sure I’ve made a start,” he said. “I didn’t promise Ritchie anything.”
She smiled. He decided she was a nice girl, and he liked her. He liked her frank, amused smile and the steady confidence in her eyes.
“Ritchie’s a smart old fox,” she said. “He knew once you dabbled in this, you couldn’t keep out. But we mustn’t waste time. I’m supposed to report to him tonight.”
“You’d better watch out. There’s nothing to stop them following you,” Corridon said. “There are two of them at the top of the mews.”
“I have a nice little flat in Dover Street,” she said. “It’s all been fixed. If they did follow me I’m the genuine thing. Another of the boys is coming to see me at twelve-thirty tonight. I’m passing what you tell me to him.”
Corridon grunted.
“I suppose Ritchie knows what he is doing. He’s certainly taking precautions.”
“It’s necessary. These people are dangerous. What happened tonight?”
“Too much really,” he said. “I saw Mainworthy and persuaded him to make me a member of the club. It wasn’t difficult. I was in a position to blackmail him. As he was completing the membership card a girl came into the room. She was wearing a white jade archer’s thumb ring as an ornament at her throat. Her name is Lorene Feydak; she lives at 29, Bayswater Crescent in a top flat, and works at Dumas, in Bond Street. She forced Mainworthy to introduce me, and I covered a lot of ground with her. We’re due to meet again this coming Sunday, on a much more intimate footing.” He grinned. “Probably she’ll be in a different mood when next we meet, but tonight she was full of suggestive promises.”
“You think she’s baiting the hook?” Marian asked.
“It’s probable. There are still a few girls left who take shortcuts, but it’s more likely a ruse to lead me on. We’ll see on Sunday. She has a brother, Slade Feydak, who works at Better Travel in Mayfair Street. We had scarcely met, before he was making me an obscure offer to work for him. I think it is more than likely he had talked to Mainworthy before joining his sister and me. I am quite sure he knew all about me, before making his offer. He wants me to call at his office to discuss a proposition. As soon as he was out of the way, Lorene called me a fool, and warned me not to have anything to do with him.” He leaned forward to drop ash into the fireplace. “I haven’t had time yet to make up my mind if these two are working together. I asked her about the ring, and she told me it was an heirloom. My first impressions are the whole thing is a put-up job. What worries me is how they knew I was coming to the road-house. Obviously they were ready for me. If they had someone watching Milly’s flat and spotted me with Rawlins, I don’t think I shall get very far with them.”
“They could have done that,” Marian said. “Or this man Brett might have told Feydak that you had arrived, and were talking to Mainworthy. Feydak could have sent his sister in there to strike up a friendship with you.”
“That’s an idea,” Corridon said. “In that case it means Brett’s tied up in this thing, too.”
“Do you think Mainworthy is?”
Corridon shrugged.
“I don’t know. He could be, but I don’t imagine he’d have the nerve for that kind of work. Get Ritchie to take a look at both Lorene and Slade Feydak’s background. It might pay him to put tags on them both. Tell him to find out what he can about Better Travel, Mainworthy, and Brett.”
“And you?”
Corridon reached forward and picked up the ten five-pound notes. He flicked them through and slipped them into his pocket.
“I’m making no move until Sunday,” he said. “It depends entirely on what happens then. I think it would be a mistake to see Feydak. I want to give him the impression I’m hard to get.”
“Yes.” Marian stood up. “Then I’ll see you next Tuesday. If there is anything urgent, phone me.” She scribbled down her
She smiled. He decided she was a nice girl, and he liked her. He liked her frank, amused smile and the steady confidence in her eyes.
“Ritchie’s a smart old fox,” she said. “He knew once you dabbled in this, you couldn’t keep out. But we mustn’t waste time. I’m supposed to report to him tonight.”
“You’d better watch out. There’s nothing to stop them following you,” Corridon said. “There are two of them at the top of the mews.”
“I have a nice little flat in Dover Street,” she said. “It’s all been fixed. If they did follow me I’m the genuine thing. Another of the boys is coming to see me at twelve-thirty tonight. I’m passing what you tell me to him.”
Corridon grunted.
“I suppose Ritchie knows what he is doing. He’s certainly taking precautions.”
“It’s necessary. These people are dangerous. What happened tonight?”
“Too much really,” he said. “I saw Mainworthy and persuaded him to make me a member of the club. It wasn’t difficult. I was in a position to blackmail him. As he was completing the membership card a girl came into the room. She was wearing a white jade archer’s thumb ring as an ornament at her throat. Her name is Lorene Feydak; she lives at 29, Bayswater Crescent in a top flat, and works at Dumas, in Bond Street. She forced Mainworthy to introduce me, and I covered a lot of ground with her. We’re due to meet again this coming Sunday, on a much more intimate footing.” He grinned. “Probably she’ll be in a different mood when next we meet, but tonight she was full of suggestive promises.”
“You think she’s baiting the hook?” Marian asked.
“It’s probable. There are still a few girls left who take shortcuts, but it’s more likely a ruse to lead me on. We’ll see on Sunday. She has a brother, Slade Feydak, who works at Better Travel in Mayfair Street. We had scarcely met, before he was making me an obscure offer to work for him. I think it is more than likely he had talked to Mainworthy before joining his sister and me. I am quite sure he knew all about me, before making his offer. He wants me to call at his office to discuss a proposition. As soon as he was out of the way, Lorene called me a fool, and warned me not to have anything to do with him.” He leaned forward to drop ash into the fireplace. “I haven’t had time yet to make up my mind if these two are working together. I asked her about the ring, and she told me it was an heirloom. My first impressions are the whole thing is a put-up job. What worries me is how they knew I was coming to the road-house. Obviously they were ready for me. If they had someone watching Milly’s flat and spotted me with Rawlins, I don’t think I shall get very far with them.”
“They could have done that,” Marian said. “Or this man Brett might have told Feydak that you had arrived, and were talking to Mainworthy. Feydak could have sent his sister in there to strike up a friendship with you.”
“That’s an idea,” Corridon said. “In that case it means Brett’s tied up in this thing, too.”
“Do you think Mainworthy is?”
Corridon shrugged.
“I don’t know. He could be, but I don’t imagine he’d have the nerve for that kind of work. Get Ritchie to take a look at both Lorene and Slade Feydak’s background. It might pay him to put tags on them both. Tell him to find out what he can about Better Travel, Mainworthy, and Brett.”
“And you?”
Corridon reached forward and picked up the ten five-pound notes. He flicked them through and slipped them into his pocket.
“I’m making no move until Sunday,” he said. “It depends entirely on what happens then. I think it would be a mistake to see Feydak. I want to give him the impression I’m hard to get.”
“Yes.” Marian stood up. “Then I’ll see you next Tuesday. If there is anything urgent, phone me.” She scribbled down her
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