Black Girl, White Girl by Patricia Moyes

Author:Patricia Moyes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Felony & Mayhem Press
Published: 2020-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Henry grinned. “You thought of everything.”

Wright grinned back. “I had to. You were being a damned nuisance.”

“You haven’t yet told me how you found out who I really was.”

Wright swirled his drink slowly. “No. And I don’t think I will. I don’t want to cause trouble for—well, let’s leave it at that.” He sipped his drink. “Who put you up to this crazy one-man act, anyway?”

“Sir Edward Ironmonger and a remarkable old lady called Lucy Pontefract-Deacon. I believe you’ve met her.”

“Once. She didn’t approve of me. That was what I intended, of course. I think I would probably trust her.”

Henry said, “You seem to be implying that you wouldn’t trust Sir Edward.”

“I don’t trust anybody connected with this government. It’s as simple as that.”

Henry let this pass. He said, “There’s another thing. You were supposed to lure Carruthers and his people onto Bellissima, which is American territory—and arrest them there. I can’t do that.”

“Of course you can’t. But you can get them to the British Seawards and make your arrest, with the Governor’s cooperation.”

“I suppose I might be able to. But how?”

“Up to you, old man.” Wright had assumed a faint mock-British accent.

Henry glared at him, but all he said was, “The first problem is what to do with poor Agent Stevenson. The hotel management has of course discovered that he gave a false address. They are naturally very anxious to trace his next of kin.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Wright promised. “There’s bound to be an inquest, and so on, but I hope they’ll let me send poor old Ernie back to his family in the States. Meanwhile, there are more urgent things to settle. Once I leave this cottage, I can’t have any more contact with you in Tampica. It was risky enough coming here, except that I hope that if I was noticed, it will be thought that I came to threaten you. Which is why you will fly to the Seawards this afternoon. I can be there in Bellissima by tomorrow morning. We’ll meet at Government House. We can talk there.”

Henry stood up. “Here, wait a minute. What about my wife?”

“It’s better if you come alone. Put her into cold storage somewhere, without telling her anything. And I mean anything.”

“I can’t possibly do that.”

“Of course you can. Tell her that I’m threatening to revenge myself on you through her, and that she must leave Pirate’s Cave.”

Henry smiled. “I’ve tried that. It only made her more determined to stay. Anyhow, I don’t intend to start lying to her.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to, old fellow.” The scornful British intonation was more marked. “This isn’t a jolly old game of cricket, you know. It’s serious.”

“I know it is. But—”

“Why don’t you send her to stay with the old girl at Sugar Mill House? Make some excuse. Tell her you have to go to the Seawards, if you must. But don’t tell her why.”

Henry said, “I think that Sir Edward Ironmonger is in the Seawards. I could say I have to go and see him—”

“Is he?” Wright smiled sardonically.

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