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.There had been a hint of a terrible urgency — a man on the run.`What have I walked into?' he wondered aloud.`Tell me.Do.'He swung round and Nancy was leaning with her back against the door she had opened and closed with extraordinary lack of noise.She moved like a cat — he'd found that out on more than one occasion.`Seidler phoned while you were out,' he said.`And he's worried you.What is going on, Bob?'`He was trying to sell me a pup.Happens all the time.' He spoke in a light-hearted, dismissive tone.'I'm glad you're back — we're catching the eleven fifty-six train to Berne.An express — non-stop.'`I must dash out again.' She checked her watch.'I saw some perfume.I'm packed.I have time.Be back in ten minutes.'`You'll have to move.You're like a bloody grasshopper.In and out.Nancy, I don't want to miss that train.'`So you can use the time settling up the bill.See you …'`M.Kobler,' the concierge greeted the man who had just walked into the Hotel des Bergues.'Good to see you again, sir.'`You haven't seen me.Robert Newman is staying here.' `He's upstairs in his room.You wish me to call him?' `Not at the moment.'Kobler glanced quickly inside the Pavillon before walking into the restaurant.He chose a table which gave him a good view through the glass-panelled door of the reception hall, ordered a pot of coffee, paid for it, and settled down to wait.The cab he had travelled in from the station was parked outside.He had paid the driver a generous tip with instructions to wait for him.A titian-haired beauty wearing a short fur over her jeans tucked inside knee-length boots walked in and he stared at her.Their eyes met and a flicker of interest showed in hers as she passed his table and chose a seat facing the reception hall.It was nice, Kobler reflected, to know that you hadn't lost your touch.She had, of course, in that long glance assessed his income group.Not a pro.Just a woman.Half an hour later he saw a porter carrying luggage out of the reception hall, followed by an attractive woman, followed by Newman.He stood up, put on his coat and walked out of the revolving doors in time to see Newman's back disappearing inside the rear of a cab.He glanced along the pavement to his left and stiffened.Kobler missed one development as he climbed inside his own cab and told the driver to follow the cab ahead.The titian-haired girl he had admired came out of the door leading direct on to the street.Running round the corner, she climbed on to the scooter she had left parked there, kicked the starter and followed Kobler's taxi.Cornavin Gare, Geneva's main station, was quiet on a Tuesday in mid-February near lunchtime.Kobler paid off his cab and followed Newman and the expensively-dressed woman with him into the concourse.Standing to one side, he watched Emil Graf go into action, joining the ticket queue behind Newman.Only two people were ahead of the Englishman, so Emil, after purchasing his own tickets, soon came over to Kobler.`He bought a one-way ticket to Berne, two tickets actually.I've bought tickets for both of us — in case you wish.'`I do wish.Tickets to where?'`Zurich.The eleven fifty-six goes through, of course.'Kobler congratulated himself on his choice of Graf for the station.He took the ticket Graf handed him and put it inside his crocodile wallet.`Why to Zurich, Emil — when Newman booked seats for Berne?'`These foreign correspondents are tricky.His real destination could be Zurich.`Excellent, Emil.You see that little man with the absurd Tyrolean hat, the one buying his own ticket? That's Nagy.He is scum.The police once threw him out of Berne.He followed Newman in a cab from the hotel.' Kobler checked his watch.`Your next job is Julius Nagy.Hang on to his tail.Wait your opportunity.Get him in the train lavatory — or some alley when he gets off.Find out who he is working for.Break a few arms, legs, if necessary.Scare the hell out of him Then put him on our payroll.Tell him to continue following Newman, to report all his movements and contacts to you.'`It's done.'Kobler picked up his brief-case and watched Graf trotting away with his holdall.The contents might come in useful to persuade Nagy where survival lay.Kobler checked the departure board and headed for the platform where the Zurich Express was due to leave in five minutes.In the far corner of the station Lee Foley watched all these developments with interest from behind the newspaper he held in front of his face [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]