out of bed again at four, because he’d had an attack of cramp.
“For heaven’s sake — hasn’t he got lots of servants...?”
“He was jittery with nerves and wanted reassurance,” yawned Charles. “He’s not looking forward to Sunday any more than I am.”
“You told him — ”
“Everything. Yes. You should have been privileged to listen in to Julian’s phone call; it made me want to throw up. Hell, I’m still seeing Japanese Yen... you see, he’d made this point in his speech about investments in... Well, you wouldn’t understand it, Sue, but I thought he’d got it wrong, and we had an argument about it. I should have let him carry his point, then I wouldn’t have had to rewrite his speech, and I would have got an unbroken night’s sleep for once...”
“You asked me to ring you,” I said, trying not to laugh. “Now wake up, Charles! What is it you want?”
He cut himself off in the middle of another yawn. “The phone! That’s it! Thanks for reminding me. Now look — do you know anything about phones and how they work?”
“Don’t be daft!”
“Well this is what I want you to do...” He gave me precise instructions and made me repeat them.
“And that’s all you want me to do?” I asked, disappointed. “But I don’t see how that will help...”
“It will. There’s just one other thing you might be able to do, and that’s find out where Bianca keeps her business papers; cheque book, bank statements, bills and so on. I should imagine they’re somewhere in her sitting-room, and knowing her, that they’re kept locked up. Maybe a safe? Could you take a quick look round, if you have a chance...?”
“And then ring you back?”
“No. We’re off in an hour, and won’t be back till after midnight, I dare say. Maybe someone will contact you...”
“But they can’t, if I put the phone out of order.”
“Yes, well...” There was a confusion of noises in the background at his end of the phone, and then he came back to me. “Just my breakfast arriving, and J.B. wanting to know who the hell I’m talking to at this hour of the morning. Look, could you sneak out to meet me early tomorrow morning, before breakfast? There’s something I’ve got to ask you, and... I’ll be at the end of the drive from half six on.”
“I’ll try.”
The phone went dead. I didn’t replace the receiver, but put it down on the table while I sought for a screwdriver. The kitchen drawer was well supplied. I unscrewed the casing of the telephone, depressed a wire with the screwdriver so as to break contact, and replaced the casing. I tested the phone and found it completely dead.
That worried me. I’d been asked to stop the phone ringing, but not told to break the connection entirely. I hesitated, not knowing what to do about it. I argued it was better to have the phone not working at all, than to put it to rights. Besides, I didn’t know what it was I’d done wrong, and I wasn’t sure I could repair the damage, even if I wanted to do so. I went to prepare breakfast.
Julian drifted downstairs at half-past nine, declaring he had a headache and couldn’t possibly go into the office. Anyway, it was a Saturday, and he had never seen the point of working on a Saturday. I mixed him some salts.
Bianca didn’t need salts. She must have acquired quite some tolerance to whisky, for she didn’t even have a hangover when she got up. She went over the menus for the weekend with me, and made out a shopping list of the things I would need. I asked her to fetch my knitting from my flat as well, if she’d time.
“You’ve lost a little weight,” she said, eyeing me. “But you’re still no glamour piece. Charles won’t stick to you, you know.”
“Charles isn’t interested in glamour,” I said, and then knew I’d have done better to have maintained a discreet silence. I could feel violence in the room. Her fingers curled and uncurled, touched her throat, the buttons on her dress, a kitchen knife that lay nearby. Her tongue flicked over her lips. Her eyes never left me. I shivered and couldn’t think of anything to say. I could feel that she wanted to hurt me, physically.
The door-bell rang. She didn’t move.
“Shall I go?” I asked, stiff-tongued. “It might be the telegram you were expecting.”
She lowered her eyes and nodded dismissal. It was an