1968 - An Ear to the Ground (12 page)

When the bill came in, Lisa raised the roof. Harry said humbly that an accident was an accident and the insurance would take care of it, but Jefferson would be obliged to have a cheque right away. Lisa wrote the cheque and threw it at him.

‘Be more careful in the future!’

So without knowing it, Lisa paid for Tania’s car.

Tania’s plan worked. When Harry felt the urge, he would call the restaurant, apologise for dialling the wrong number.

Around eleven-thirty p.m. when ToTo had gone to bed and Helgar was in her room watching TV, Harry sneaked out of his bedroom, locked the door, left by the patio door which he locked after him, then went silently down the drive to where Tania was waiting in her T.R.4 at the corner of the road.

Now life for Harry became an agony of nerves and an ecstasy of the flesh. But he was now too committed to draw back.

The more he saw of Tania the more he desired her. She seldom asked him for money, and then only to buy some little thing that was of no consequence. He realised that this erotic and wonderful love affair was costing him very little. After three months of this, Tania reminded him that the rent was due, and again he had to think how he could get Lisa to pay the three hundred dollars.

Lisa had just had her bedroom redecorated. Harry went along to the blond homo decorator who he knew hated Lisa and talked him into adding four hundred dollars to his bill: three for Harry and one for himself. The homo had a tricky moment convincing Lisa why the price had gone over the original estimate, but as she was very satisfied with her room, she grudgingly paid. So again she paid for Harry’s affair.

One Sunday morning as Tania and Harry were lying on the divan after their lovemaking, Tania said, ‘Please tell me about the Esmaldi diamonds.’

‘How do you know about them?’ Harry asked, surprised. He was relaxed and feeling sleepy.

‘I have read about the necklace. Is it very beautiful?’

‘I guess so . . . yes, it is.’

‘Does she wear it often?’

‘Scarcely at all. It stays in the safe. It’s a damn shame really, she hasn’t the looks to wear it. On a beautiful woman, it would look magnificent.’

Tania edged closer to him.

‘Would it look nice on me?’

Harry raised his head and surveyed her naked body. He smiled, nodding.

‘More than magnificent.’

‘If anything happened to her would you have the necklace, Harry?’

‘Not a chance. She has left it to a museum, and besides, nothing is going to happen to her.’

Tania’s almond-shaped eyes opened wide.

‘To a museum?’

‘That’s right. The Fine Arts Museum in Washington.’

‘So no other woman will ever wear it once she is dead?’

‘That’s right.’

Tania drew in a long slow breath.

‘I think that is very selfish.’

‘Yes, but there it is. . . it’s her necklace.’

Lisa had had a bad week of pain. Her temper became insufferable. Even Helgar came under her lash, but Harry suffered most. He was in the lounge, nervously pacing up and down, when Dr. Gourley who had been giving Lisa a checkup came into the room.

Dr. Gourley was a tall, thin, distinguished looking man who Harry liked.

‘How did you find her, Doctor?’ Harry asked anxiously.

‘Nothing to worry about,’ Gourley said. ‘She is bound to have pain from time to time. I’ve changed her drugs. She’ll settle down in a day or two.’ He too had had the sharp edge of Lisa’s tongue, but as she was one of his most profitable patients, he accepted her insults.

‘She’s not in danger?’

‘Danger?’ Gourley smiled and shook his head. ‘She’ll last for years. She has a splendid heart. No . . . you don’t have to worry about that, but she does need a change. I’ve advised her to take a few weeks off in the yacht. Nothing better for her than to have some sea air and a change of background.’

When the doctor had gone, Harry went up to Lisa’s room. He found her in bed, her hard, pinched face pale and her mouth a thin line of pain.

‘That fool thinks I should have a sea trip,’ she said as Harry shut the bedroom door. ‘We will go to the Bahamas. Tell Captain Ainsworth. We’ll leave at the end of the week. We’ll go for six weeks. I’ve already called the Van Johnsons. They will be coming with us.’

Harry was appalled. He thought of Tania. To be away from her for six weeks! To be cooped up on that damned yacht with those awful Van Johnson bores!

‘But, darling, I can’t be away from the office for six weeks,’ he protested, trying to smile.

She stared at him, her black eyes glittering.

‘Don’t talk nonsense! Of course you can! Miss Bernstein can handle the office far better than you! Tell Captain Ainsworth!’

