jamesclavell.noblehouse-第139章

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e　on　the　upper　Corniche　just　outside　Eze。　The　driver　of　the　other　car　was　drunk。　It　was　at　two　in　the　morning　about；　and　when　the　police　arrived；　M。　Escary　was　already　dead　and　his　wife　unconscious。　The　doctor　says　she　will　mend；　very　well；　but　he　is　afraid　that　her；　her　internal　organs；　her　childbearing　organs　may　have　permanent　hurt。　She　may　require　an　operation。　He　…　〃
　〃Does　she　know　this？〃
　〃No；　m'sieu；　not　yet；　but　Mme。　deVille　was　told；　the　doctor　told　her。　I　met　her　as　you　ordered　and　have　taken　care　of　everything。　I　have　asked　for　a　specialist　in　these　things　from　Paris　to　consult　with　the　Nice　Hospital　and　he　arrives　this　afternoon。〃
　〃Is　there　any　other　damage？〃
　〃Externally；　non。　A　broken　wrist；　a　few　cuts；　nothing。　But　。。。　the　poor　lady　is　distraught。　It　was　glad　。。。　I　was　glad　that　her　mother　came；　that　helped；　has　helped。　She　stays　at　the　Métropole　in　a　suite　and　I　met　her　airplane。　Of　course　I　will　be　in　the　constant　touch。〃
　〃Who　was　driving？〃
　〃Mme。　Escary。〃
　〃And　the　other　driver？〃
　There　was　a　hesitation。　〃His　name　is　Charles　Sessonne。　He's　a　baker　in　Eze　and　he　was　ing　home　after　cards　and　an　evening　with　some　friends。　The　police　have　。。。　Mme。　Escary　swears　his　car　was　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　road。　He　cannot　remember。　Of　course　he　is　very　sorry　and　the　police　have　charged　him　with　drunk　driving　an…　〃
　〃Is　this　the　first　time？〃
　〃Non。　Non；　once　before　he　was　stopped　and　fined。〃
　〃What'll　happen　under　French　law？〃
　〃There　will　be　a　court　and　then　。。。　I　do　not　know；　m'sieu。　There　were　no　other　witnesses。　Perhaps　a　fine；　perhaps　jail；　I　do　not　know。　Perhaps　he　will　remember　he　was　on　the　right　side；　who　knows？　I'm　sorry。〃
　Dunross　thought　a　moment。　〃Where　does　this　man　live？〃
　〃Rue　de　Verte　14；　Eze。〃
　Dunross　remembered　the　village　well；　not　far　from　Monte　Carlo；　high　above；　and　the　whole　of　the　C？te　d'Azur　below　and　you　could　see　beyond　Monte　Carlo　into　Italy；　and　beyond　Cap　Ferrat　to　Nice。　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Deland。　I've　telexed　you　10；000　U。S。　for　Mme。　deVille's　expenses　and　anything　else。　Whatever's　necessary　please　do　it。　Call　me　at　once　if　there's　anything　。。。　yes　and　ask　the　specialist　to　call　me　immediately　after　he's　examined　Mme。　Escary。　Have　you　talked　with　Mr。　Jacques　deVille？〃
　〃No；　tai…pan。　You　did　not　instruct　this。　Should　I　phone？〃
　〃No。　I'll　call　him。　Thank　you　again。〃　Dunross　hung　up　and　told　Penelope　everything；　except　about　the　internal　injuries。
　〃How　awful！　How　。。。　how　senseless！〃
　Dunross　was　looking　out　at　the　sunset。　It　was　at　his　suggestion　the　young　couple　had　gone　to　Nice　and　Monte　Carlo　where　he　and　Penelope　had　had　so　much　fun；　and　marvelous　food；　marvelous　wine　and　a　little　gambling。　Joss；　he　thought；　then　added；　Christ　all　bloody　mighty！
　He　dialed　Jacques　deVille's　house　but　he　was　not　there。　He　left　a　message　for　him　to　return　the　call。　〃I'll　see　him　at　the　dinner　tonight；〃　he　said；　the　champagne　now　tasteless。　〃Well；　we'd　better　get　changed。〃
　〃I'm　not　going；　dear。〃
　〃Oh　but　。。。〃
　〃I've　lots　to　do　to　get　ready　for　tomorrow。　You　can　make　an　excuse　for　me　…　of　course　you　have　to　go。　I'll　be　ever　so　busy。　There's　Glenna's　school　things　…　and　Duncan　gets　back　on　Monday　and　his　school　things　have　to　be　sorted。　You'll　have　to　put　him　on　the　aircraft；　make　sure　he　has　his　passport　。。。　You　can　easily　make　an　excuse　for　me　tonight　as　I'm　leaving。〃
　He　smiled　faintly。　〃Of　course；　Penn；　but　what's　the　real　reason？〃
　〃It's　going　to　be　a　big　do。　Robin's　bound　to　be　there。〃
　〃They're　not　back　till　tomorrow！〃
　〃No；　it　was　in　the　Guardian's　Extra。　They　arrived　this　afternoon。　The　whole　delegation。　They're　sure　to　be　invited。〃　The　banquet　was　being　given　by　a　multimillionaire　property　developer；　Sir　Shi…teh　T'Chung；　partially　to　celebrate　the　knighthood　he　had　received　in　the　last　Honors　List；　but　mostly　to　launch　his　latest　charity　drive　for　the　new　wing　of　the　new　Elizabeth　Hospital。　〃I've　really　no　wish　to　go；　and　so　long　as　you're　there；　everything'll　be　all　right。　I　really　want　an　early　night　too。　Please。〃
