and Porter Lockwood are on his back. They’re considering lifting control from AmPet if this deal goes through. If it really looks rough I can stop these characters while they’re here in the city. It won’t be any nastier than what they’re trying to pull, but a cute frame with a pretty blonde in a hotel bedroom will shut their mouths if it has to be like that.”

“Better let Martin tackle it from the top. If it’s necessary he’ll pass the signal to go ahead. That pair are real spoilers.”

“They’re damn fools,” I told him. “Look what they let Castro get away with.”

“I’ll get to him now. See you later.”

When I hung up the operator rang me right back with a house call and a deep Midwestern drawl said, “Tiger?”

I waited until the identity code word came across, then grinned.

“Hi, Casey, come on up.”

“Two minutes.”

He was a big man, browned from the sun who seemed made to be lazy. Every move he made looked tired and when he sat he slumped, one leg over the arm of a chair. But Casey Ballanca was far from that. He was a graduate engineer who had worked his way up from a rigger in the Oklahoma oil fields to be chief research engineer for Grady. Not that he made it his main occupation though. He was in on section assignments as often as I was, the only stipulation in his contract with Grady. He liked excitement too.