Spy Games by Sterling Noel & Geoffrey Wagner

Author:Sterling Noel & Geoffrey Wagner [Noel, Sterling & Wagner, Geoffrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: espionage, Cold War, thriller, Spy novel, adventure, Suspense, Action
ISBN: 9781952138379
Publisher: Cutting Edge
Published: 2020-07-17T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

She told me a lot, and yet it was all very little. She told me about the Baron de Lys, for whom she had worked as a sort of actuary, and I was skeptical about that because it is rare that a woman has any interest in figures and mathematics, to say nothing of being able to use them intelligently.

“But it is the truth, monsieur,” she said. “I learned arithmetic from my father when I was a little girl and I have always been interested in numbers and what one can do with them. I have studied mathematics with the nuns and with the Jesuits and I spent two years at the University of Paris, up until the death of my mother.”

“I will concede the point. But why does the Baron de Lys need an actuary?”

“He is a gambler, monsieur, and it is I who figure the odds for him, on everything from English football to chemin de fer. The Baron has run the banks at the Cannes casinos for many years and often he will take over the bank at the Mediterranée and at Monte Carlo when the Greeks get hit too hard and need help. He conducts large games at his own villa during the off-seasons and he is anxious to have me around, such as now, because sometimes I can save him bad mistakes.”

“And this Pépé, who arrived here with the gun?”

“You keep coming back to poor Pépé. He is harmless, I tell you. He is merely a servant in the Baron’s household. I like Pépé. We are friends.”

“You were frightened when he came into the room and spoke.”

“I have explained that. I was not frightened of him.”

“All right. Now what did Pete Dumbrowsky have to do with all of this—with the Baron and the gambling and the casinos?”

“Nothing. He was a friend of the Baron, that’s all.”

“And he knew Pépé?”

“Of course. All of the Baron’s servants were known to M. Dumbrowsky.” She got up and walked about the room. It was a pleasure to see her move and I wondered why. Then suddenly it came to me.

“You are a dancer,” I said.

She whirled and looked at me. “How did you know?”

“The way you walk. The way you move.”

“I studied many years with Montserre.” Then she said, “You know, I am hungry, I have had no dinner.”

“Neither have I.”

“Then I will fix us something.” She beckoned for me to follow her and went to the kitchen. I stood by the open door and watched her prepare oeufs au plat, hot rolls and coffee. I watched her and liked her and tried to figure what was wrong with the picture … . Nothing seemed to add up. There was no sense in any of the coincidences. … Or perhaps it was that I didn’t know enough and that these were not coincidences at all. So let’s start at the beginning again, I told myself.

“This is a nice apartment,” I said. “Have you lived here long?”

“No. Just a few months.

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