The Shapiro Diamond by Michael Legat

Author:Michael Legat
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Shapiro Diamond
ISBN: 9780755126767
Publisher: House of Stratus
Published: 2013-01-12T00:00:00+00:00

Although he searched for him, Jan never encountered the skinny man again, but a few days later Horace Williams told him that he had seen someone answering to his description boarding the Inland Transport waggon back to Cape Town. ‘George Bell was talking to him,’ he added.

‘I might have known it!’ He went to Bell’s office.

‘Mr Shapiro,’ Bell said, with mock friendliness. ‘What a pleasure to see you. It’s a long time since we met, but then in a town as large as this…’ He smiled broadly. ‘I hear you’ve had a spot of trouble.’

‘I reckon you heard about it before it happened.’

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘I mean your friend – the thin bastard with the black moustache.’

‘Who are you talking about? That description could fit anybody.’

‘You saw him off on the Inland Transport this morning.’

Bell frowned and smoothed his chin. ‘Oh, I remember the fellow. Funny eyes he had – almost colourless. He’s no friend of mine. I’d never seen him before. He did talk to me – asked me some damfool question or other. But I don’t know him from Adam.’

‘You’re lying. You set him up to accuse me of cheating Jimmy Koster, to destroy my tent and my belongings – and not just destroy them, but cover them in his own filth.’

Bell smiled, happily aware of the protection of his wide desk between himself and Jan, and of the revolver in the top drawer. ‘Did he do that too? Dear me, I am sorry.’ He slid the drawer open, just in case the gun was needed. ‘Shall I tell you something, Shapiro?’ he continued, still smiling broadly. ‘You’re right. He and his pals were carrying out my instructions – but of course you’ll never prove it.’ The smile vanished abruptly. ‘I’m glad that they did such a good job. And I can’t promise it won’t happen again. It’s only what you deserve, you and your kind.’

Jan fought to keep control of himself. ‘Why do you hate us so much?’

‘Jews? I don’t hate Jews, Shapiro.’ He paused. ‘I despise ’em!’

Jan leaned over the desk, seized him by the lapels of his coat, and hauled him to his feet. He had no chance to reach his gun. The colour drained from his face and he was trembling. Jan had been going to hit him so hard that he might well have killed him, but his anger suddenly turned to utter contempt. ‘It’s true – I can’t prove anything. But if you ever try anything else on me or on any other Jew in this place, I’ll beat you to a pulp and rub your face in your own shit, whether I can prove it or not!’ He threw the white-faced man back into his chair, and stalked out.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.