I should hope not, indeed, Argyll said, crossing his legs for the sake of symmetry.
The important point was that he did have this painting on his hands he didnt say where hed got it.
Thats not so great. We knew that.
Patience. The only touchy moment was after the meal, when he suggested going back to his apartment. I had this horrible vision of running around the sofa protesting my virtue. And, as you point out, I still hadnt found out much. Fortunately, I remembered about the club. So I suggested we go dancing instead. I was sure someone like him knew all the best places. Cant say I was in the mood, but duty calls and all that.
And so you did?
And so I did.
So thats why youre so tired.
Certainly not. Im in my prime. Men may start going downhill in their thirties, but women are at their peak. I could dance all night if need be. Not that I get the opportunity with you. Besson, however, is a wonderful dancer, if a little touchy-feely.
Argyll restrained himself. He had a feeling Flavia was enjoying this. So why the dishevelled, exhausted look?
Im coming to that, she said. I decided things were going a bit too slowly, so I did the hard-to-get act. He redoubled his efforts to impress me. And when I asked him how lucrative art dealing was, in a gold-digging fashion, he said enough, if you play it right, but of course it had other uses.
So of course I asked what that meant. He looked all secretive and said it was a useful front.
A front?
Yes. Absurd, isnt it? Anyway, so I said, dont tell me Im dancing with a drug-dealer, and he looked upset and said, no, of course not, he was on the right side of the law.
Oh, yes?
Thats right. I squeaked with excitement you would have been appalled if youd been there
Im appalled enough already.
and said, So youre a spy. I knew there was something special about you. All round-eyed with amazement. So he said not exactly. But he did help the Authorities just like that, with a distinct capital A occasionally. They knew he could be trusted.
Ooh, tell me, tell me, I said. Then, damn him, he came over all coy. He wasnt at liberty to disclose...
God almighty, Argyll said.
Yeah, I know. In his defence I must say he was getting a little drunk by this stage, and my flattery had addled his brain. But I managed to get some hints. Hed recently played an important part in an operation. Matters of State, he said. He couldnt tell me the details even if hed wanted to. He was just a small part and didnt know everything.
Anyway, thats when I made my discovery. And my mistake. He was talking about his relations with the Authorities, so I took a gamble. What about your being arrested by the art police? I said. How did you know about that? he said. I smiled, and said I thought hed said it. He gave me a very suspicious look and said he had to go to the toilet. I saw him on the phone, and I wasnt going to get caught like that. So I grabbed my coat and made a dash for it.
Unfortunately and this is where we get to the dishevelled part his friends were rather quick. They caught up with me as I was getting close to the Métro. Jumped out of the car and grabbed me.
But here you are.
Of course. I havent lived in Rome for years without learning how to deal with little things like that. I screamed bloody murder. Help, Rape, Save me. There were half a dozen winos drinking themselves into a stupor round the corner, and they picked up their bottles and ran to my rescue.
Argyll had given up making comments by this stage. He just looked at her in amazement.
It was like the cavalry: Sir Lancelot of the Wine Lake. They charged into action, swinging their bottles round their heads and beat the very hell out of them. It only took a couple of minutes, and there they were, lying on the pavement, out cold. Everybody was very jolly about it, for a while.
And, she went on, one of them had a little scar above his left eyebrow.
Are you sure?
Yes. Absolutely. Of course, his face was a bit mussed up by then. But that scar, you know. Seemed a bit much of a coincidence.
So who is he?
I didnt have time to find out. A police car came round the corner; my gallant defenders picked up their bottles, shook my hand, and melted into the background. I decided I ought to do likewise.
Why?
Because it stinks to high heaven. Janet was lying; at least I found that out. So, I thought, if Ive just beaten up a copper, Im in real trouble here.
Stop, said Argyll, thinking that this had gone on for too long. This is getting absurd. Three days ago I was a humble art dealer, doing my best to earn a modest living. Now, thanks to you, Im associated with people who push bottles into policemens faces.
What do you mean, thanks to me?
I didnt hit him, did I?
Flavia looked at him appalled. How ungrateful can you get? she asked. Im not doing this for my benefit, you know.
Whose, then?
You were the one who started all this with that picture.
I didnt do any of the rest, though. Besides, its all over.
What do you mean?
Ive been thinking. This is getting too complicated and dangerous. If Janet is going out of his way to obstruct us, were wasting our time. Go home, hand it all over to Bottando and let him deal with it. This needs a higher authority.
