Death in Kashmir by M. M. Kaye Read Free Book Online Page B

tired, hunted eyes from a contemplation of the glowing logs in the small brick fireplace, and gave Sarah a long and curiously calculating look.
    The logs fell together with a little crash and a sudden spurt of flame, and Sarah stood up slowly and said: ‘What is it you want me to do?’
    Something taut and watchful in Janet Rushton’s face relaxed, and she said: ‘You’re certainly not stupid.’
    â€˜Not particularly. You wouldn’t have told me all this merely in order to stop me chattering at the breakfast table. If that was all you were after, you’d have fallen back on the complicated lying. You were weighing it up all the time I was telling you the story of my life, weren’t you? I’m quite sure you could have thought up a convincing explanation for me, but you decided to tell the truth instead. There had to be a reason for that.’
    â€˜There is. The reason is that I’m–I’m desperate. I’m in a corner, and so I’ll have to take a chance.’
    â€˜And you’re taking it on me. Is that it?’
    â€˜Yes. You appear to have a reasonable amount of intelligence, and you couldn’t have done well in the W R A F, or been such a good skier, without a fair amount of physical courage. And I need help. Will you help me?’
    Sarah held out her hand. ‘Shake,’ she said gravely; and smiled.
    The other girl’s fingers, cold and tense, closed tightly over hers for a brief moment. ‘Thank you,’ said Janet with real gratitude, and getting up from her chair she crossed to the writing-table, pulled open a drawer, and taking out an envelope and a fountain pen returned with them to Sarah.
    â€˜If my luck’s in,’ she said, ‘you may not have to do anything. In fact, I hope to God you won’t! But just–just in case, I’d like to have your address on this, and to know that if you should ever get it you’ll do something about it. I’m not sure what, but I shall have to leave that to you, and I’ve a feeling that you won’t let me down.’
    â€˜I’ll try not to,’ replied Sarah soberly. ‘But why my name? Surely——’
    â€˜I daren’t put anyone else’s. I daren’t! Because it could give that person away. But you’re different. You’re not one of us and you don’t know anything. You are only someone I met skiing, so it’s just possible that this will get to you without trouble if–if anything should happen to me.’
    â€˜Nothing’s going to happen to you,’ said Sarah firmly. She took the proffered envelope, noting as she did so that it was sealed, and though not empty, did not contain very much—certainly not more than one or at the most two sheets of thin writing-paper. And accepting the pen, she scribbled her name and address on the envelope and returned it.
    Janet stood weighing it thoughtfully in her hand, and when she spoke again it was so softly that Sarah could barely catch the words and had the impression that she was talking to herself:
    â€˜The next problem is going to be getting this safely locked up when no one else is around, which isn’t going to be easy if I’m being watched. Unless … Yes, that would do. I can take it down with me tomorrow——’ She gave a small, brisk nod, as though in confirmation of some plan, and thrust the sealed envelope into her pocket. ‘And now,’ said Janet in her normal voice, ‘I think you’d better get back to your own room.’
    â€˜Are you quite sure you’ll be all right?’ asked Sarah uneasily. ‘After all, that window’s open now, and a child could deal with the door-latch. I’ll stay if you like. Suppose he—it—whoever it was—comes back?’
    â€˜Don’t worry,’ said Janet. ‘No one is in the least likely to have a second try tonight. The lights are enough to advertise the