The Tide Can't Wait by Louis Trimble Read Free Book Online Page A

Stark.”
    â€œI know ‘elgos,” Griggs said. He sounded aggrieved as he added, “And Roget. The job’s good as done, Guv’ner.”
    Next, Barr telephoned the warehouse and spoke to his friends there. Satisfied that Helgos would be delivered to Sloane Square within the hour, he hung up and returned to his table.
    â€œNow to this Corey girl,” he said.
    â€œShe can be dangerous,” Stark said. “A girl like that.”
    â€œShe’s already been dangerous,” Barr remarked dryly. “Whether she meant to or not, she gave Roget more help than he could have bought in ten years.”
    â€œDamned little fool.”
    â€œMaybe not,” Barr said. “She might be anything but a fool. There’s a chance that she’s diddling us all and that she’ll end up with a share of Roget’s profits.”
    â€œPotential profits,” Stark corrected him. “He hasn’t made them yet.”
    Nor would he, Barr thought, if they had any kind of luck at all. But, he admitted to himself, even though Roget might not be wise enough to outsmart his enemies, those who wanted what he had might step in if they became impatient. For them, Barr had a good deal of respect.
    If, as the Chief had written in the report that followed his telephone call concerning Lenore Corey, the girl really was innocent and had unwittingly helped Roget, then Roget had a definite weak spot.
    Barr said, “You’ve had a better chance to know her than I. What do you think?”
    â€œI never judge a woman by her appearance,” Stark said. “But I’d say the Chief’s estimate is right: she’s innocent enough—and pigheaded as hell.”
    â€œWe’ll soon find out.” Barr grinned his wolfish grin. “I want you to keep tabs on Roget for a few days and at the same time watch for Snyder.”
    â€œAh, and what will you be doing?”
    â€œI,” Barr said, “am going down to the seashore and write a novel.”
    â€œNow, look, Rob …”
    â€œIf you think I’m going there because of Portia, you’re partly right. Once Roget did to her what he’s done to this Corey girl. I can keep an eye on both of them.”
    â€œAnd make it clear to Roget that you’ve spotted his latest recruit?”
    â€œMaybe that’s the way I want it.”
    â€¢ • •
    The seaside village was charming. To Lenny it was just like the travel folders but with something more. She was almost pleased with the strange little man with the blond mustache who had appeared and, oddly, ordered her to come here even after she had already made arrangements. At the time, of course, she had been quite angry because after Leon’s instructions, the other man—who had called himself Stark—had seemed so obvious. But she had to admit that a better place than this could hardly have been chosen. It even had a perfect gem of a little Norman church.
    The village itself clustered around the church which was perhaps a quarter mile from the beach curving between two headlands. These headlands, like prongs of a cow’s horns, held an almost absurdly tiny bay of blue, whitecapped water. They were both bare of trees: the one to her right as she faced the water had a covering of soft grass and great rocks that looked as though they had been tumbled there in some ancient game. A pathway led up from the village and another went steeply along the inner side of the horn to join the pebbly part of the beach which was revealed at low tide. When the water was high, the path appeared to end in a jumble of great rocks lashed by spray. The bay itself, scarcely a hundred yards of curving beach, had no pier.
    The other headland was set with cottages, three of them in a row from near the tip almost back to the edge of the village. A good deal of space separated the cottages from one another and almost all this space was filled with well-tended flower