Whiff Of Money (15 page)

'We're on our way,' he said. 'If there is anything else ... ?'

Malik shook his head.

'No ... you have been useful... get off.'

Vi stood away from Malik. She could scarcely believe she was leaving this silver-haired giant who so terrified her.

With Labrey, she began to walk towards the railway station.

'Pretty girl,' Lintz said, eyeing Vi's legs as she moved quickly along the street.

'A whore,' Malik said indifferently, 'but she will be useful.'

'Yes.' Lintz laughed, then seeing Malik was blank-faced and his eyes brooding, he cut off his laugh and remained silent.

A few minutes to mid-day, a black Mercedes turned into the Alpenhoff Hotel's driveway and pulled up outside the entrance. A short, thick-set man, wearing a green livery of cloth and leather, went into the hotel.

Malik became alert.

A few minutes later, the man came out followed by Gillian, Girland and Rosnold. Two porters carried their bags.

'They are on their way,' Malik said. 'Get our bags.'

Lintz went into the hotel.

The short, thick-set man in the green livery was talking to Girland.

'If you will follow me in your car sir, I will take you to the Schloss,' he was saying. 'It's about an hour's drive.'

Gilly said to Rosnold, T want to drive in the Merc. You follow us... okay?'

'No!' Rosnold said curtly. 'You are driving with me!'

Overhearing this exchange, Girland went to his hired Mercedes and got in. Without waiting to see if Gilly was winning her argument, he started the engine and followed the black Mercedes out into the main street.

Seeing him leave, Gilly grimaced and shrugged. She climbed into theT.R.4.

Rosnold said, 'Are you falling for that fellow?'

Gilly eyed him, then shook her head.

'If I'm going to fall for anyone, I'll fall for the count... he has the money.'

Rosnold got in the car and started the engine. 'I could get tired of you if you can't keep away from other men.' Gilly made a face at him. 'Would that be such a disaster?'

Rosnold scowled at her, then drove out into the main street and headed after Girland.

* * *

Count Hans von Goltz sat in a high-backed leather chair, facing Lu Silk who sat on a leather-covered settee. The two men were in the baronial hall of the Obermitten Schloss: a vast room with wooden beams supporting the arched ceiling.

The big picture window looked out onto the magnificent park with its close-cut lawns and gnarled trees. Beyond the set garden was the forest.

Count Hans von Goltz was Herman Radnitz's nephew.

Had it not been for Radnitz, von Goltz would now be serving a life sentence for murder and rape. When he was sixteen years of age and living with his parents on their estate near the Saxon Forest, east of Hamburg, he had come across an Austrian girl student on a hiking vacation. She had strayed onto the von Goltz land and she had asked him the way to the main highway to Hamburg. They were completely alone together, and von Goltz had made advances which were repulsed. Von Goltz was used to having his way. There was a struggle, and after the brutal rape, he had strangled the girl. Leaving her body half-concealed in the bracken he had returned home. He told his father what he had done. One of the gamekeepers who hated von Goltz had heard the girl's screams. He had arrived on the scene a few minutes after von Goltz had left. He had found von Goltz's watch by the body. It had been torn from von Goltz's wrist in the struggle.

It so happened that Herman Radnitz was staying at the Schloss, spending a few days with his sister, von Goltz's mother.

Von Goltz's father, horrified at what his son had told him, went to Radnitz. Radnitz advised that they should do nothing.

The girl's body would be discovered sooner or late. Both he and the parents would say von Goltz had been with them all during the afternoon.

But they were reckoning without the gamekeeper who raised the alarm. The police arrived and the gamekeeper gave them von Goltz's watch. Although the parents and Radnitz confirmed the boy hadn't left the Schloss during the afternoon, he was arrested. His hands were badly scratched. White and trembling he had told the police he had been teasing one of the farm cats, but this explanation was not accepted.

