The Fugitive by Robert L. Fish

Author:Robert L. Fish [Fish, Robert L.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Published: 2010-07-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Four days had passed, and Ari was dining with the hotel manager, Herr Mathais, in the sedate restaurant of the hotel. It was a quiet evening with few guests present, and the ones who were there paid no attention to the two men in the corner alcove caught between the main room and the curve of the balcony.

The restaurant was on the first floor of the hotel, overhanging the veranda, and giving out on a magnificent view of the moonlight-sprinkled bay spread beneath their window. The food was excellent; Ari had found his appetite again and was getting, if anything, fatter than ever. His little blue eyes were beginning to hide behind rolls of fat, but their sharpness never diminished.

They lingered over their coffee, watching the play of moonbeam on wave, pleasantly relaxed in the magic of the warm evening breeze. “No,” the manager was saying, “I don’t believe Brazil is so different in this respect. When you arrived, of course, you were of interest to all the reporters, but that is only natural. And that was four days ago. Reporters are only interested in the things that happen at the moment; there is nothing deader than yesterday’s news.” He laughed, and as always when he uttered one of his vast repertoire of clichés, his face stretched in all directions. “I doubt if they will bother you now.”

Ari nodded politely, but his mind was elsewhere. It was time that something happened, time for contacts to be made, further contacts beyond this boring manager and the stupid customs man. If they had been waiting for the novelty to wear off so that contact could be made without exciting the notice of reporters, or the curious, then that time had arrived.

“Rio is a very lovely city,” he said slowly, choosing each word carefully, “but I’ve seen most of the things of interest. And it continues to be hot.” He stared out of the open window in a bored fashion. “I think I may possibly do some traveling….”

“Traveling?” The manager’s voice was almost alarmed.

He continued to look out over the water, hesitating, dangling the bait. “You mentioned São Paulo. Do you think …?”

“São Paulo? You would love it!” the manager said in positive relief. “And there I am definitely in a position to help you! I have a very good friend there; he is not without influence.” He smiled elastically. “Definitely not without influence. When are you thinking of going?”

“Soon,” Ari said, overwhelmed by the effusive response to his simple statement, but also extremely satisfied. They seemed anxious for him to meet this person in São Paulo; he was equally anxious. With the reporters leaving him alone, it seemed that the time was ripe to move on to the next step.

Mathais leaned forward confidentially; they had become good friends in the past few days. “You know,” he said, lowering his voice, “you are not unknown here.” Ari’s raised eyebrows brought an immediate definition of this statement. “No, no!” the manager said in a whisper that was almost vehement.

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