glanced at a couple of badly reproduced photos in the centerfold. This could be the man.
“He’s killed eleven people already. You mean nothing to him. He’ll blow you away as soon as look at you. Where shall we go, Eric? Out in the country?”
Merlot laughed and patted her shoulder. “She’s my greatest admirer. When she heard there was a book about me, she had to get a copy right away.” He became serious. “Nobody’s killed anybody here and nobody’s going to. This is England, not India. I said I like you, Mr. Birtles. Barbara’s a lucky girl to have a father who cares about her as much as you do—I can tell you that from experience. And I can see the same qualities in you that I like in her.”
“You’ve seen her then.”
“Of course I have. I was keeping quiet because she asked me to. She’s agreed to come east and work for me. I provide a service for young people traveling out there and Barbara would be ideal.”
Birtles looked at the handsome face watching him across the upholstered seat. Those pale eyes caught what little light there was—all he could see was intelligent, honest, friendly eyes. “She never said anything to me.”
“She wouldn’t. She cares about your feelings. I’m offering her glamour, excitement, her own apartment in one of the nicer hotels in Singapore. That beats a cubbyhole bedroom with Daddy listening through the kitchen wall.”
Nobody spoke for a few seconds. Then Birtles said: “You’ve been in my house, Mr. Merlot. When was that?”
“Eric, you’re going to have to kill him. This is getting worse.”
“Just drive the car. Mr. Birtles is an intelligent man. Sir, I’ll admit I was there. We came in the other night using Barbara’s key. She sent us to get her backpack. She’d decided to come with me. O.K.? I’ve told you the truth.”
“And her traveller’s checks. You got those too?”
“Of course. She said not to forget her traveller’s checks.”
“But one thing still doesn’t fit. Even if Barbara had decided to go with you she would have told me. But she hasn’t, and that means something’s wrong.”
“Eric?” Lucy said in a voice that combined a supplication and a warning.
“And if she’s going with you to Singapore, how come you two are driving away without her?”
Merlot laughed. The laugh announced that Birtles was the most entertaining company he’d encountered in a long time. “I’m going to have to give you the rest of it. Barbara wanted your feelings spared—that’s why you haven’t heard from her. The fact is, she and I met through Lucy and there was this physical thing between us. Can you understand that? She moved in at the hotel and all she cared about was—well, two things. She also loved what I gave her to smoke. She’s been stoned out of her mind for the past three days.”
Birtles waited. Yes, he could believe any woman might become infatuated with Eric Merlot. He hated the idea of Barbie falling into that existence. But right now all he wanted was to find her and see that she was all right.
“I decided,” Merlot continued, “that the best thing for me to do was disappear. Since she’s so young. So I left her in the room at the Candide—I paid for another couple of days in advance. When she wakes up and sorts herself out, she’ll come home. And, Mr. Birtles, please don’t tell her where I’ve gone.”
The car slowed down and halted at a traffic light. “I’ve been told so many things,” Birtles said. “First, you were taking her to Singapore. Now you’ve left her and she doesn’t know you’ve gone. It could all be lies.”
“Shut up,” Lucy snapped. “Just shut your mouth and get out of the car.” She pulled on the hand brake, leaving herself free to sprawl back over the seat and open the back door. “Just get out and go away. And consider yourself lucky.”
Birtles got out. He slammed the back door and opened the front door beside Merlot. He put an arm lock on the younger man’s head
“He’s killed eleven people already. You mean nothing to him. He’ll blow you away as soon as look at you. Where shall we go, Eric? Out in the country?”
Merlot laughed and patted her shoulder. “She’s my greatest admirer. When she heard there was a book about me, she had to get a copy right away.” He became serious. “Nobody’s killed anybody here and nobody’s going to. This is England, not India. I said I like you, Mr. Birtles. Barbara’s a lucky girl to have a father who cares about her as much as you do—I can tell you that from experience. And I can see the same qualities in you that I like in her.”
“You’ve seen her then.”
“Of course I have. I was keeping quiet because she asked me to. She’s agreed to come east and work for me. I provide a service for young people traveling out there and Barbara would be ideal.”
Birtles looked at the handsome face watching him across the upholstered seat. Those pale eyes caught what little light there was—all he could see was intelligent, honest, friendly eyes. “She never said anything to me.”
“She wouldn’t. She cares about your feelings. I’m offering her glamour, excitement, her own apartment in one of the nicer hotels in Singapore. That beats a cubbyhole bedroom with Daddy listening through the kitchen wall.”
Nobody spoke for a few seconds. Then Birtles said: “You’ve been in my house, Mr. Merlot. When was that?”
“Eric, you’re going to have to kill him. This is getting worse.”
“Just drive the car. Mr. Birtles is an intelligent man. Sir, I’ll admit I was there. We came in the other night using Barbara’s key. She sent us to get her backpack. She’d decided to come with me. O.K.? I’ve told you the truth.”
“And her traveller’s checks. You got those too?”
“Of course. She said not to forget her traveller’s checks.”
“But one thing still doesn’t fit. Even if Barbara had decided to go with you she would have told me. But she hasn’t, and that means something’s wrong.”
“Eric?” Lucy said in a voice that combined a supplication and a warning.
“And if she’s going with you to Singapore, how come you two are driving away without her?”
Merlot laughed. The laugh announced that Birtles was the most entertaining company he’d encountered in a long time. “I’m going to have to give you the rest of it. Barbara wanted your feelings spared—that’s why you haven’t heard from her. The fact is, she and I met through Lucy and there was this physical thing between us. Can you understand that? She moved in at the hotel and all she cared about was—well, two things. She also loved what I gave her to smoke. She’s been stoned out of her mind for the past three days.”
Birtles waited. Yes, he could believe any woman might become infatuated with Eric Merlot. He hated the idea of Barbie falling into that existence. But right now all he wanted was to find her and see that she was all right.
“I decided,” Merlot continued, “that the best thing for me to do was disappear. Since she’s so young. So I left her in the room at the Candide—I paid for another couple of days in advance. When she wakes up and sorts herself out, she’ll come home. And, Mr. Birtles, please don’t tell her where I’ve gone.”
The car slowed down and halted at a traffic light. “I’ve been told so many things,” Birtles said. “First, you were taking her to Singapore. Now you’ve left her and she doesn’t know you’ve gone. It could all be lies.”
“Shut up,” Lucy snapped. “Just shut your mouth and get out of the car.” She pulled on the hand brake, leaving herself free to sprawl back over the seat and open the back door. “Just get out and go away. And consider yourself lucky.”
Birtles got out. He slammed the back door and opened the front door beside Merlot. He put an arm lock on the younger man’s head
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