Patricia Highsmith - The Tremor of Forgery by Patricia Highsmith Read Free Book Online Page B

to the Reine. The sun made his face throb, and he felt as if he were being gen tl y broiled. He had never known the sun so close and big. People farther north didn ’ t know what the sun was like, he thought. This was the true sun, the ancient fire that seemed to reduce one ’ s lifespan to a second and one ’ s personal problems to a minuscule absurdity.
    The dramas people invent I Ingham thought. He felt a detached disgust for the whole human race.
    A scruffy, emaciated cat looked at him pleadingly, but they had taken away Ingham ’ s plate of fish-with-fried-egg. Ingham tossed the inside of some bread on to the dusty cement. It was all he had. But the cat ate it, chewing patien tl y with its head turned sideways.
    That afternoon, he worked again, and produced five pages.
    Monday and Tuesday came and went without a letter from Ina. Ingham worked. He avoided Adams. Ingham felt morose, and knew he would be bad company. In such a mood, he was apt to say something bitter. On Wednesday, when he would have liked to have dinner with Adams, he remembered that Adams had said he always spent Wednesday evenings alone. It seemed to be a law Adams had made for himself. Ingham ate in the hotel dining-room. The cruising American was still here, dining with a man tonight. Ingham nodded a greeting. He realized that he hadn ’ t answered Peter Langland ’ s letter. He wrote a letter that evening.
    June 28, 19—
    Dear Peter,
    I thank you very much for your letter. I had not heard the news, as you know from my first letter, and matter of fact Ina hasn ’ t written me as yet. I was very sorry to hear about John, as I had thought like everyone else that he was doing well. I didn ’ t know him well, as you may know — for the past year, but not well. I had no idea he was in any kind of crisis.
    In the next week, I ’ ll probably leave and go back to the States. This is undoubtedly the strangest expedition of my life. Not a word, either, from Miles Gallust, who was to be our producer.
    Forgive this inadequate letter. I am frankly still dazed by the news.
    Yours,
    Howard Ingham

    Peter Langland lived on Jane S treet. Ingham sealed the envelope. He had no stamps left. He would take the letter into Hammamet tomorrow morning.
    In the bungalow fifteen feet behind Ingham ’ s, beyond some lemon trees, some French were saying good night. Ingham could hear them distinc tl y through his open window.
    ‘ We ’ ll be in Paris in three days, you know. Give us a telephone call. ’
    ‘ But of course! Jacques! Come along! — He ’ s falling asleep standing up! ’
    ‘ Good night, sleep well! ’
    ‘ Sleep well! ’
    It seemed very dark beyond his window. There was no moon.
    The next day passed like the one before, and Ingham did eight pages. He knocked on Adams ’ s door at 5 p.m. to invite him for a drink, but Adams was not in. Ingham did not bother to look for him on the beach.
    On the morning of 30th June, a Friday, a letter from Ina arrived in a CBS envelope. Mokta brought it. Ingham tore it open, in too much of a hurry to tip Mokta.
    The letter was dated June 25th, and it said:
    Howard dear,
    I am sorry I have not written before. Peter Langland said he wrote you, in case you hadn ’ t heard about John, but it was in the Times (London) and the Trib in Paris, so we supposed you ’ d seen it in Tunisia. I am still so bouleversed, I can ’ t write just now, really. But I will in a day or so, I hope tomorrow. That ’ s a promise. Please forgive me. I hope you are all right.
    My love,
    Ina

    The letter was typewritten. Ingham read it a second time. It wasn ’ t a letter at all. It made him a little angry. What was he supposed to do, sit here another week until she felt in the mood to write? Why was she so bouleversed? ‘ We thought. ’ .’ Was she so close to Peter Langland? Had she and Peter been holding John ’ s hand in the hospital before John died? That was, assuming he had taken sleeping pills.
    Ingham took a walk along the