The Company of Strangers

‘What’s your interest in Judy Laverne?’ asked Mary, nailing Anne with a direct look.

‘I found myself wearing her riding clothes this morning,’ she said. ‘I was with Patrick Wilshere out on the serra. I was just wondering why.’

‘Welcome to Estoril,’ said Mary, and the sunglasses dropped over her eyes.

‘Does that mean Wilshere was having an affair with her?’

Mary nodded.

‘And somebody arranged for her to be deported?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said, irritated now. ‘Ask Beecham Lazard. One of his pals is the Director of the PVDE, Captain Lourenço.’

‘Are you saying that he got rid of her?’

Mary froze and then in a nervous reaction started checking herself for a lighter which was still lying next to Hal’s heaving body.

‘Gotta get a light,’ she said, and staggered back to her husband, whose cigar was still trailing acrid smoke into the late afternoon.

A figure ran and plunged into the sea and set off in an explosive burst of crawl.

‘The PVDE,’ said Mary, handing her a cigarette, lighting it, ‘is a state within a state. Nobody tells them what to do…Did you tell me your name?’

‘No, I didn’t. It’s Anne. Anne Ashworth.’

‘You working out here?’

‘I work for Shell. I’m a secretary. My boss is a friend of Patrick Wilshere…which is why he offered me a room.’

‘Who’s your boss?’

‘Cardew. Meredith Cardew,’ said Anne, her insides congealing as Mary turned the talk around.

‘Merry,’ she said, ‘that’s what Hal calls him, which I suppose is fair. He’s always smiling. Saying nothing, but smiling.’

‘Yes, well, he’s my boss.’

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.