The Light of Day by Eric Ambler Read Free Book Online Page B

that I regret extremely that I did not notice that it was not renewed.'
    'You have caused a lot of trouble.'
    ‘I realize that, sir. I must explain, however, that it was only on Monday evening that I was asked to make this journey. I left early yesterday morning. I was in a hurry. I did not think to check my papers.’
    He looked down at the passport. 'It says here that your occupation is that of journalist. You told the customs inspector that you were a chauffeur.'
    So he had an inquiring mind; my heart sank.
    'I am acting as a chauffeur, sir. I was, I am a journalist, but one must live and things are not always easy in that profession.'
    'So now you are a chauffeur, and the passport is incorrect in yet another particular, eh?' It was a very unfair way of putting it, but I thought it as well to let him have his moment.
    'One's fortunes change, sir. In Athens I have my own car, which I drive for hire.'
    He peered, frowning, at the carnet. This car here is the property of Elizabeth Lipp. Is she your employer?'
    ‘Temporarily, sir.'
    ‘Where is she?'
    'In Istanbul, I believe, sir.’
    'You do not know?'
    'Her agent engaged me, sir—to drive her car to Istanbul , where she is going as a tourist. She prefers to make the journey to Istanbul by sea.'
    There was an unpleasant pause. He looked through the carnet again and then up at me abruptly.
    What nationality is this woman?'
    'I don't know, sir.'
    "What age? What sort of woman?’
    'I have never seen her, sir. Her agent arranged everything.'
    'And she is going from Athens to Istanbul by sea, which takes twenty-four hours, but she sends her car fourteen kilometres and three days by road. If she wants the car in Istanbul why didn't she take the car on the boat with her? It is simple enough and costs practically nothing.'
    I was only too well aware of it. I shrugged. 'I was paid to drive, sir, and well paid. It was not for me to question the lady's plans.'
    He considered me for a moment, then drew a sheet of paper towards him and scribbled a few words. He handed the result to the customs inspector, who read, nodded and went out quickly.
    The Commandant seemed to relax. ‘You say you know nothing about the woman who owns the car,'   he said. 'Tell me about her agent. Is it a travel bureau?'
    'No, sir, a man, an American, a friend of Fräulein Lipp's father he said.’
    ‘What's his name? Where is he?'
    I told him everything I knew about Harper, and the nature of my relationship to him. I did not mention the disagreement over the traveller's cheques. That could have been of no interest to him.
    He listened in silence, nodding occasionally. By the time I had finished, his manner had changed considerably. His expression had become almost amiable.
    ‘Have you driven this way before?' he asked.
    'Several times, sir.'
    ‘With tourists?'
    ‘Yes, sir.'
    'Ever without tourists?'
    'No, sir. They like to visit Olympus, Salonika and Alexandropolis on their way to Istanbul.'
    Then did you not think this proposal of Mr Harper's strange?'
    I permitted myself to smile. 'Monsieur le Commandant' Ï said, 'I thought it so strange that there could be only two possible reasons for it. The first was that Mr Harper was so much concerned to impress the daughter of a valuable business associate with his savoir faire that he neglected to ask anyone's advice before he made his arrangements.'
    'And the second?'
    That he knew that uncrated cars carried in Denizyollari ships to Istanbul must be accompanied by the owner as a passenger, and that he did not wish to be present when the car was inspected by customs for fear that something might be discovered in the car that should not be there.'
    ‘I see.' He smiled slightly. 'But you had no such fear.'
    We were getting cosier by the minute. 'Monsieur le Commandant'   I said, 'I may be a trifle careless about having my passport renewed, but I am not a fool. The moment I left Athens yesterday, I stopped and searched the car thoroughly, underneath as well as