Whiff Of Money

'It is necessary,' Radnitz wrote, 'to get these three films from this girl. You may use any method you may think fit, but she must be persuaded to give them to you. I am sending Lu Silk who will take care of the girl. You need have nothing to do with her disposal. Silk is a professional and is well paid and extremely efficient. But your job is to get the films.Until you have them, Silk is not to proceed with the next move.'

'I've made it easy for you,' von Goltz said as he sipped his champagne. 'They will be arriving shortly. Once they are here, they won't be allowed to leave. I will get the films from the girl, then I will leave you to get rid of them all.'

Silk nodded.

'Okay,' he said. 'I'll keep out of sight until you get the films.' He thought for a long moment, then went on, 'They'll be traced here. You realise that? The hotel will know they are coming. They just can't vanish into space.'

Von Goltz shrugged.

'That's your affair. My affair is to get the films.'

Silk smiled.

'It will be a mental exercise that will amuse me.' He got to his feet. 'I will keep out of sight. Be careful of Girland. The other two are harmless, but Girland is dangerous.'

'My uncle has warned me.'

Silk left the room. He walked slowly up the broad staircase to the second floor. A long walk down a corridor lined on either side by medieval battle weapons brought him to his suite which consisted of a bedroom and a vast sitting-room.

He let himself into the suite, locked the door, then crossed to the window which overlooked the lower terrace and the main entrance. He sat down, lit a cigarette and stared blankly down the long, winding drive while he waited for the three to arrive.

The entrance to the Obermitten Schloss was imposing. The flint and stone walls surrounding the estate were twenty feet high with cruel-looking steel barbs mounted along lie top of the wall. The tall wrought iron gates swung open as the black Mercedes slowed and then drove through. Girland followed. His sharp eyes noticed that on both gates was a heraldic shield ofblack metal. Inscribed in glittering gold leaf were the initials H.R. This puzzled him. H.R.? he wondered. Why not H v G? As he followed the black Mercedes along the winding drive, bordered on either side by dense larch trees, he began to feel a little uneasy. He couldn't explain this uneasiness to himself, but the darkness of the overhanging trees, shutting out the sunlight and the barbed walls gave him a sudden feeling that he was driving into a trap. He told himself this was nonsense, but the feeling persisted.

He looked into his driving mirror and saw the T.R.4 was following behind. He drove after the black Mercedes for at least five kilometres, then suddenly the gloomy forest was gone and wide, immaculate lawns with ornamental fountains gushing water, banks of daffodils

and tulips made a splendid scene against a backdrop of clear blue sky and lazily floating white clouds. Against this scene was the Schloss: an imposing, magnificent building with turrets, terraces ornamented with marble statues and an arched entrance through which two trucks could have easily driven side by side.

Gilly scrambled out of the T.R.4 and joined Girland as he got out of his car.

'Just look at this!' she exclaimed breathlessly. 'It's the biggest and most perfect place I've ever seen!'

Rosnold joined them. He stood staring up at the building, shaking his head in wonderment.

The huge double wooden doors swung open and von Goltz came out onto the terrace. He waved to them, signalling to them to come up the three flights of marble steps that led to the main terrace.

'Welcome,' he said, smiling.

While two liveried servants appeared to take their bags, the three walked up the steps and joined von Goltz.

'What a dreamy place!' Gilly said excitedly. 'Do you really mean you live here all alone? There must be at least fifty rooms...'

Von Goltz laughed. He was obviously pleased by her excitement.

'To be exact there are a hundred and fifty-five rooms,' he told her. 'It's absurd, of course... an anachronism, but I love the place. I have lived here for twenty-five years. I couldn't bear to leave it.'

Girland was looking at the terrace furniture. On each wrought iron chair was a tiny shield each bearing the initials H.R.

He glanced at von Goltz who was leading Gilly and Rosnold towards the entrance to the Schloss. He followed behind.

'Fritz will show you to your rooms,' von Goltz said, waving to a short, fat man in livery. 'You will wish to tidy up.

Suppose we say lunch in half an hour?' he paused, then went on, 'I have put you all close together on the first floor.' He laughed. 'It is easy to get lost in this place.'

Twenty minutes later, Gilly came into Girland's enormous bedroom with its four-poster bed and its splendid view of the park and distant forest.

She was wearing a simple white dress and around her suntanned throat was a necklace of large blue beads.