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Bond ate silently and when they had finished Leiter made a deteret drunk,' he said 'This is the bad end to a worse day Or do you want to play bingo with the oldsters? It says there's a bingo tournaed his shoulders and they went back to their sitting-roo out across the sand, bonewhite in the light of the moon, towards the endless dark sea

When Bond had drunk enough to drown his thoughts he said good night and went off to Solitaire's room, which he had now taken over as his bedroom He climbed between the sheets where her warm body had lain and, before he slept, he had o after The Robber as soon as it was light and strangle the truth out of him He had been too preoccupied to discuss the case with Leiter but he was certain that The Robberof Solitaire He thought of the ht of the scrawny neck rising like a turtle's out of the dirty sweat-shirt Under the bedclothes the muscles of his arms went taut Then, his mind made up, he relaxed his body into sleep

He slept until eight When he saw the ti his eyes open into the needles of water until they smarted Then he put a towel round his waist and went into Leiter's room The slats of the jalousies were still down but there was light enough to see that neither bed had been slept in

He s that Leiter had probably finished the bottle of whisky and fallen asleep on the couch in the living-rooh The room was empty The bottle of whisky, still half full, was on the table and a pile of cigarette butts overflowed the ash-tray

Bond went to the , pulled up the jalousies and opened it He caught a gli before he turned back into the room

Then he saw the envelope It was on a chair in front of the door through which he had come He picked it up It contained a note scribbled in pencil

Got to thinking and don't feel like sleep It's about five a to visit the worm-and-bait store All sa there while S was being snatched As if he kneere in town and was ready for trouble in case the snatch rong If I'm not back by ten, call out the militia Tampa 88 FELIX

Bond didn't wait While he shaved and dressed he ordered some coffee and rolls and a cab In just over ten ot the the cottage when he heard the telephone ring in the living-room He ran back

'Mr Bryce?

Mound Park Hospital speaking,' said a voice 'Eency ward Doctor Roberts We have a Mr Leiter here who's asking for you Can you coripped with fear 'What's theto worry about,' said the voice 'Autoht concussion Can you come over? He seems to want you'

'Of course,' said Bond, relieved 'Be there right away'

Nohat the hell, he wondered as he hurried across the lawn Must have been beaten up and left in the road On the whole, Bond was glad it was no worse

As they turned across Treasure Island Causeway an a

More trouble, thought Bond Don't see into it

They crossed St Petersburg by Central Avenue and turned right down the road he and Leiter had taken the day before Bond's suspicions seemed to be confirmed when he found the hospital was only a couple of blocks from Ourobouros Inc

Bond paid off the cab and ran up the steps of the i There was a reception desk in the spacious entrance hall A pretty nurse sat at the desk reading the ads in the St Petersburg Times

'Dr Roberts?' inquired Bond

'Dr which?' asked the girl looking at hiency ward,' said Bond iht in this '

'No doctor called Roberts here,' said the girl She ran a finger down a list on the desk 'And no patient called Leiter Just a moment and I'll call the ward What did you say your name was?'

'Bryce,' said Bond 'John Bryce' He started to sweat profusely although it was quite cool in the hall He wiped his wet hands on his trousers, fighting to keep froirl just didn't know her job Too pretty to be a nurse Ought to have soround his teeth as she talked cheerfully into the telephone

She put down the receiver 'I' the night and they've never heard of a Dr Roberts or a Mr Leiter Sure you've got the right hospital?'

Bond turned aithout answering her Wiping the sweat froirl made a face at his back and picked up her paper

Mercifully, a cab was just drawing up with soet hilades All he kneas that they had got Leiter and had wanted to draw Bond away froe Bond couldn'tbad on the and his machine