Wimp, she said, feeling more than a little betrayed by this correct but irritating opinion.
So why dont we go home? A job well done.
Because of Ellman.
Carabinieri. Your friend Fabriano. Let him sort it out.
And we dont know why it was stolen.
So? I dont care. People steal all sorts of things. Do you have to draw up a psychological profile every time something goes missing? The world is full of lunatics.
She sat on the bed and made a face. Im not happy, she pronounced. I dont feel as though Ive got to the bottom of this. Do you really want to go home?
Yes. Ive had enough of this.
Off you go, then.
What?
Off you go. Go back home and sell pictures.
What about you?
I shall carry on with my work. With or without the help of you. Or Janet.
Thats not what I meant.
Tough. Thats the way it is. You want to go, you go. And I will do my job, filling up any spare hours thinking of you anew as a rotten, treacherous, cowardly toad whod abandoned his fiancée in dangerous circumstances.
Argyll thought about that. Did you say fiancée?
No, she said.
Yes, you did.
No, I didnt.
You did. I heard you.
It slipped out by accident.
Oh. What I meant was, anyway, that we should both go back to Rome. But, if youre staying, I shall stay too. I wouldnt dream of leaving my fiancée in such a pickle when Im needed.
Im not your fiancée. Youve never asked me. And Im not in a pickle.
Have it your own way. Im not going. But on one condition.
Whats that?
If you ever do consent to go back home, we go and look at a new apartment.
You drive a hard bargain.
He nodded.
Oh, very well, then.
Wonderful. What a nice fiancée you are.
Im not your fiancée.
Have it your own way.
And, both of them feeling they had struck an acceptable, if expensive, deal, they went to sleep.
13
I think, she said in the morning, wed better think of changing hotels.
Why?
Because someone is looking for us and I dont think Id like him much. It takes time to track people down in hotels, but when I go back to Rome I want to go with my intestines in working order, not scattered around the landscape like a plate of spaghetti.
Im eating my breakfast. Do you mind?
Sorry. But you get the point. We change hotels, we find one a little bit more down-market that doesnt get you to fill out little forms, and we use a different name. OK?
How exciting.
Good. Lets go.
Flavias notion of somewhere a bit less obvious was an entirely disreputable establishment in a dingy alley off the Boulevard Rochechouart. It probably hadnt been painted since it was built and, when they checked in, the man on the desk leered at Argyll through his three-day stubble and demanded cash in advance. But at least Flavia was correct in thinking that he wasnt going to waste precious time getting them to fill in registration forms for the police. It was not that sort of hotel. They signed in under the name of Smith. Argyll had always wanted to sign into a hotel under the name of Smith.
The room was even worse than the lobby. The wallpaper was a horrible shade of pink with little flowers on it, stained with damp and peeling off in several places. The furniture consisted of a bed, a hard chair and a metal table with a plastic top. There was an air of damp and misery about it that gave both of them the shivers.
I cant imagine anybody would want to stay long here, Argyll commented as he looked around their new and, he hoped, very temporary home.
I think that most customers are in and out of here so fast they dont notice the wallpaper. Besides, theyve probably got other things on their mind. I must say, I never thought of you as a person who went to hotels for loose women.
I never realized you were one. Come on, the sooner were out of here the better. Didnt you say something about ringing Bottando?
So she had. Shed rather hoped hed forgotten about that. With great reluctance, she went to a telephone booth in the nearest post office and dialled.
I was wondering when youd turn up, the General said when he picked up the phone. Where are you?
She explained. Jonathan reckons that everything is all sorted out and we should come home. I want to keep on plugging.
Obviously, if you want to curtail your holiday, thats fine by me. It may well be that youre wasting your time there.
Hows Fabriano?
Him? Oh, getting nowhere, I gather. Vast piles of information which add up to nothing. Although he has established that the same gun killed Muller and Ellman. And that it belonged to Ellman. Which, I must admit, doesnt surprise me. He has eliminated dozens of people from his enquiries, which I suppose is negative progress. How are you doing?
Flavia summarized, and Bottando drew in his breath.
Look, my dear, I know what youre like, but you must be more careful. What on earth are you doing approaching these people on your own? You could have got very badly hurt. Why dont you just get Janet to pull Besson in? Be simple and straightforward for once.
Because.
Because what?
Because Janet is playing silly buggers, thats why.
Do you want me to talk to him?
No. I dont want him to know what I think. You can fight with him later, if you want. He wants me to go home. So does Jonathan. In fact, Im the only one who really wants to give this a bit more time.