The Affair of the Mutilated Mink (14 page)

Gerry jerked at the handle and the top flew back. Snow swept in. She heaved forward again. Nothing happened. She knelt on the seat and had another go. But it was hopeless. The top was well and truly jammed.

Gerry nearly wept. If there'd been a draft before, there was now a howling gale around and she was colder than ever. She threw herself back into the seat, staring dismally into the darkness. The next moment she stiffened. Lights - surely? Yes, a car was approaching. Slowly it drew closer.

Then Gerry knew a twinge of unease. It wasn't the Rolls - the lights were wrong. Suppose it wasn't from home at all? It might be - anybody.

The car came nearer still, and stopped about ten yards in front of her. Then a figure was suddenly silhouetted against the car's lights. It began walking towards her. She held her breath. The next moment a light was shining in her eyes and a voice was saying, Gerry? Are you all right?'

'Hugh! Oh, thank heavens!'

She opened the door and got stiffly out. 'Oh, Hugh, am I glad to see you! But what are you driving?'

'The Hispano.'

'Oh.' Of course, she'd never seen her own car approaching her in the dark, so it wasn't surprising she hadn't recognised it. 'How did you find me?' she asked.

'Followed the tracks of the Rolls until they got covered with snow. Then just kept straight on. But what happened?'

'It's Paul. He-

Hugh grabbed her by the elbow. 'What's he done? Where is he?'

She pulled away. 'Hugh, please. It's ripping of you to have come for me, but this isn't the Old Bailey.'

Gerry, has he hurt you? In any way?'

'Certainly not.'

'Then why's he run off?'

'He hasn't run off. He's gone to get petrol. We ran out.'

He gave a snort. 'Oh, come off it! Don't tell me you fell for that old chestnut.'

'It's true!'

'Gerry, for Pete's sake stop defending the rotter.'

'He's not a rotter!'

He grasped her roughly by the shoulders. 'Don't say you were in on it!'

'In on what?'

'This whole shoddy scheme. For the two of you to - to be alone. Where no one could see you.'

She gave a gasp. 'You're not serious! You don't honestly think we'd
choose
to stop - out here, in this!' She gestured to the elements.

'I think he'd do absolutely anything to get you. And I think you're so besotted with him that you'd let him.'

'Why, you utter beast!' And Gerry slapped him hard across the face.

He started shaking her, shouting to make himself heard above the wind. 'Gerry, come to your senses! The fellow's a cad. Give him up!'

Gerry's teeth were rattling so much that she couldn't speak. Then, when she was sure that if he continued any longer her head would fall off, there came the sound of hurrying footsteps, muffled by the snow, and then blessedly Paul's voice:

'Gerry? I've got the petrol. Didn't have to go to the garage. A truck driver let me siphon some out of his tank. Gerry? What's happening? Who's that with you?'

Hugh let her go as Paul loomed up from the rear, carrying a can. 'What's going on?' he said urgently. 'Quartus!'

Hugh spun to face him. 'Right, Carter, I want a few words with you.'

Paul took in Gerry's distressed condition. He put down the can. 'What have you done to her?'

'Nothing, except give her a well-deserved shaking. The question is: What have I prevented you doing to her?'

Gerry stepped shakily towards Paul and fell into his arms. 'Oh, Paul, he's been saying horrible things about us: that we arranged all this so we could - could be alone.'

Paul drew his breath in sharply. 'You unmitigated bounder.'

'
You
call
me
a bounder?' Hugh shouted. The next moment, without any warning, he swung a wild right hook in the direction of Paul's head.

Paul easily evaded the blow, and Hugh's fist landed with a clunk against the windshield of the car. He gave a yelp of pain.

'Right,' Paul said grimly, 'if that's the way you want it.' He drew back his fist.

Gerry screamed, 'No, Paul!' and he stopped in mid-movement. 'No fighting, please!' she said imploringly. 'Let's get home before I freeze to death.'

He hesitated, then dropped his fist. 'Oh, all right. He's not worth it, anyway. I'll get the petrol in.'

He turned, and for the first time took in the appearance of his car. 'Why by all that's wonderful have you put the hood down?'

She stammered out an explanation.

He groaned. 'Stuck! Oh, marvellous! It's happened before. I'll never be able to put it right out here.'

