The Light of Day Read Online Free PDF Page A

change purse. I had sawn off the shank of it and cut a slot in the end so that I could use a small coin to turn it, but it was still over two inches long, and heavy. The weight gave it away. He looked at it curiously.
    ‘You make this?'
    'Not the key part. I just cut it down.' There seemed no point in trying to lie about that
    He nodded. ‘That's better. Okay, we’ll tart over. We know you're a two-bit ponce and we know you heist traveller's cheques from hotel rooms when you get the chance. Do you write the counter-signature yourself?’
    Yes.'
    'So that's forgery Now, I'm asking again. Have you ever been caught before?'
    ‘No, sir.'
    ‘Sure?'
    ‘Yes.'
    'Do you have any sort of police record?'
    'Here in Athens''
    'We'll start with Athens.'
    I hesitated. ‘Well, not exactly a police record. Do you mean traffic offences?'
    'You know what I mean. Quit stalling.'
    I sneezed, quite unintentionally, and my nose began bleeding again. He sighed impatiently and threw me a bunch of paper napkins from the drink-tray.
    'I had you pretty well figured out at the airport,' he went on; 'but I didn't think you'd be quite so stupid. Why did you have to tell that Kira dame that you'd had no dinner?’
    I shrugged helplessly. 'So that I could come here.'
    "Why didn't you tell her you'd gone to gas up the car? I just might have bought that one.'
    'It didn't seem important. Why should you suspect me?'
    He laughed. ‘Oh brother! I know what that car you have sells for here, and I know that gasoline costs sixty cents a gallon. At the rates you charge you couldn't break even. Okay, you get your pay-offs—the restaurant, the clip joint, the cat-house—but they can't amount to much, so there must be something else. Kira doesn't know what it is, but she knows there's something because you've cashed quite a few traveller's cheques through her.'
    'She told you that?' This really upset me; the least one can expect from a brothel-keeper is discretion.
    ‘Why shouldn't she tell me? You didn't tell her they were stolen, did you?' He drank his brandy down. 'I don't happen to like paying for sex, but I wanted to find out a bit more about you. I did. When they realized that I wasn't going to leave without paying, they were both real friendly. Called me a cab and everything. Now, supposing you start talking.'
    I took a sip of brandy. 'Very well, I have had three convictions.'
    ‘What for?’
    The charge in each case was representing myself as an official guide. In fact, all I did was to try to save one or two clients from those boring archaeological set speeches. The official guides have to learn them by heart before they can pass the examination. Tourists like to know what they are looking at, but they do not want to be bored.'
    ‘What happened? Did you go to jail?'
    'Of course not. I was fined.'
    He nodded approvingly. 'That was what Irma thought. Now you just keep on playing it straight like that and maybe we can keep the police out of this. Have you ever been jailed anywhere, to serve time I mean?'
    'I do not see why I should   ...'
    ‘Okay, skip it,' he broke in. 'What about Turkey?"
    ‘Turkey? Why do you ask?'
    'Have you been there?'
    ‘Yes.'
    'Any police record there?'
    'I was fined in Istanbul for showing some people round a museum.'
    ‘Which museum?'
    ‘The Topkapi.'
    ‘Were you posing as an official guide that time?'
    'Guides must be licensed there. I did not have a licence.'
    'Have you ever driven from here to Istanbul?'
    'Is that a criminal offence?'
    'Just answer. Have you?'
    'Occasionally. Some tourists like to travel by road. Why?'
    He did not answer. Instead he took an envelope from thè writing desk and began to scribble something hi pencil. I desperately needed a cigarette, but was afraid to light one in case it might look as if I were no longer worried. I was worried, and confused, too; but I wanted to be sure I looked that way. I drank the brandy instead.
    He finished his scribbling at last and looked up. 'All right, Arthur.