1955 - Mission to Siena by James Hadley Chase

Author:James Hadley Chase [Chase, James Hadley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Eight: Alsconi

Simon Alsconi, known to the police in Europe and America only as the Tortoise, sat in a padded armchair before a blazing log fire, his feet resting on a footstool, a large black Persian cat on his lap, the picture of domesticity.

His round, fat, swarthy face, his small full-lipped mouth, his blunt fleshy nose, his deep-set dark eyes were deceptively nondescript. He could have been fifty, but in actual fact he was well past sixty. He was in evening dress and between his long, well-shaped fingers he held a cigar. With his other hand, he stroked the cat’s glistening fur while he stared into the fire.

Felix stood opposite him. He was telling Alsconi of Don’s capture.

Although Felix was responsible for running Alsconi’s organization and was in a position of power and control, he never entered Alsconi’s private suite without a feeling of uneasiness that bordered on fear.

He had repeatedly told himself that so long as he made no mistakes and carried out his orders he had nothing to fear from Alsconi, but he could not entirely convince himself of this. He could not get rid of the uneasy knowledge that he was dealing with a ruthless and dangerous lunatic who .might at any moment turn on him and wipe him out as other members of the organization in the past had been wiped out.

“Don Micklem?” Alsconi said. “How very extraordinary.”

“You know of him then?” Felix said. “Crantor says he is one of the richest men in England...”

“Of course I know of him,” Alsconi said. “He is worth two million pounds sterling. Astonishing.” He put his finger on the cat’s silky nose and rubbed it gently. “What have you done with him?”

“I’ve put him in the cave.”

“Was he alone?”

That was the question Felix hoped Alsconi wouldn’t ask.

“His chauffeur was with him. He got away.”

Alsconi’s ringers paused in their rhythmic stroking of the cat’s nose.

“Why did he get away?”

“We didn’t know he was there. Willie spotted him driving away in Micklem’s car.”

Alsconi continued to stare into the fire. His expression was still benign, but his fingers remained still and from experience Felix knew this was a sign of danger.

“He shouldn’t have been allowed to get away,” Alsconi said at last. “No doubt you will take the necessary disciplinary action. However, no damage has been done. The chauffeur will, of course, go to the police. It would seem we have now reached a phase in the progress of our organization that was bound to be reached sooner or later. For the past three years I have been preparing for such an emergency. It will be interesting to see if the yearly donations I have made to the church, the police and to the various charity organizations will now bear fruit. It will be the chauffeur’s word against mine. You will take all necessary precautions. I shall invite the police to search the house: in fact, I shall insist on them doing so. Make sure you don’t cause them any embarrassment. They must not find anything: you understand?”

“Yes,” Felix said.

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