'Well, I'm sorry,' she said tearfully. 'I didn't do it on purpose.'

Muttering to himself, Paul picked up the can and walked to the rear of the car. Gerry turned back to Hugh, who was nursing his knuckles.

'Is it bad?'

'What do you think?'

'It's your own fault.'

He jerked his head at the tourer. 'You going back in that?'

'I suppose so.'

'Why not come in the Hispano? At least you'll be dry.'

She looked longingly in the direction of the other car. 'No, I'd better go back with Paul. It is my fault the top's down, after all.'

'That's crazy reasoning—'

Paul came up. 'What's the matter now?'

'Hugh's suggesting I should go home in the Hispano,' she said. 'I say, let's all go in it.'

'I'm not leaving my car here,' Paul said. 'The inside would be sodden by the morning. You do what you like.'

'All right. Thanks. I'll go with Hugh. I'm so
cold
!

'Is that settled?' Hugh asked irritably. 'Good. Then come on, Gerry. You drive. My hand's hurting.'

'All right, so long as
somebody
drives.'

They were about to move towards the Hispano, when suddenly and unexpectedly Paul gave a yell. 'Stop ordering her around!'

Hugh turned. 'What?'

'You heard, you insolent little twerp! 'Do this, Do that.' Do you think she's a scullery maid?'

Gerry said despairingly, 'Oh, Paul, it doesn't matter!'

'It matters to me. I won't have you spoken to like that by anybody, let alone this insufferable, jumped up pip-squeak.'

He stepped up to Hugh. 'You took a poke at me just now. Want to try again?'

'All right.'

Hugh jabbed out his fist. Paul effortlessly parried the blow. Gerry gave a yell and stepped forward.

'Stop it, both of you!'

But at that second Paul let fly with a left hook. It was a textbook punch, except for one thing. As he threw it his feet slipped on the icy road surface. He spun wildly, his arms flailed in the air, and his clenched fist caught Gerry square on the jaw.

Without a sound she collapsed on the road and lay still.

Paul stared at Gerry in abject dismay.

'You fool!' Hugh gasped.

Paul fell on his knees beside her and raised her head. Hugh shone his flashlight on her face. With immense relief in his voice Paul said, 'It's all right. She's breathing easily. She'll be round in a few minutes. Let's get her into the car.'

They lifted Gerry and manoeuvred her through the door of the Hispano and onto the passenger seat. Paul closed the door. 'Are you capable of driving this thing?'

'I'll manage.'

'OK.'

'Splendid,' Paul said ironically, 'then, follow me.'

It was less than five minutes later that Gerry gave a little groan and opened her eyes. 'What happened?' she said thickly.

'Carter socked you on the jaw.'

'Don't be silly,' she murmured.

'He did, I tell you. Unfortunately, I'm forced to admit it was a pure accident.'

She fingered her jaw. 'Ouch. Oh, I remember now. The clumsy oaf.' She started to sit up.

Hugh said, 'Keep your head down a bit. You'll be groggy for a while yet.'

She did as he advised. A few seconds later she said, 'Gosh, I'm colder than ever.'

'You'll have to put up with it a bit longer.'

'Where are we?'

'I don't know. I'm following Carter. But you were about four miles from home when I found you and we've done a mile or so since then. If only this snow would ease!'

'Paul will be frozen solid with the top down.'

'How sad,' said Hugh.

* * *

When Gerry eventually walked stiffly into the house she was blue with cold. Her mother fussed around, plying her with questions, as she made her way thankfully to the fireplace and sank down in the chair closest to it.

'Don't laugh,' she said, 'but Paul ran out of petrol.'

The Countess brought a cup of coffee across to her. 'Oh, thanks, Mummy. I need that.'

Her father asked, 'Where are the boys?'

'Just putting the cars away.'

At that moment Hugh came in. Lord Burford said, 'Ah, the good Samaritan. Come and have some coffee, Hugh.'

'No, thank you, Lord Burford. I'll go straight up. Just looked in to say good night.'

'Thank you very much, Hugh,' Gerry said.

'That's all right.'

He went out, closing the door. A minute later Paul entered. He avoided Gerry's eye, refused coffee, but accepted a whisky and stood chatting to Lord Burford while he drank it. Then he too said good night and left the room. The Earl followed him upstairs a couple of minutes later, after bolting the front door.