Harry spent most of the day in the office trying to find a way out. After lunch, he called the Saigon Restaurant from the Yacht Club and asked to speak to Tania.

‘I must see you tonight.’

‘Harry, dear, I’m sorry, but I have my monthly thing.’

‘It doesn’t matter. I must see you.’

That night when Lisa had gone to bed, Harry met Tania at the corner of the street.

‘No, we won’t go to the apartment,’ he said, sitting beside her in the little car. ‘Just listen. . . this is important. . .’

He told her he had to go with Lisa to the Bahamas and they would be away for six weeks. Tania caught her breath in anguish.

‘But don’t worry, it’s not going to be six weeks for me,’ Harry said, holding her hand. ‘I want you to send a telegram to the yacht on September 3rd.’ He took from his wallet a folded sheet of paper ‘The address and the message is written down here I shall be back by the 4th and we can have three whole days and nights together before I have to return to the yacht.’

Two weeks later while the yacht was at anchor in the harbour of Andros Island before making the crossing of the Exuma Sound to Nassau, the telegram arrived.

Harry had had a gruesome fourteen days. At least, Lisa had been in a better mood but being cooped up with the Van Johnsons had nearly driven him crazy. The four of them were sitting in the sun, drinking midday cocktails, when one of the crew came up to Harry with the telegram. Harry was aware that Lisa was watching him while he read it. Then he passed it over to her.

Golden Arrow Yacht Andros Island.

Have had second thoughts. Please meet on site on 5th.

Hal Garrard.

Lisa stared suspiciously at him.

‘What does this mean?’

‘He’s the guy I nearly sold. The Texan who’s been after that parcel of land,’ Harry explained. ‘It’s a three hundred thousand deal, Lisa.’

‘How did he know where to contact you?’

‘I’ve never ceased to contact him.’

‘Well, Miss Bernstein can handle it.’

‘No. . . he hates the sight of her. I’ll have to go back.’

Sam Van Johnson, a big, puffy, balding man, helped him.

‘For Pete’s sake, Harry! Three hundred thousand! Boy! That’s money! How will you get back?’

Harry was still looking directly at Lisa who was glaring angrily at the telegram.

‘Your father wanted to sell this land, darling,’ he said quietly, aware his heart was thumping. ‘Do you want me to go or don’t you?’

‘Oh, go! But it doesn’t mean he will buy!’ Lisa looked at him. ‘Where will you stay?’

‘Oh, some motel. I doubt if I’ll get into the Majestic. It’s bound to be full.’

‘So I won’t know where you are?’

‘But, darling, I’ll be on the site most of the time.’

‘I can’t contact you there.’

‘I’ll keep in touch, and I’ll meet you at Nassau.’

Harry flew back to Paradise City. An hour after arriving, he was with Tania in her apartment.

Their lovemaking was long, tender and passionate. Knowing they dared not be seen together in the City, Tania had arranged for meals to be sent in. The meals arrived from the Saigon restaurant, brought by a smiling Vietnamese waiter.

This suited Harry. He was enchanted with Tania and when he wasn’t making physical love with her, he liked nothing better than to lie on the divan and watch her move around the room, prepare his meals or sit on the floor while she talked to him.

On the morning of the second day together, she said suddenly, ‘ Harry. . . I would so very much like to see your home. It is your chance to show it to me. Will you?’

The house had been shut up. Helgar was on the yacht. ToTo and the rest of the staff had gone off for their annual holiday. The elaborate burglar alarms, wired direct to police headquarters, satisfied Lisa the house was safe to be left unoccupied.

Tania’s request startled Harry.

‘I’m afraid not. That’s taking too big a risk. My God! If Lisa. . .’

‘But couldn’t we go late tonight? No one would know. I do so want to see your home.’

But the thought scared Harry.

‘I’m sorry . . . no, Tania.’

When you want anything, you have to fight for it, Dong Tho had said so often to her.

‘All right then!’ For the first time since he had known her, her beautiful little face became set and hard. ‘I have done so much for you. I give myself to you whenever you want me. I had hoped you would have done something for me.’

Harry hesitated. From her expression he guessed she would now sulk for the rest of the evening if not for his remaining day, and time was running out.

‘All right, we’ll go.’