　〃All　right。　I'll　deal　with　these　calls；　then　I'll　be　off。　I'll　see　you　though　before　I　go。〃　Dunross　walked　upstairs　and　went　into　his　study。　Lim　was　waiting　there；　on　guard。　He　wore　a　white　tunic　and　black　pants　and　soft　shoes。　〃Evening；　Lim；〃　Dunross　said　in　Cantonese。
　〃Good　evening；　tai…pan。〃　Quietly　the　old　man　motioned　him　to　the　window。　Dunross　could　see　two　men；　Chinese；　loitering　across　the　street　outside　the　high　wall　that　surrounded　the　Great　House；　near　the　tall；　open　iron　gates。　〃They've　been　there　some　time；　tai…pan。〃
　Dunross　watched　them　a　moment；　disquieted。　His　own　guard　had　just　been　dismissed　and　Brian　Kwok；　who　was　also　a　guest　at　Sir　Shi…teh's　tonight；　would　e　by　shortly　and　go　with　him；　acting　as　a　substitute。　〃If　they　don't　go　away　by　dusk　call　Superintendent　Crosse's　office。〃　He　wrote　the　number　down；　then　added　in　Cantonese；　his　voice　abruptly　hard；　〃While　I　think　of　it；　Lim；　if　I　want　any　foreign　devil　car　interfered　with；　I　will　order　it。〃　He　saw　the　old　eyes　staring　back　at　him　impassively。　Lim　Chu　had　been　with　the　family　since　he　was　seven；　like　his　father　before　him；　and　his　father；　the　first　of　his　line　who；　in　the　very　old　days；　before　Hong　Kong　had　existed；　had　been　Number　One　Boy　and　looked　after　the　Struan　mansion　in　Macao。
　〃I　don't　understand；　tai…pan。〃
　〃You　cannot　wrap　fire　in　paper。　The　police　are　clever　and　old　Black　Beard's　a　great　supporter　of　police。　Experts　can　examine　brakes　and　deduce　all　sorts　of　information。''
　〃I　know　nothing　of　police。〃　The　old　man　shrugged　then　beamed。　〃Tai…pan；　I　do　not　climb　trees　to　find　a　fish。　Nor　do　you。　May　I　mention　that　in　the　night　I　could　not　sleep　and　I　came　here。　There　was　a　shadow　on　the　veranda　balcony。　The　moment　I　opened　the　study　door　the　shadow　slid　down　the　drainpipe　and　vanished　into　the　shrubs。〃　The　old　man　took　out　a　torn　piece　of　cloth。　〃This　was　on　the　drainpipe。〃　The　cloth　was　nondescript。
　Dunross　studied　it；　perturbed。　He　glanced　at　Dirk　Struan's　oil　painting　over　the　fireplace。　It　was　perfectly　in　position。　He　moved　it　away　and　saw　that　the　hair　he　had　delicately　balanced　on　a　hinge　of　the　safe　was　untouched。　Satisfied；　he　replaced　the　picture；　then　checked　the　locks　on　the　French　windows。　The　two　men　were　still　loitering。　For　the　first　time　Dunross　was　very　glad　that　he　had　an　SI　guard。
　
　34
　
　7：58　P。M。：
　It　was　hot　and　humid　in　Phillip　Chen's　study　and　he　was　sitting　beside　the　phone　staring　at　it　nervously。　The　door　swung　open　and　he　jumped。　Dianne　sailed　in。
　〃There's　no　point　in　waiting　anymore；　Phillip；〃　she　said　irritably。　〃You'd　better　go　and　change。　That　devil　Werewolf　won't　call　tonight。　Something　must　have　happened。　Do　e　along！〃　She　wore　an　evening　chong…sam　in　the　latest；　most　expensive　fashion；　her　hair　bouffant；　and　she　was　bejeweled　like　a　Christmas　tree。　〃Yes。　Something　must　have　happened。　Perhaps　the　police　。。。　huh；　it's　too　much　to　expect　they　caught　him。　More　likely　that　fang　pi　devil's　playing　with　us。　You'd　better　change　or　we'll　be　late。　If　you　hurr…　〃
　〃I　really　don't　want　to　go；〃　he　snapped　back　at　her。　〃Shitee　T'Chung's　a　bore　and　now　that　he's　Sir　Shitee　he's　a　double　one。〃　Years　ago　Shi…teh　had　adulterated　down　to　bee　the　nickname　Shitee　to　his　intimate　friends。　〃Anyway；　it's　hardly　eight　o'clock　and　dinner's　not　till　9：30　and　he's　always　late；　his　banquets　are　always　at　least　an　hour　late。　For　God's　sake；　you　go！〃
　〃Ayeeyah　you've　got　to　e。　It's　a　matter　of　face；〃　she　replied；　equally　ill…tempered。　〃My　God；　after　today　at　the　stock　market　。。。　if　we　don't　go　we'll　lose　terrible　face　and　it's　sure　to　push　the　stock　down　further！　All　Hong　Kong　will　laugh　at　us。　They　can't　wait。　They'll　say　we're　so　ashamed　the　House　can't　pay　its　bills　that　we　won't　show　our　face　in　public。　Huh！　And　as　for　Shitee's　new　wife；　Constance；　that　mealy…mouthed　whore　can't　wait　to　see　me　humbled！〃　She　was　near　screeching。　Her　losses　on　the　day　exceeded　100；000　of　her　own　secret　private　dollars。　When　Phillip　had　called　her　from　the　stock　market　just　after　three　to　relate　what　had　happened　she　had　almost　fainted。　〃Oh　ko　you　have　to　e　or　we'll　be　ruined！〃
　Miserably　her　husband　nodded。　He　knew　what　gossips　and　r