I said listen or I'll slap you right back!'
Her eyes shone with hatred and, Canfield thought, a touch of melancholy. He held her firmly as he spoke. 'Yes, I was assigned to meet you. Meet you and get whatever information I could.'
She spat in his face. He did not bother to brush it away.
'I got the information I needed and I used that information because that's what I'm paid for! As far as my department is concerned, I left this house by nine o'clock after you served me two drinks. If they want to pick you up for illegal possession of alcohol, that's what they can get you for!'
'I don't believe you!'
'I don't give a good God damn whether you do or not! And for your further information I've had you under surveillance for weeks! You and the rest of your playmates... It may interest you to know that I've omitted detailing the more... ludicrous aspects of your day-to-day activities!'
The girl's eyes began to fill with tears.
'I'm doing my job as best I can, and I'm not so sure you're the one who should scream "violated virgin"! You may not realize it, but your husband, or former husband, or whatever the hell he is, could be very much alive. A lot of nice people who never heard of him - women like you and young girls - were burned to death because of him! Others were killed, too, but maybe they should have been.'
'What are you saying?' He relaxed his grip on her but still held her firmly.
'I just know that I left your mother-in-law a week ago in England. It was a hell of a trip over! Someone tried to kill her the first night out on the ship. Oh, you can bet your life it would have been suicide! They would have said she had tearfully thrown herself overboard. No trace at all - A week ago people! An accident, of course!'
'You want to go or do you still want me to go?'
'I guess you'd better stay and finish.' They sat on the sofa and Canfield talked. He talked as he had never talked before.
Chapter Twenty-four
Benjamin Reynolds sat forward in his chair, clipping a week-old article from the Sunday supplement of the New York Herald. It was a photograph of Janet Saxon Scarlett being escorted by sporting goods executive, 'M. Canfield to a dog show at Madison Square Garden. Reynolds smiled as he recalled Canfield's remark on the telephone.
'I can stand everything but the God damn dog shows. Dogs are for the very rich or the very poor. Not for anyone in between!'
No matter, thought Group Twenty's head. The newspapers were doing an excellent job. Washington had ordered Canfield to spend an additional ten days in Manhattan thoroughly establishing his relationship with Ulster Scarlett's wife before returning to England.
The relationship was unmistakable and Benjamin Reynolds wondered if it was really a public facade. Or was it something else? Was Canfield in the process of trapping himself? The ease with which he had engineered a collaboration with Elizabeth Scarlatti bore watching.
'Ben' - Glover walked briskly into the office - 'I think we've found what we've been looking for!' He closed the door firmly and approached Reynolds's desk.
'What have you got? About what?'
'A link with the Scarlatti business. I'm sure of it.'
'Let me see.'
Glover placed several pages on top of the spread-out newspaper. 'Nice coverage, wasn't it?' he said, indicating the photograph of Canfield and the girl.
'Just what us dirty old men ordered. He's going to be the toast of society if he doesn't spit on the floor.'
'He's doing a good job, Ben. They're back on board ship now, aren't they?'
'Sailed yesterday - What is this?'
'Statistics found it. From Switzerland. Zurich area. Fourteen estates all purchased within the year. Look at these latitude and longitude marks. Every one of the properties is adjacent to another one. A borders on B, B on C, C on D, right down the line. Hundreds of thousands of acres forming an enormous compound.'
'One of the buyers Scarlatti?'
'No - But one of the estates was bought in the name of Boothroyd. Charles Boothroyd.'
'You're sure? What do you mean "bought in the name of"?'
'Father-in-law bought it for his daughter and her husband. Named Rawlins. Thomas Rawlins. Partner in the brokerage house of Godwin and Rawlins. His daughter's name is Cecily. Married to Boothroyd.'
Reynolds picked up the page with the list of names. 'Who are these people? How does it break down?'
Glover reached for the other two