Gerry and her mother remained talking for a further ten minutes, until Gerry had thawed out a little; then they also made their way rather wearily upstairs.

After kissing her mother goodnight and going to her room, Gerry stood hesitating, trying to decide whether to have a bath. She did need one in order to warm up fully. On the other hand, it was very late - nearly ten past two - and she was extremely tired.

Golly, what a day it had been! First that row with Gilbert - Oh no! Thinking of Gilbert had made her recollect the appointment she'd had with Rex.

She wondered if he could conceivably still be waiting for her. It was surely unlikely. But, on the other hand, he might have been expecting her any minute for the last hour and not have liked to go to bed.

Gerry sighed. She'd have to go and knock on the door of his sitting room, just in case. If he had turned in, that wouldn't disturb him. She left her room again.

There was no reply to her tap on Rex's door and, relieved, she started to turn away. She'd done her duty.

Then suddenly the door was pulled open with great force and Rex stood in the doorway.

* * *

He was still wearing evening dress, minus the coat, and for a moment there was an utterly unfamiliar expression on his usual cheerful countenance. In that second Gerry saw the face of a worried, even frightened, man behind the actor's mask. Then he was smiling.

'Why, Gerry. This is an unexpected pleasure.'

She stared. 'Unexpected? You mean, you weren't waiting up for me?'

'No.' He looked blank. 'Should I have been?'

'We had an appointment. Granted I'm absurdly late.'

Recollection came into his eyes. 'Of course! Come right in.'

'Just for a few seconds.'

Gerry went in and he closed the door. She said, 'It's a bit late to talk tonight. I'm at fault, though not really to blame. Paul had car trouble. So could we have our discussion about Gilbert tomorrow?'

'Gilbert?' He looked dazed and his manner was so odd she wondered if he'd been drinking. 'I don't want to talk about Gilbert. You must have misunderstood me.'

'I did no such thing!' she said indignantly. 'You asked if I'd been having trouble with him, as you had been. He'd been prowling about your room, you were worried and wanted to tell me a story.'

'Oh, I must have been exaggerating - professional failing, to dramatise situations.' He gave a decidedly unconvincing smile. 'We had a few words about the script, buts all sorted out now.'

She gazed at him incredulously. He looked back, smiling stiffly, and there was silence.

At last she said, 'I see. Well, if you're sure there's nothing—'

'No, nothing,' he said sharply. 'Nothing at all.'

'Whatever you say.' She went towards the door.

'Good night, then.'

'Good night.'

Her hand touching the doorknob, on a sudden impulse she turned. 'Rex, are you all right?'

The eyes that met hers looked almost wild. Then, unexpectedly, he gave a harsh laugh. 'All right? Well, how would you feel if a career you'd spent all your adult life building up looked like it was over? Oh, yes, I feel just dandy!'

'I - I don't understand.'

'Well, I shouldn't try. I'm sure you've got your own problems. So why don't you go sleep on them?'

On the verge of demanding a fuller explanation, Gerry changed her mind. This wasn't the time. So she just said, 'Very well, if that's what you want. Good night again.'

This time she did go out, closing the door behind her. She made her way slowly back towards her room. What had happened to change him so?
Could
he have been drinking? There'd been no smell of it. If not, it really seemed he might be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

She went into her room and sat down on the bed. Suddenly she felt wide awake. She decided to have a bath, after all. Perhaps a good soak would help her think. Her maid was long in bed, so Gerry left her room again to go and run the bath. Not wanting to disturb Gilbert, she decided not to use the next-door bathroom, but the one across the corridor.

She had just entered it when, in the distance - but definitely indoors - she heard an utterly unexpected but quite unmistakable sound.

It was a gunshot.

Gerry's heart gave a leap, and for seconds she stood quite still, as the report reverberated through the corridors.

Rex. Could it be? Had that been his meaning when he'd talked about his career being over?

Gerry ran from the bathroom and sprinted along the main corridor. She reached the door of the Royal Suite. But as she got there the conviction came to her that the shot had come from farther away. She ran to the corner and stared along the east wing. At the far end a shaft of light streaming into the corridor showed that a door on the left was open.