1969 - The Whiff of Money by James Hadley Chase

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

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They made an odd-looking trio as they stood outside Garmisch's railway station. Vi with her long, blonde hair, her pale-blue hipsters and red wool sweater looked absurdly small beside Malik who was wearing a short black leather coat and baggy black corduroy trousers, his silver coloured hair like a burnished steel helmet. Max Lintz in a coarsely-woven brown sweater and brown slacks with a brown woollen cap on his head stood on Vi's other side, his small, quick eyes examining the passers-by suspiciously and intently.

They had arrived only a few minutes ago. The time was just after 19.00 hrs. When Malik had reached Munich airport, he had gone to the Hertz Rental service and had hired a Volkswagen 1500. While he was waiting for the car to arrive, he had noticed a tall, white-haired man with a glass eye whom he had seen on the aircraft, standing near him. Malik merely glanced at him, and Lu Silk, not knowing who this giant was, gave him a steady stare from his one cold, hard eye and then looked away.

A big, black Mercedes pulled up and the driver waved to Silk who crossed the road and got into the car. As he was driven away, the Volkswagen arrived.

Malik told Lintz to get in at the back. Vi got in beside Malik, shrinking as far away from him as she could.

Malik had stuck terror into Vi the moment she had seen him at Orly airport. He had come up to her, stared at her with his evil green eyes and had asked abruptly:

'Mademoiselle Martin?'

She had nodded dumbly.

He had held out a huge, cruel-looking hand.

'Your passport.'

With shaking hands, she had found her passport in her bag and had given it to him.

'Follow me,' and he stalked into the airport.

They went together through the police barrier. For a brief moment Vi had been tempted to scream to the police officer that she was being kidnapped, but remembering Paul's warning, terror kept her silent.

In the reception lounge, Max Lintz had joined them. He had glanced at Vi without interest and then had drawn Malik aside. The two men had talked together in German, ignoring Vi who stood uneasily, shaking a little, while she waited.

On the aircraft, Malik had let her sit by herself while he and Lintz occupied the two seats behind her. All during the flight, they had talked softly in German while Vi had sat miserably wondering what was going to happen to her.

While waiting outside the railway station, she had screwed up her courage and asked Malik for her passport.

He turned and looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time and didn't like what he was seeing.

'I keep it,' he snapped and looked away.

'But it's mine!' Vi cried with a sudden desperate flash of courage. 'You can't keep it! Give it to me!'

Lintz turned to stare at her as Malik said in his flat, dead voice, 'I keep it.'

Vi bit her lip and moved away. She felt trapped, and again terror went through her, leaving her cold and shaking.

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