She gave a squeal of delight and threw herself in his arms.

Soon after midnight, he led her up the drive and around to the patio door. Here, he turned off the concealed switch that disconnected the burglar alarm.

‘What are you doing, Harry?’

‘Turning the switch off. If I didn’t, we would have a lot of policemen here in three minutes. The whole house is wired direct to the police headquarters. By turning this switch, the alarm is cut off.’

He groped under a flower pot containing yellow begonias and took from under it the key to the patio door.

‘I always leave it here,’ he explained as he unlocked the door. ‘If I lost it and couldn’t get back to my bedroom after seeing you, I’d be sunk.’

He led her into the house.

The shutters were closed and the curtains drawn. It was safe to turn on the lights.

She walked with him through the rooms. She stood for nearly three minutes staring at the fitted kitchen, her almond-shaped eyes wide. The bathrooms fascinated her. Harry had not got over his scare and was enjoying seeing her utter bewilderment at such luxury.

‘But those taps are solid gold!’ she exclaimed, staring at Lisa’s bath.

‘That’s right,’ Harry said. ‘All the fittings in here are gold.’

‘But how can one be so rich!’

‘Lisa just is.’

She stood in the doorway of the enormous lounge, her hands against her breasts. Watching her in her white trousers and her pale blue tunic, Harry thought how lovely she looked. She examined everything, but touched nothing. She stared at the fully-equipped bar, the big colour TV set, the stereo radiogram and the rack of L.P. records, the furniture, the decor and the hangings. She moved as if she were in a dream.

‘All this belongs to you, Harry?’

‘Nothing belongs to me . . . I just live here.’

He showed her his bedroom.

‘And you sleep in this beautiful room all alone?’

‘Yes, but I dream of you.’

She looked at him, smiling.

‘Do you . . . really?’

‘Really . . . come on, let’s go.’

Her black eyes became appealing.

‘Please, Harry, may I see the Esmaldi necklace?’

Harry hesitated. Then seeing the longing expression in her eyes, he hadn’t the heart to refuse.

He took her into Lisa’s bedroom. Tania caught her breath as he switched on the lights. The room was the acme of luxury, comfort and taste. The beauty and magnificence of it still impressed Harry.

‘But this is truly wonderland,’ Tania whispered, moving into the room. ‘It’s the most beautiful room I have ever seen.’

‘Isn’t it!’

Harry went over to one of the hidden buttons concealed under the edge of Lisa’s dressing table.

‘What are you doing?’ Tania asked curiously, joining him.

‘Opening the safe. There are two buttons: one here . . . the other across the room. This one cuts the alarm. The other opens the safe.’ He crossed the room and located the second button cunningly hidden in the ornate woodwork that surrounded the radiator. As he pressed the button, the safe door, set in the wall, slid open.

‘But that’s wonderful! Oh, Harry, please let me do it! Please!’

So Harry reclosed the safe and let her touch the first button and then the second. She clapped her hands like an excited child as the door of the safe slid open.

‘Oh, to be able to live like this!’ she exclaimed. ‘This is the most wonderful night of my life!’

‘Wait,’ Harry said. He was now getting a big bang out of her excitement. He reached into the safe and took out a long, flat jewel case. ‘Take your clothes off, Tania.’

She stared at him.

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Go on . . . take them off.’

With trembling fingers, she slid out of her clothes and stood before him. He opened the case and drew out the Esmaldi necklace that glittered like three ropes of stars.

‘Don’t move,’ he went on as Tina gasped at the sight of the diamonds.

He fastened the necklace around her slim throat, then moved her to the full length mirror and stood away. Her ivory, satin-smooth skin was the perfect background for the three strands of glittering diamonds.

She stood hypnotised, staring at her reflection.

‘I knew it,’ Harry said a little huskily. ‘They were created for you.’

She said nothing. She looked and she looked and she looked. After she had remained motionless for some five minutes, Harry gently undid the clasp and returned the necklace to its case.

‘And no one will ever wear them but her?’ Tania said quietly as she dressed.

‘That’s right. They’ll be behind armoured glass in a museum.’

Tania was strangely quiet as they drove back to the little apartment. She looked around the small, simply furnished room as she entered, her face expressionless.

‘What it is to have money, Harry,’ she said, then she shrugged and smiled. ‘Now let us make beautiful love.’