Thieves Fall Out Read Online Free PDF Page A

I’ll go.”
    “I’m glad,” she said, relaxing a little. Absently she un-fastened the diamond brooch at her throat and placed it on the dressing table. He watched her, full of desire, but there was no sign, no signal that she wanted him, and the thought of the money at stake made him cautious.
    “When do I go?” he asked.
    “I’m not sure.” She ran a comb through her dark hair. She was perfectly casual, as though she were alone or with a familiar friend. “Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in a few days. It will depend on Hastings.”
    “You are partners?”
    “In a sense.”
    “Will I be told what I am supposed to do in Luxor?”
    “Oh, I think so, but not much more.” She laughed. “You must not be too curious, either.”
    “One question: Just how does this proposition stand in relation to the law?”
    “You want to know if what we’re doing is illegal?” She sighed. “It is so hard to answer. Some would say yes and some would say no.”
    “The law is usually pretty clear in most cases.” Pete was stubborn.
    “Perhaps,” said Hélène. “Now I think you’d better go. I shall probably see you tomorrow, after you have your talk with Hastings.”
    “I hope he’ll be clearer than you,” said Pete angrily. He had not expected the evening to end this way, but the expression in her dark eyes warned him not to make a move yet. Then, too, he was confident that if he really wanted her he would have her, sooner or later. There was a natural law that operated in these matters, he thought, his eyes on her slender legs, which showed clearly through the black silk as she sat, legs crossed, in front of the dressing table.
    “Good night,” she said coolly.
    “Thanks for the dinner.” He managed to sound as casual as she, even though his mouth was dry with desire.
    “I enjoyed it,” she said softly. Then, remembering herself, she added evenly, “Be sure to mention none of this to anyone. Not that it is illegal.” She smiled. “It’s just that what we are doing is confidential and Hastings and I have many rivals in Cairo. Some of them are desperate men.”
    * * *
    He awoke suddenly.
    Through the latticed window the dawn gleamed, pale and gray. In its dim light he saw three figures standing over him. He tried to leap out of bed, to call for help, but they moved too quickly for him. Dazed from sleep, he struggled for one brief moment; then it was all over.
    They tied his arms behind his back and slipped what seemed to be a pillowcase over his head.
    A harsh voice muttered in his ear, “Make noise, throat cut.” The accent was Arab. Beyond that Pete could tell nothing about his visitors. He remained perfectly still on the floor where they had left him.
    He could hear them searching the room: rolling up the mattress of the bed, shaking out pillows, opening drawers in the battered bureau. Then, after what seemed an eternity in which no one spoke, he was lifted by strong arms and dropped onto the bed.
    A surprisingly soft pair of hands moved over his hard bare chest and arms; then, to his embarrassment, his shorts were pulled off and he was subjected to an examination even more thorough than the Army’s. When he struggled, a knife’s cold blade was held to his throat. When the investigation was over, the same Arab voice murmured in his ear, “We cut you loose. Make no move until we go. Understand?”
    Pete nodded. A knife cut his bonds and he was left sprawled on his belly. He waited until he heard the door click shut; then he jumped to his feet, pulled off the blind-fold, ran to the door, and looked out into the hall. It was empty.
    He shut the door and turned on the light. His visitors had gone through everything, he saw. Even the soles of his one pair of shoes had been pried loose. He sat down heavily on the bed, wondering what to do next. No use to call the police. They had taken nothing; there’d been nothing for them to take. Yet they had been trying to find out something, had suspected him of hiding