Radnitz then talked to the gamekeeper. For an agreed sum of money, the gamekeeper told the police that he disliked young von Goltz and had fabricated the story about finding the watch by the glirl's body. In fact, he had found the watch in another part of the estate and had intended to keep it. Radnitz then talked to the Chief of Police who had political ambitions. It was easy for Radnitz to arrange something advantageous and in return the Chief of Police dropped the murder charges. It had been a narrow escape and young von Goltz was grateful. A year later the von Goltz estate was wiped out by bombing and von Goltz's parents killed. He had served in the German army and when he was released Radnitz sent for him. He offered him the stewardship of Radnitz's rich estate in Bavaria. He would receive an adequate income. He would handle the estate and generally put himself at Radnitz's disposal. Von Goltz jumped at this offer and for the past twenty-five years, he had acted as major-domo to one of the finest private estates in Germany. There were times when Radnitz would visit the estate, look around, satisfy himself that his nephew was doing a good job, have some hunting and then go away. There were times when von Goltz received an abrupt order to visit East Berlin where he met shabby men who handed him packages or letters which he delivered to Radnitz. Once he was ordered to go to Peking where he collected another mysterious package, but these courier jobs didn't often happen. Von Goltz was quite content to do what his uncle told him without question so long as he could remain at the Schloss to hunt, entertain his friends, have women who came from all parts of Europe for a short visit and indulge in his dream fantasy that this splendid Schloss and estate belong to him.

The previous day, he had received written instructions from Radnitz, and for the first time since he had become Radnitz's steward, he had orders that made him flinch.

'It is necessary,' Radnitz wrote, 'to get these three films from this girl. You may use any method you may think fit, but she must be persuaded to give them to you. I am sending Lu Silk who will take care of the girl. You need have nothing to do with her disposal. Silk is a professional and is well paid and extremely efficient. But your job is to get the films.Until you have them, Silk is not to proceed with the next move.'

'I've made it easy for you,' von Goltz said as he sipped his champagne. 'They will be arriving shortly. Once they are here, they won't be allowed to leave. I will get the films from the girl, then I will leave you to get rid of them all.'

Silk nodded.

'Okay,' he said. 'I'll keep out of sight until you get the films.' He thought for a long moment, then went on, 'They'll be traced here. You realise that? The hotel will know they are coming. They just can't vanish into space.'

Von Goltz shrugged.

'That's your affair. My affair is to get the films.'

Silk smiled.

'It will be a mental exercise that will amuse me.' He got to his feet. 'I will keep out of sight. Be careful of Girland. The other two are harmless, but Girland is dangerous.'

'My uncle has warned me.'

Silk left the room. He walked slowly up the broad staircase to the second floor. A long walk down a corridor lined on either side by medieval battle weapons brought him to his suite which consisted of a bedroom and a vast sitting-room.

He let himself into the suite, locked the door, then crossed to the window which overlooked the lower terrace and the main entrance. He sat down, lit a cigarette and stared blankly down the long, winding drive while he waited for the three to arrive.

The entrance to the Obermitten Schloss was imposing. The flint and stone walls surrounding the estate were twenty feet high with cruel-looking steel barbs mounted along lie top of the wall. The tall wrought iron gates swung open as the black Mercedes slowed and then drove through. Girland followed. His sharp eyes noticed that on both gates was a heraldic shield ofblack metal. Inscribed in glittering gold leaf were the initials H.R. This puzzled him. H.R.? he wondered. Why not H v G? As he followed the black Mercedes along the winding drive, bordered on either side by dense larch trees, he began to feel a little uneasy. He couldn't explain this uneasiness to himself, but the darkness of the overhanging trees, shutting out the sunlight and the barbed walls gave him a sudden feeling that he was driving into a trap. He told himself this was nonsense, but the feeling persisted.

He looked into his driving mirror and saw the T.R.4 was following behind. He drove after the black Mercedes for at least five kilometres, then suddenly the gloomy forest was gone and wide, immaculate lawns with ornamental fountains gushing water, banks of daffodils

and tulips made a splendid scene against a backdrop of clear blue sky and lazily floating white clouds. Against this scene was the Schloss: an imposing, magnificent building with turrets, terraces ornamented with marble statues and an arched entrance through which two trucks could have easily driven side by side.

Gilly scrambled out of the T.R.4 and joined Girland as he got out of his car.

'Just look at this!' she exclaimed breathlessly. 'It's the biggest and most perfect place I've ever seen!'

Rosnold joined them. He stood staring up at the building, shaking his head in wonderment.

