هشداری از طرف تیفانی

Chapter eight

A Warning from Tiffany

‘The waiter at the Twenty-one Club brought the martinis, with pieces of lemon peel, as Bond had ordered. Tiffany put a cigarette in her mouth and Bond lit it for her. For a moment, their eyes met, and Bond could read a message. ‘I like you,’ her eyes seemed to say. ‘But be kind. I don’t want to be hurt any more.’

Another waiter came to their table with caviar and champagne.

‘I’m going to Las Vegas tomorrow,’ said Tiffany. ‘I’m taking the train to Chicago, then to Los Angeles. What about you?’

‘I’m going up to Saratoga,’ said Bond. ‘To bet on a horse and make some money.’

‘I suppose it’s a “fixed” race,’ said Tiffany. There was no smile in her eyes now. ‘You seem to be popular with Shady. He wants you to work with the Mob.’

Bond hated lying to this girl, but it was necessary. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘But who is “the Mob”?’ He lit a cigarette and felt her watching him closely.

After a moment, she said, ‘It’s called the Spangled Mob. Two brothers called Spang. I work for one of them in Las Vegas. Nobody seems to know where the other one is. Some say that he’s in Europe. And then there’s somebody called ABC. When I’m working with diamonds, all the orders come from him. The brother I work for is Seraffimo Spang. He’s more interested in gambling and racehorses. Then there’s Shady. He looks after the drug business and other things. There are other men - gangsters. They’re tough. You’ll meet them.’ Then she added, unkindly, ‘I’m sure you’ll like them.’

‘It’s just another job,’ said Bond, angrily. ‘I’ve got to earn some money.’

‘There are lots of other ways,’ she said. ‘Just think very carefully before you work for our little gang.’

‘This diamond game looks easy,’ said Bond. ‘Why don’t we just go on doing it together? Two or three jobs a year will give us good money.’

‘These people aren’t fools,’ said Tiffany. She was angry with him. ‘I’ve never had the same carrier twice, and I’m not the only guard. Also, I think that they had someone watching us on the plane. They check and double check everything they do. I’ve never even seen ABC. I just phone a number in London to get my orders. You have no idea, do you?’

Some time later, they went out into the hot night and got a taxi.

‘I’m staying at the Astor, too,’ said Tiffany.

Bond said nothing. He looked out of the taxi window. He wanted to say to her, ‘Come with me. I like you. Don’t be frightened.’ But Bond couldn’t. He had a job to do.

At the Astor Hotel, they took the lift to the fifth floor. Bond followed her to the door of her room. She turned, angrily, and started to say, ‘Listen, you Bond person…’ But she stopped and looked into his eyes. He saw that she was crying. Suddenly, she put her arms round him and her face next to his.

‘Look after yourself, James,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to lose you.’ She kissed him long and hard on the lips. Then she turned quickly and went into her room and shut the door behind her.