Alias the Saint by Leslie Charteris, David Case Read Free Book Online

he breathed, and she nodded understandingly. “Listen—have you really been ill?”
    She shook her head.
    “No. They’re keeping me here—I was caught coming back from your room last night. How did you get in?”
    Simon gave her a glimpse of the skeleton key which he had spent part of the afternoon twisting out of a length of stout wire.
    “Have you thought of getting away?” he asked. “I”ll smuggle you out now, if you care to try it.”
    “It’s no good,” she said.
    Simon frowned.
    “You’re being kept here a prisoner, and you don’t want to escape?” he demanded incredulously. ^ “I’m not a prisoner,” she replied. “It’s just that they found out I’d got enough humanity in me to risk something to save you. If you went away I’d be free again at once.”
    “And you’d rather stay here?”
    “Where could I go?” she asked dully.
    Instantly he was moved to pity. She seemed s absurdly young, like a child, lying there.
    “Haven’t you any—people?”
    “None that I can go back to,” she said pitifully, desperately. “You don’t know how it is.”
    “I guess I do,” said the Saint gently, even if he was wrong. “But maybe I could find you some friends who’d help you.”
    She smiled a little.
    “It wouldn’t help,” she said. “It’s nice of you, but I can’t tell you why it’s impossible. Go on with what you’ve got to do, if you’re too reckless to get out while there’s time. Don’t think anything more about me, Mr. Smith.”
    “Simon.”
    “Simon.”
    “I never knew how revolting ‘Mr. Smith’ sounded until you said it just now,” he remarked lightly, but he was not thinking of trivialities.
    Presently he said:
    “There’s another room I was meaning to visit tonight, but maybe you can save me the trouble. I’m told it’s kept locked, but you spend the best part of the day there. What’s inside?”
    Her eyes opened wide, and she shrank away from him.
    “You can’t go in there!”
    “I hope to be able to,” said the Saint. “The little gadget that let me in here—”
    “You can’t! You mustn’t! If Raxel knew that you knew what’s in there he’d take the risk—he’d kill you!”
    “Raxel need not know,” said the Saint. “I shall try not to advertise the fact that I’m going in there, and I shan’t talk to him about it afterwards—unless what I find in there is good enough to finish up this little excursion. Anyhow,” he added, watching her closely, “what can there be in that room that you can spend every day with, and yet it would be fatal for me to see it?”
    “I can’t tell you … but you mustn’t go!”
    Simon looked straight at her.
    “Betty,” he said, “as I’ve told you before, you’re heading for trouble. I’ve heard of real tough women who looked like angels, but I’ve never really believed in them. If you’re that sort, I’ll eat the helmet off every policeman in London. I don’t know why you’re in this, but even if you are as free as you say, you don’t seem to be enjoying it. I’m giving you a chance. Tell me everything you know, help me all you can, and when the crash comes I’ll guarantee to see you through it. You can take that as official.”
    She moved her head wearily.
    “It’s useless.”
    “You mean Raxel’s got some sort of hold over you?”
    “If you like.”
    “What is it?”
    “I can’t tell you,” she said hopelessly.
    The Saint’s mouth tightened.
    “Very well,” he said. “On your own head be it. But remember my offer—it stays open till the very last moment.”
    He rose, and found her hand clutching his wrist.
    “Where are you going?” she asked frightenedly.
    “To unlock that door, and find out what’s in this mysterious room,” said the Saint, a trifle grimly. “I Ji^think I told you that before,”
    “You can’t. These locks are easy, but there’s a special lock on that door.”
    “And right next door is an empty room, and there’s nobody else but myself on that side