“Thank you,” he said, and looked at his watch. “The steamer leaves at nine o’clock, so maybe you’d better think about getting ready to leave.”
Hastily finishing his drink, Lepski got to his feet.
“Okay, girls,” he said. “Let’s go.”
The elderly, wizened-looking man who had been reading a newspaper while nursing a Scotch on the rocks, watched the party leave the bar. Then he got to his feet and wandered into the reception lobby as Lepski led Carroll and Claudette to the revolving doors.
Duvine also watched them, then he walked to the elevator. The elderly wizened-looking man entered the elevator with him and walked away down the long corridor, followed by Duvine.
In his room, Duvine waited a few minutes, then cautiously opened his door and looked along the long, deserted corridor.
Lu Bradey had his door ajar and remained waiting with a clear view of the Lepskis’ door. He didn’t have to wait long. He watched Duvine, carrying the vanity box he had given him, move silently to the Lepskis’ room, pause for a brief moment as he manipulated the lock, open the door and enter the room, closing the door behind him.
Uneasily, Bradey fingered the Smith and Wesson gun in his jacket pocket. He waited. Minutes ticked by. He knew Duvine would have to transfer Carroll’s things from one box to the other. He knew Duvine was a quick, expert worker, but the wait made Bradey sweat.
Then he heard voices and saw a young couple leaving their room. They were obviously very much in love. As they walked towards his room, he stepped back, closing the door, then reopened it as they paused outside the Lepskis’ room to kiss. At that moment, Duvine, carrying Carroll’s vanity box, moved out into the corridor.
The young couple broke apart, giggled and hurried down the corridor.
Duvine paused to relock Lepskis’ door, then walked fast to his room as Bradey stepped into the corridor.
“Sir!” Bradey exclaimed. “Excuse me.”
Duvine paused and looked at this elderly, wizened-looking man. He frowned.
“Yes?”
Bradey walked towards him.
“A moment, sir.”
“I’m sorry. I am in a hurry.”
By this time, Bradey had reached Duvine.
“That was very nicely done, Pierre,” he said. “I knew I could rely on you.”
Duvine felt a rush of hot blood to his head. He stepped back into his room, followed closely by Bradey.
“You?” Duvine managed to say. “Lu?”
“Of course.” Bradey forced a laugh. “I’ve changed my mind, Pierre. I am taking the box to Zurich.” He closed the door. “There is no point in you driving to Zurich. Ed wants it this way.”
Still holding the vanity box, Duvine was so shaken he sat down abruptly.
“I’ve talked to Ed,” Bradey went on. “He’s agreed you have done a swell job. I can pay you thirty thousand Swiss francs. I have the money with me.”
Duvine’s sharp mind began to function. His immediate reaction was to knock Bradey unconscious and bolt, but he couldn’t leave without Claudette who wouldn’t be returning for another two hours. No, he told himself, this situation called for diplomacy.
“That’s a marvellous disguise,” he said. “Sit down for a moment. Let’s talk.”
Bradey hesitated, then sat down, away from Duvine.
“What’s there to talk about, Pierre? I want to leave for Zurich tonight. Ed’s expecting me.”
“I know what’s in here,” Duvine said, tapping the vanity box. “The Catherine the Great icon.”
Bradey nodded. He slipped his sweaty hand into his jacket pocket and fingered the gun. It didn’t give him any confidence.
“The icon is worth at least ten million dollars,” Duvine said, watching Bradey closely.
“It might be if a buyer could be found,” Bradey said cautiously.
“Ed wouldn’t have organized the steal unless he had found a buyer. I know who the buyer is... Herman Radnitz.”
Bradey shifted uneasily. So Haddon had been right. This scene was set for a double-cross. He looked at Duvine’s powerful build. One punch from him, Bradey thought, sweat on his forehead, could be lethal.
“You are jumping to conclusions, Pierre. Anyway, what’s in the box is no affair of yours. You were hired to steal the box and you’ve done a great job. You are being paid generously. There is nothing more to discuss. Give me the box and I’ll give you thirty thousand Swiss francs.”
Duvine shook his head. He could see Bradey was scared and he flexed his powerful muscles.
“There is something to discuss, Lu. Let’s be realistic.”
“I’m not following you.” Bradey forced a quavering smile. “You and I have worked marvellously together for years. I can still put a lot of profitable work your way. What do you mean... realistic?”
“Come on, Lu!” Duvine put on a ferocious scowl that made Bradey edge back in his chair. “Here’s my proposition: we drop Haddon out of this deal, and we split the take between us. We pick up three, even four, million each. What do you say?”
“What do I say?” Bradey’s voice shot up a note. “I say I don’t believe this is you talking, Pierre. I am surprised and shocked. I don’t double-cross my friends. Ed is my friend. I thought you were my friend. Give me the box, and I will give you the money, and we will forget this conversation.”
Duvine eyed him, then shook his head.
“No. You either accept my deal or you don’t get a thing and I take the lot. I am in contact with Radnitz. He’ll buy from me. He doesn’t regard you nor anyone as a friend. There’s nothing you can do about it, Lu. Will you come in with me or be a loser?”
Haddon had foreseen this double-cross, Bradey thought. Haddon always foresaw trouble and was always prepared for it.
He shook his head.
“You haven’t thought this through, Pierre. Radnitz wouldn’t deal with you. He won’t even deal with me. I will deal with his agent, and you don’t know who his agent is. Now let’s stop this nonsense. Another thing: Haddon could make your future life a misery. I give you my word I won’t tell him about this. Give me the box, I’ll give you the money, and we go on together as we have always done.”
Duvine hesitated, then thought of what it would be like to own five million dollars. He also thought of Claudette who had so much faith in him.
“No! You’ve had your chance. I keep the box, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”
Bradey sat still for a long moment, fingering the gun in his pocket. He was now desperate. If he threatened Duvine with the unloaded gun, would Duvine launch himself at him and do him an injury?
Gathering his courage together, he said, “But there is,” and produced the gun which he pointed at Duvine. “I’m sorry, Pierre, but you have asked for it.”
Duvine stared at the gun, feeling a cold rush of blood down his spine. He, like Bradey, had a horror of violence. Never before had anyone pointed a gun at him, and the sight of the small black menace in Bradey’s hand turned him into a white-faced, trembling travesty of his usual confident self.
“You... you wouldn’t dare shoot!” he gasped.
Bradey, startled that here was a man even more cowardly than himself, had a rush of bravado. He leaned forward, waving the gun at Duvine and snarled, “I wouldn’t kill you, but I would cripple you! I’ll blow off your knee cap if you don’t give me that box at once!”
Duvine shuddered. With a trembling hand, he put the box on the floor and shoved it with his foot to Bradey.
“Don’t keep pointing that gun at me,” he quavered. “It... it might go off.”
Bradey snatched up the box, stood up and backed to the door.
“You are a fool, Pierre. You won’t get any more work from us, and don’t forget, Ed never forgives a double-cross.”
He opened the door, stepped into the corridor and made quickly to his room.