‘You have heard that Mr. Rolfe is too unwell to travel?’ she said.
‘Yes, ma’am.’ A pause. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Thank you, Dick.’ She may as well get him used to her calling him by his first name. ‘It is most unfortunate. It means I will have to postpone my trip.’
She was watching him closely and just for a brief moment the dark eyes lit up.
So you are pleased, little boy, she thought. All you are thinking about is your stupid motorbike. Well, I’ll change all that. Soon, all you will be thinking about is me.
‘I am waiting to hear what the doctor has to say. It could be that we will leave in three or four days. You may go home. When I want you, I will send for you.’ She crossed to the table and took her purse from her handbag. ‘Here is your week’s salary. You are now a member of my staff. Do you understand?’
His liquid black eyes dwelt for a moment on the hundred dollar bill she was holding. His full lips moved into what could have been a smile, but it was instantly repressed.
‘Yes, ma’am.’
She gave him the bill.
‘You are to have no contact with Jackson, Dick. Is that understood?’
He flinched.
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘All right. Now go home and wait.’ She looked fixedly at him. ‘Enjoy your bike while you can.’
He regarded her, then looked away. A flash of something in his eyes? She wondered, but she wasn’t sure.
He opened the door, gave her a stiff little bow and stepped into the corridor, closing the door softly.
Could that flash in his eyes have been hatred? she wondered. It was possible. She smiled. Opposition was always a challenge. She was confident his opposition wouldn’t last long. This affair was going to be even more exciting than she had first imagined.
Like a red ball, the sun sank slowly into the sea. Long shadows crept up the beach. The palm trees were black against the rose and yellow sky. Happy people continued to laugh, shout, run, splash and scream. Cars continued to crawl along the sea road. To Nassau this was just another hot evening with a night to come of brilliant lights, music, dancing, the beat of drums and the shuffle of feet.
Helga sat on the terrace, only half aware of the night sounds, her mind occupied with the problem of her future.
‘You sent for me, madame?’
Hinkle appeared at her side. He placed a silver tray on which stood a shaker and a glass on the table. He poured, then placed the glass within her reach.
‘Sit down, Hinkle.’
‘I would rather not, thank you, madame.’
She turned on him.
‘For God’s sake, sit down!’ Her voice was strident.
Startled, Hinkle pulled up a chair and sat on the edge of it.
‘I’m sorry, Hinkle. You must forgive me. I didn’t mean to shout at you. My nerves are shot.’ She forced a smile.
‘That is understandable, madame. Have you any news?’
‘I have talked to Dr. Levi. Clever as he is and smooth as he is, I have come to the conclusion that he knows no more of what has happened to Mr. Rolfe than Dr. Bellamy does — which is exactly nothing!’
Hinkle’s fat face registered shock.
‘But surely, madame...’
‘The fact is, Hinkle, these expensive and so called expert doctors won’t admit when they are baffled. I am not taken in by Dr. Levi’s vague talk. He says Mr. Rolfe is much worse — that is obvious — and he thinks the worsening is nothing to do with his stroke. This is something new. At least he is honest to admit he isn’t sure what the new development can be. He talked vaguely about the symptoms resembling narcolepsy. Doctors! How they love to hide behind their jargon! When I asked him what narcolepsy meant he said it is a curious condition — I am quoting him — which brings on uncontrollable attacks of sleep. When I asked him how this could have happened to Mr. Rolfe, he said he didn’t know. He said Mr. Rolfe appeared to be in no immediate danger but it would be most unwise to fly him home. Arrangements are now being made to move him to the Nassau hospital.’
Hinkle moved uneasily.
‘I am very sorry, madame. This is most distressing news. What does Dr. Levi propose?’
Helga lifted her hands in despair.
‘He is calling in Dr. Bernstein who will fly from Berlin today.’
‘There is, of course, no decision of when we can leave here?’
‘I wish to God there was. No, Hinkle, we must wait.’
Hinkle, his face gloomy, got to his feet.
‘Very well, madame. Will you be dining here?’
‘I think I will... on the terrace. Dr. Levi wanted me to dine with him but I have had enough of doctors for tonight.’ She looked up at him. ‘Give me one of your lovely omelettes.’
His face lit up.
‘That will be a pleasure, madame.’
‘Still no news of Miss Sheila?’
He shook his head.
‘No, madame, but the mail, these days, is very unreliable.’
An hour later, Helga watched Herman’s removal to the hospital. Dr. Levi, Dr. Bellamy and his assistant, two interns, two stretcher men and Nurse Fairely fussed around the inert body as it was carried to the elevator.
One of the richest and most powerful men in the world, she thought, now a sleeping, half-dead body but which still commanded the V.I.P. treatment.
‘Leave all this to me,’ Dr. Levi said in his deferential voice. ‘Should any change occur I will let you know immediately. You must not worry. Once we get this extraordinary change in him diagnosed, I feel confident there will be a recovery.’
Words! Words! Words!
‘Thank you,’ she said.
How much better it would be, she thought, as she watched the elevator descend from sight, if he had said there was no hope: better for Herman: much, much better for her.
The rest of the evening was a dreary, depressing repetition of the previous evenings. She ate the omelette, praised it and then sat on the terrace, listening to the people still on the beach, enjoying themselves. The hours dragged. She tried to read a book, but it failed to interest her. She thought of Dick. What was he doing now? Rushing along the roads on his motorbike? Had he a girl? Was the girl clinging to him on the back of the bike? If it hadn’t been for Herman’s new and mysterious illness, the boy, Hinkle and she would, at this moment, be at the villa in Paradise City.
Dr. Levi had said he could give her no idea when it would be safe to fly Herman home. So she was stuck in this hotel, alone, until this goddamn doctor made up his goddamn mind! It could be days or even months!
Suddenly she realized she was wallowing in self pity. She pulled herself together. She was not going to just sit here, pitying herself, prepared to accept a long, lonely wait either for Herman to die or for him to be taken home. She must do something! She would do something!
Her eyes narrowed as she thought. She would have to remain in Nassau. This was something she had to accept and now wanted to accept because Dick was here. But that didn’t mean she had to stay in this stifling hotel, watched and talked about. Her active brain began to race. If she could find a small villa! Frowning, she saw a problem. Hinkle! She had gained his trust. She must be very careful to keep that trust. She knew Hinkle was longing to return to the Paradise City villa. She knew how he hated hotel life. She sat still, a cigarette between her slim fingers, as she thought. A villa with Dick! A villa without Hinkle! This was the solution! Keep thinking, she told herself, the solution will come if I keep thinking.
The buzz of the telephone startled her. Impatiently she went into the living room.
‘Who is it?’
‘Mr. Winborn, Mrs. Rolfe, calling from New York.’
‘Put him on.’
‘Mrs. Rolfe, Dr. Levi has telephoned me.’ Winborn’s voice, cold and polite came on the line. ‘It seems that Mr. Rolfe has had a relapse. I am exceedingly sorry. It is a puzzling business, isn’t it?’