by Gavin Black
“Yes, they made a temporary repair. They wanted to use it.”
Reggie had his feet up on the low sill of the terrace window.
“You haven’t thanked me for my services on your behalf,” he said.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Thank you very much. They never even flashed handcuffs.”
“Skilful pleading, old boy. Started at Mishimando’s house and carried on here. I’m exhausted but not unhappy. And I’ll be flying off soon for a change of air. Actually I used that phone and got an over-the-Pole seat for tomorrow. The last one. I’ve always been lucky.”
“Europe?”
“Sweden, actually.” He smiled at me. “The thing is, I’m afraid you’re going to be tied up for a bit. It occurred to me that our Swedish diesel friends must be singularly fed up with all this stramash. Don’t you agree? Such a bore to have to appoint a new man and send him out here. So I thought I’d go instead. Just pop in on them and wave my money about in the home office. I should think I’d have a good chance of landing the deal, wouldn’t you? In fact, I’m damn’ certain of it. I hope you don’t think I’m doing you dirty?”
“Not at all, Reggie. Mind if I phone?”
“Help yourself, old boy. It’s not mine. Calling your lawyer?”
I crossed the room.
“No, the cable office, actually.”
I heard his chair squeak as he turned. I got through to Tokyo, conscious of him still watching me.
“Hallo. Paul Harris speaking. I’m expecting a reply to a cable I sent last night. Yes, addressed to me. Thank you.”
“What the hell’s this?” Reggie asked.
“Where’s a pad? Ah, yes. Pencil.”
“What have you been up to, Paul?”
“Oh, cabling about the place. It occurred to me last night that the Swedes on the other side of the world are at work when we’re supposed to be resting. Ssh … here comes the message.”
I wrote it down.
PAUL HARRIS STOP WORLD CABLES TOKYO STOP HAVE CONSIDERED YOUR OFFER EMERGENCY SESSION BOARD STOP ACCEPT YOUR PRICE IN DOLLARS STOP REPEAT DOLLARS STOP CONFIRM DOLLARS STOP THIS TO BE BINDING IN LAW AS REQUESTED BY YOU ON CONFIRMATION STOP SIGNED LINDQUIST AND HARMANN.
I said:
“Send this reply at once, please. Lindquist and Harmann, Stockholm, stop, confirm price in dollars, stop, payable National City Bank of New York nearest branch credit Lee Hok and Partners, Singapore, stop, signed Paul Harris.”
I put down the phone, and turned to Reggie.
“You were quite right, they were anxious to have the business settled up. It was quite a cable I sent. About Mikos’s murder. Lindquist and Harmann must have seen a host of complications and moved to action stations. Like to see their reply, old boy?”
A PAUL HARRIS NOVEL
‘Slick and fast...top marks’
The Guardian
‘Paul Harris is up there in the major league’
The New York Times
A TALE OF MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE SET IN TOKYO
Paul Harris is an outsider – an unconventional businessman attempting to assimilate into Asian culture. His operations in the Far East bring him wealth and adventure, but not without risk. For while opportunities are plentiful, so too are a number of ruthless opponents, and more often than not Paul Harris finds himself a man on the run, pursued by a violent and dangerous enemy.
It is rare to find, in a novel of suspense, pictures of a distant country that are as vivid, authentic, colourful and moving as Gavin Black gives us here: or characters so distinctive and mysterious.
T H E L A N G T A I L P R E S S
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