what he’ll do, Sam! Can’t you get to the radiophone, or send up a rocket or something?’
‘With a gun looking down my throat, no.’
Freddy ’s eyes slid apprai singly sideways toward the door way. Blake said, ‘He doesn’t understand English. Talk in a normal voice, and don’t look at him.’
‘He wouldn’t be much for you to handle, Sam. You could get the gun away from him.’
‘I’m not going to try.’
‘I’ll give you a thousand dollars to jump him.’
Blake went about the business of fashioning an arm-sling, waiting until he was sure he could keep resentment out of his voice before he answered.
‘The answer is no at any price. Even if I got his gun, there are two more aboard. These men are tough, Freddy. They’re taking a big risk for a big reward. The little one -Holtz - wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to shoot anyone who got in his way. And I’m not going to get myself shot to save you the kind of money you could lose at roulette without suffering from it.’
‘It isn’t the hundred thousand! Don’t you see, I can’t pay off without a guarantee! How do I know they’ll turn me loose? If I give in once, what ’s to keep them from doing it again, as long as they can get anything out of me - and slit my throat when they’re finished? I’ve got to have some protection!’
‘Cut the patati-patata and get on with it,’ Roche said roughly. ‘We haven’t got all day.’
Blake said, ‘Holtz can’t hold you indefinitely. He can’t send a messenger to the United States the way he does to Geneva, and he certainly hasn’t had a chance to investigate your New York banker the way he ’s investigated Krug. How much more is there that he can squeeze out of you? What will be left in your Swiss account if you write the check ?’
‘A few thousand.’
‘Have you any other European accounts? Anything else he can get at?’
‘No.’
‘Then the hundred thousand is all he can hope for, and he probably knows it. You’d be a fool to hold out.’
‘It ’s easy enough for you to say.’ Freddy was sullen. ‘It isn’t your money. Or your throat that will be cut.’
‘It isn’t my finger that ’s broken, either. Use your head. If you don’t sign that check , he won’t cut your throat. He’ll mash another finger, or crack a collarbone.’
Freddy ’s already grey face lost another shade of color . He said violently, ‘Damn that girl! It ’s all her fault!’
‘It ’s not all her fault. She was tricked, as I was. She ’s already come within an inch of getting herself shot, and taken a crack in the face with a pistol butt, trying to bail us out of this. All it takes from you is a signature on a check . I’m not on your side until you pay off.’
‘That ’s all,’ Roche said with finality. ‘Get out of there!’ He gestured with the pistol, stepping warily aside to let them come into the passageway.
Except for Holtz, the salon was empty when they returned to it. The gang leader still waited where he had been when they left, by the desk on which the pale-blue check and the photostat lay. Freddy went immediately to the sliding panel that hid the bar.
It did not move when he pulled at it. Holtz said smoothly, ‘It ’s locked, Mr Farr.’
‘I’ve got to have a drink.’
‘Jules has taken the keys. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until he returns.’
‘I can’t do anything without a drink.’ Freddy held up his uninjured hand to show that he spoke the truth. ‘I can’t even hold my fingers steady.’
‘You have written checks before in the same condition, as we both know. It will lend authenticity to your signature .’ The gun in Holtz ’s hand rose to impose its command. ‘We will take up where we were interrupted, Mr Farr. You may have a drink afterwards.’
Freddy was sweating heavily when he took his seat at the desk. He picked up the pen, put it down, wiped his hand on his dressing-gown, and picked up the pen again.
‘What happens if the ink blots,
‘With a gun looking down my throat, no.’
Freddy ’s eyes slid apprai singly sideways toward the door way. Blake said, ‘He doesn’t understand English. Talk in a normal voice, and don’t look at him.’
‘He wouldn’t be much for you to handle, Sam. You could get the gun away from him.’
‘I’m not going to try.’
‘I’ll give you a thousand dollars to jump him.’
Blake went about the business of fashioning an arm-sling, waiting until he was sure he could keep resentment out of his voice before he answered.
‘The answer is no at any price. Even if I got his gun, there are two more aboard. These men are tough, Freddy. They’re taking a big risk for a big reward. The little one -Holtz - wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to shoot anyone who got in his way. And I’m not going to get myself shot to save you the kind of money you could lose at roulette without suffering from it.’
‘It isn’t the hundred thousand! Don’t you see, I can’t pay off without a guarantee! How do I know they’ll turn me loose? If I give in once, what ’s to keep them from doing it again, as long as they can get anything out of me - and slit my throat when they’re finished? I’ve got to have some protection!’
‘Cut the patati-patata and get on with it,’ Roche said roughly. ‘We haven’t got all day.’
Blake said, ‘Holtz can’t hold you indefinitely. He can’t send a messenger to the United States the way he does to Geneva, and he certainly hasn’t had a chance to investigate your New York banker the way he ’s investigated Krug. How much more is there that he can squeeze out of you? What will be left in your Swiss account if you write the check ?’
‘A few thousand.’
‘Have you any other European accounts? Anything else he can get at?’
‘No.’
‘Then the hundred thousand is all he can hope for, and he probably knows it. You’d be a fool to hold out.’
‘It ’s easy enough for you to say.’ Freddy was sullen. ‘It isn’t your money. Or your throat that will be cut.’
‘It isn’t my finger that ’s broken, either. Use your head. If you don’t sign that check , he won’t cut your throat. He’ll mash another finger, or crack a collarbone.’
Freddy ’s already grey face lost another shade of color . He said violently, ‘Damn that girl! It ’s all her fault!’
‘It ’s not all her fault. She was tricked, as I was. She ’s already come within an inch of getting herself shot, and taken a crack in the face with a pistol butt, trying to bail us out of this. All it takes from you is a signature on a check . I’m not on your side until you pay off.’
‘That ’s all,’ Roche said with finality. ‘Get out of there!’ He gestured with the pistol, stepping warily aside to let them come into the passageway.
Except for Holtz, the salon was empty when they returned to it. The gang leader still waited where he had been when they left, by the desk on which the pale-blue check and the photostat lay. Freddy went immediately to the sliding panel that hid the bar.
It did not move when he pulled at it. Holtz said smoothly, ‘It ’s locked, Mr Farr.’
‘I’ve got to have a drink.’
‘Jules has taken the keys. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until he returns.’
‘I can’t do anything without a drink.’ Freddy held up his uninjured hand to show that he spoke the truth. ‘I can’t even hold my fingers steady.’
‘You have written checks before in the same condition, as we both know. It will lend authenticity to your signature .’ The gun in Holtz ’s hand rose to impose its command. ‘We will take up where we were interrupted, Mr Farr. You may have a drink afterwards.’
Freddy was sweating heavily when he took his seat at the desk. He picked up the pen, put it down, wiped his hand on his dressing-gown, and picked up the pen again.
‘What happens if the ink blots,
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