The huge double wooden doors swung open and von Goltz came out onto the terrace. He waved to them, signalling to them to come up the three flights of marble steps that led to the main terrace.

'Welcome,' he said, smiling.

While two liveried servants appeared to take their bags, the three walked up the steps and joined von Goltz.

'What a dreamy place!' Gilly said excitedly. 'Do you really mean you live here all alone? There must be at least fifty rooms...'

Von Goltz laughed. He was obviously pleased by her excitement.

'To be exact there are a hundred and fifty-five rooms,' he told her. 'It's absurd, of course... an anachronism, but I love the place. I have lived here for twenty-five years. I couldn't bear to leave it.'

Girland was looking at the terrace furniture. On each wrought iron chair was a tiny shield each bearing the initials H.R.

He glanced at von Goltz who was leading Gilly and Rosnold towards the entrance to the Schloss. He followed behind.

'Fritz will show you to your rooms,' von Goltz said, waving to a short, fat man in livery. 'You will wish to tidy up.

Suppose we say lunch in half an hour?' he paused, then went on, 'I have put you all close together on the first floor.' He laughed. 'It is easy to get lost in this place.'

Twenty minutes later, Gilly came into Girland's enormous bedroom with its four-poster bed and its splendid view of the park and distant forest.

She was wearing a simple white dress and around her suntanned throat was a necklace of large blue beads.

'Isn't it marvellous?' she said, joining him at the open window. 'Look at that bed... it's made for love!'

Girland laughed.

'The one-track mind. Any bed is made for love ... it depends on who occupies it.'

I'm right next door.' She lowered her voice as she continued, Til visit you tonight.'

Girland lifted his eyebrows.

'I don't remember inviting you.'

She laughed.

'You don't fool me, Casanova. You know you want me. You want me now... anyway, I'm coming tonight.'

'You have something there.' Girland studied her. She was very desirable. 'Where's Rosnold?'

'In his room. Let's go down. I'm starving.'

They moved across the room together. At the door, Gilly paused, looked steadily at Girland, then said, 'Kiss me.'

As Girland took her in his arms, there came a tap on the door. They moved quickly apart, then Girland opened the door.

Rosnold was standing in the corridor. He regarded Girland with a long, probing stare.

I was wondering where you had got to,' he said, shifting his stare to Gilly.

'Well, here we are. I was investigating his room... look at it! It's marvellous, isn't it?' Gilly said innocently.

Rosnold glanced into the room and nodded.

'The whole place is fantastic. What it must cost to run*!'

There was a gentle cough behind them and turning, they saw Fritz standing behind them.

'Lunch is served if you please,' he said. 'Will you come this way?'

The lunch was impeccable, served in an enormous high-ceilinged room that could cater for two hundred people. There were footmen in green and gold livery standing behind each chair. The meal began with white caviar, served with chilled vodka, followed by breasts of wild duck in a wine sauce with a 1949 Ausone claret. The dessert, served, with a golden sauterne, was hot-house strawberries in a champagne sorbet.

During the meal, von Goltz chatted pleasantly, concentrating his attention on Gilly, but also including Girland and Rosnold.

Girland noticed the table silver all carried the initials H.R. and this again puzzled him.

As they moved from the big dining-hall into the lounge for coffee, Girland asked, 'Who is H.R.?'

Von Goltz looked sharply at him, then smiled.

'You noticed the initials? This place doesn't actually belong to me but to my uncle.'

'A perfect meal, Count,' Rosnold said as he sank into an armchair. 'I congratulate you. Your chef reaches the standards of my country and that is praise indeed.'

'He is French,' von Goltz said.

He sat on a satin-covered settee by Gilly's side. There was a pause while a footman served coffee and cognac.

When the footman had gone, von Goltz looked directly at Girland.

'You were curious about my uncle. I believe you have met him.'

Girland lit a cigarette. There was now an expression on von Goltz's face that he didn't like. Although he remained relaxed, he became mentally very alert.

'Havel?'

'Yes. He is Herman Radnitz.'

Girland's smile remained polite and easy. So they had walked into a trap, he thought as he said, Of course. Once we did some business together. How is he?'