Page 56 (1/2)

“It’s a matter of skill, my puny friend,” she said “And to think I believed all those stories last night about your outrunning half the Swiss police force to spend a night with me”

Ada that the icon was secure But he couldn’t stop hi from a combination of fear and anticipation

Robin looked at hiently “It will be all over in a few minutes’ time” Then she saw the paper on the floor “I should sue them if I were you”

“Why?” asked Adam

“You’re a lot better-looking than that” Adaive her a hug

“Thanks for everything,” he said “But noe have to go”

“You’re sounding more like one of my lovers all the time,” said Robin mournfully

Adam picked up her suitcase while Robin jerked up the stem of the double bass onto her shoulder She opened the door and checked the corridor Two of her colleagues fro by the lift; otherwise there

was nobody else in sight Robin and Adas” no one spoke until the lift doors slid open Once the doors were closed, Robin’s colleagues couldn’t resist taking a closer look at Adanized him from the newspaper Then he realized that it ho Robin had spent the night with that fascinated theave him a leink, as if she fully intended to live off this one for a long time For his part Adam ducked behind the double bass and re deeply as the lift trundled doard the ground floor The doors sprung open and Robin waited for her two colleagues to leave before she shielded Adam as best she could all the way across the foyer His eyes were now fixed on the front door He could see the bus taking up most of the road, and severalon One more minute, and he should be safely away He watched as the drue trunk

“Oh, God, I forgot,” said Robin “I meant to put this in the trunk at the back of the bus”

“Do it later,” said Ada until you reach the coach door” Then he saw the car on the far side of the road He felt light with relief, al held open for him Another man was seated in the back, just as Lawrence had promised Ten o’clock struck somewhere in the distance The man dressed in a chauffeur’s uniform, hat pulled down over his forehead, stood by the open door He turned toward the hotel in anticipation Adam stared toward him as the man’s eyes scanned the hotel entrance

The uniforood fit

“Into the bus,” hissed Adam

“With this thing? They’ll kill me,” said Robin

“If you don’t, he’ll kill me”