about," Marsh growled.
"You see how eager my friends are?" Novosty grinned at me. "It would be well for you to consider cooperating."
"I told you!" Heather said. "We're undercover policemen. Why don't you just show us where the heroin is and cop a plea? We'll recommend leniency at the Yard."
Novosty shook his head, smiling. "You have an imaginative colleague," he said to me. "But not a very realistic one, I'm afraid." The smile faded. He leaned over and carefully squashed the cigarette in an ashtray. When his eyes met mine again, he meant business.
"I know you killed one man at Land's End. What about the other two? Did you kill them too or are you holding them for interrogation?"
"No comment," I said.
He nodded to Marsh; the big Englishman slugged me across the mouth with his open hand. My head snapped back so hard, I thought for a moment he might have broken my neck. Blood ran from the corner of my mouth. I saw Heather watching anxiously.
Well?" Novosty said. "What did you overhear at the cottage? Are any of our friends there alive and what have they told you?"
I sat and stared at him, conscious of the blood trickling down to my chin. Novosty looked at Marsh, and the big hand came at me again, this time balled into a fist. The blow knocked me on to my side on the sofa. I lay there for a moment, groggy, and then the big hands pulled me back to a sitting position.
"I don't like to do this," Novosty said, "but you give me little choice. How long were you at the window of the cottage before our friend saw you?"
I licked swollen lips. "What window?" I said.
Novosty's eyes narrowed- "So that is the way it is going to be."
Koval moved closer to Novosty. "Let Marsh work on the girl," he said quietly. He jerked his head at me. "He likes her — I can tell."
"All right," Novosty said. "But start off mildly. We want to know what they've learned."
"Perhaps quite mildly, eh?" Koval said. He nodded at Heather's long and lovely legs.
Novosty waved a hand. "Whatever you wish."
Koval gave Marsh a look, and Marsh put on a big grin. He moved over to Heather and pulled her to her feet. Koval held her while Marsh untied her hands. Koval ran a fat hand over her breasts, slowly, grinning now. Heather hauled off and slapped his face.
Koval responded by slapping her back, hard. She would have lost her footing if Marsh hadn't been holding her. Her face was red from the blow.
I set my jaw and tried not to watch. It was going to get worse before it got better. But if they found out that we knew about the Defence Ministry, we would have lost the only advantage we had.
Koval and Marsh were wrestling Heather's clothing off. She fought them as best she could, grunting but otherwise silent. In a moment, she was naked. Marsh held her while Koval ran those pudgy hands of his over her very slowly. Novosty looked bored.
"Leave the girl alone," I said. "She knows nothing. Neither do I. I arrived at your damned window too late to hear anything."
Novosty eyed me narrowly, appraising what I had said. "That undoubtedly means you know everything or most of it. Now, save the girl further problems by telling me who you have passed this information on to. Have you managed to reach your headquarters?"
"We found out nothing," I said. "We have nothing to tell."
Novosty studied my bruised and bloody face and nodded to Koval. Marsh threw Heather bodily to the floor in front of me; he and Koval both watched my reaction. Koval held Heather's arms above her head.
"You want to see your girl friend raped?" he said. "How would you like that? She's a lovely thing, isn't she?"
Marsh grinned and licked his lips. Just looking at him made me sick. I didn't want to look at Heather.
I hesitated. Was it worth going on with this? How much, actually, did we have to gain by playing dumb? We were protecting little information. On the other hand, by admitting what we knew and bluffing a little to boot, we might at least find out if Novosty and his crew were an assassin
"You see how eager my friends are?" Novosty grinned at me. "It would be well for you to consider cooperating."
"I told you!" Heather said. "We're undercover policemen. Why don't you just show us where the heroin is and cop a plea? We'll recommend leniency at the Yard."
Novosty shook his head, smiling. "You have an imaginative colleague," he said to me. "But not a very realistic one, I'm afraid." The smile faded. He leaned over and carefully squashed the cigarette in an ashtray. When his eyes met mine again, he meant business.
"I know you killed one man at Land's End. What about the other two? Did you kill them too or are you holding them for interrogation?"
"No comment," I said.
He nodded to Marsh; the big Englishman slugged me across the mouth with his open hand. My head snapped back so hard, I thought for a moment he might have broken my neck. Blood ran from the corner of my mouth. I saw Heather watching anxiously.
Well?" Novosty said. "What did you overhear at the cottage? Are any of our friends there alive and what have they told you?"
I sat and stared at him, conscious of the blood trickling down to my chin. Novosty looked at Marsh, and the big hand came at me again, this time balled into a fist. The blow knocked me on to my side on the sofa. I lay there for a moment, groggy, and then the big hands pulled me back to a sitting position.
"I don't like to do this," Novosty said, "but you give me little choice. How long were you at the window of the cottage before our friend saw you?"
I licked swollen lips. "What window?" I said.
Novosty's eyes narrowed- "So that is the way it is going to be."
Koval moved closer to Novosty. "Let Marsh work on the girl," he said quietly. He jerked his head at me. "He likes her — I can tell."
"All right," Novosty said. "But start off mildly. We want to know what they've learned."
"Perhaps quite mildly, eh?" Koval said. He nodded at Heather's long and lovely legs.
Novosty waved a hand. "Whatever you wish."
Koval gave Marsh a look, and Marsh put on a big grin. He moved over to Heather and pulled her to her feet. Koval held her while Marsh untied her hands. Koval ran a fat hand over her breasts, slowly, grinning now. Heather hauled off and slapped his face.
Koval responded by slapping her back, hard. She would have lost her footing if Marsh hadn't been holding her. Her face was red from the blow.
I set my jaw and tried not to watch. It was going to get worse before it got better. But if they found out that we knew about the Defence Ministry, we would have lost the only advantage we had.
Koval and Marsh were wrestling Heather's clothing off. She fought them as best she could, grunting but otherwise silent. In a moment, she was naked. Marsh held her while Koval ran those pudgy hands of his over her very slowly. Novosty looked bored.
"Leave the girl alone," I said. "She knows nothing. Neither do I. I arrived at your damned window too late to hear anything."
Novosty eyed me narrowly, appraising what I had said. "That undoubtedly means you know everything or most of it. Now, save the girl further problems by telling me who you have passed this information on to. Have you managed to reach your headquarters?"
"We found out nothing," I said. "We have nothing to tell."
Novosty studied my bruised and bloody face and nodded to Koval. Marsh threw Heather bodily to the floor in front of me; he and Koval both watched my reaction. Koval held Heather's arms above her head.
"You want to see your girl friend raped?" he said. "How would you like that? She's a lovely thing, isn't she?"
Marsh grinned and licked his lips. Just looking at him made me sick. I didn't want to look at Heather.
I hesitated. Was it worth going on with this? How much, actually, did we have to gain by playing dumb? We were protecting little information. On the other hand, by admitting what we knew and bluffing a little to boot, we might at least find out if Novosty and his crew were an assassin
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