Precipice

by Colin Forbes

  'Earlier I also saw Brazil visit the Zurcher Kredit here in Talstrasse,' Kent went on. 'I'm guessing, but I think he was transferring the balance of his funds in Zurich to Sion. Which is very weird - Sion is a nowhere place. That's it.'

  'It's more than enough,' Tweed said grimly. 'Bill, the stage is yours.'

  'I was in Berne this morning. There's a lawyer there called Voigt who used to work for Brazil. He broke off all contact with him when Brazil tried to tell him how to run his business. But Voigt has sources of a curious nature all over Europe. He told me Brazil is bringing in all his troops from France and Germany. Their destination? Sion in the Valais.'

  'I see,' said Tweed, not looking at Paula.

  'I had an odd experience when I left Voigt's office,' Franklin continued. 'His place is in a narrow old alley off the Munstergasse. When I came out a thin man with a white face was lying in the snow. As soon as he saw me he reached for a long knife. Instead of waiting for him to attack me I gave him a good kick in the head. That seemed to quench any enthusiasm for a fight. Why he was going to attack me I have no idea.'

  'We have something else to tell Tweed.' Kent reminded him.

  'Yes.' Franklin folded his hands behind his head. 'I was on my way here when I saw Keith talking to someone I'd never have expected to see here in a hundred years. Eve Warner.'

  There was a sudden silence. Tweed looked at Paula who gave him a thumbs-down reaction. Newman shrugged before he spoke.

  'The lady does get around.'

  'And the lady knows you're here.' Kent informed him. 'Staying at this hotel.'

  He explained how he had seen her twice, the first time when she had followed Newman from the Hotel Gotthard.

  'The information you have both given us is invaluable.' Tweed told his visitors. 'May I suggest you both keep digging?'

  'We won't waste time checking up on each other.' Franklin said with a broad grin.

  'You both have different talents, different contacts.' Tweed said as he stood up. 'This affair is so serious I need all the data you can provide. Thank you for what you have done so far.' he ended, escorting them to the door.

  Paula exploded the moment they had gone.

  As Tweed sat down to absorb what he had heard Paula stood up, gazing at Tweed.

  'Now look what you have done!' she told him bitterly. 'He, Philip, has been sent into the lions' den. On his own. Or maybe that is your way of letting him show he can prove himself. Is that it?'

  'Philip can copeRIGHT SQUARE BRACKET' Tweed began quietly.

  'Oh, can he?' Paula stood over him. 'When Bill Franklin has just told us that lawyer, Voigt, said Brazil has recalled all his troops from France and Germany -that this horde is bound for Sion. Sion! Where Philip is now on his way to see Marchat.'

  'Sit down, please. Keep quiet for a moment.'

  There was something in Tweed's expression which made Paula do his bidding. Tweed said nothing for awhile, watching her as she calmed down.

  'I can understand your reaction,' he said, 'but, I repeat, Philip will cope. Have a little more faith in him.'

  'Well, at least he doesn't know the Eve woman is in town,' Paula conceded.

  'Paula does have a point,' Newman remarked. 'The trouble is, Paula, I dare not suggest we all head for Sion at once. Tweed has this vital meeting with Leopold Brazil here this evening. Tweed and I have already encountered Craig and three thugs in a car outside here. We all -including Marler, Butler, and Nield - need to be here in case of more trouble until the meeting is over.'

  'Do we have Anton Marchat's address in Sion?' Paula asked in a normal tone.

  'We do. From Philip. We also have copies of the photo of Marchat.'

  Tweed opened a briefcase, took out a wallet, handed one piece of paper to Paula and four similar sheets to Newman. Then he extracted five photos, handed one to Paula and four to Newman.

  'This hasn't got Marchat's name on it.' commented Paula.

  'Neither had the original which Archie wrote the address on. Archie is very careful,' Tweed replied.

  'Of course. I should have thought of that. Now I've taken a decision.' Paula stood up, her expression determined. 'I appreciate the main body of the team must stay here until Brazil has left, but I am catching the first express to Geneva. There I shall board another express for the Valais.'

  'You should wait.' Tweed told her. 'It's just possible I may be able to persuade Brazil to abandon this project he's planning, whatever it may be. Then the danger has gone away.'

  'I'm still catching the Geneva express.' Paula said as she went towards the door.

  'I said wait.' Tweed ordered.

  'In that case I'm handing in my resignation to you now.'

  She had her grip on the door handle when Tweed replied in the same quiet tone.

  'Your resignation is not accepted.'

  Newman jumped up, accompanied Paula to her room. She turned to him when they were both inside.

  'I have to pack.'

  'I know.' said Newman and grinned. 'I gave Philip a little extra armament. I'd like you to be equipped with the same. Back in no time. I'll rap on your door with my usual tattoo.'

  'It's getting a bit out of date, that tattoo. You should invent a new one.' Paula commented with a smile.

  He returned very quickly as she was finishing packing her case. From a small canvas holdall he produced a cardboard carton wrapped in blue ribbon and with the word Dumbo on the outside. He handed it to her.

  'What in Heaven's name is that, Bob?'

  'A present for the nephew you don't have. Actually you will find a tear-gas pistol inside, spare shells, smoke bombs - and be careful with these. They're stun grenades. You've handled them before.'

  'No need for you to send Marler and Co. after me.' she joked.

  He waited until she had concealed the 'presents' he had given her. She put on her coat and gloves, smiled at Newman.

  'Carry your bag, lady?' he said.

  'I'd be grateful, porter. You may even get a tip.'

  Arriving at the main station, Newman checked the departure board, saw there was an express leaving for Geneva in five minutes. He told her to find a compartment and rushed to get her a first-class ticket. She was leaning out of the window when he ran onto the platform, handed her the ticket. She leaned further out, kissed him on the cheek.

  'That's your tip.'

  The express began to move out and she waved to him from the window. He stood watching its last coach until it disappeared round a bend.

  28

  Newman was giving last-minute instructions in Marler's room at the Gotthard when the phone rang. He pursed his lips at the interruption, gazing round at Butler and Nield as Marler answered the phone.

  'Who is it?' he asked abruptly.

  'Mr Marler, I'm sorry to bother you.' the operator began, 'but I have a woman on the line who wishes to speak to Mr Robert Newman if he is there.'

  'What made you call me?' demanded Marler.

  'When Mr Newman came in I asked if I could help. I was on reception for a few minutes while my stand-in took over. I recognized Mr Newman from pictures I've seen of him in the papers in the past. I did not tell the caller he was here. I merely said I would enquire.'

  'But who is on the line?' Marler asked brusquely.

  'A Miss Eve Warner

  'Hold on. I'll be back in a moment.'

  'You won't believe this.' he said to Newman. 'On the line waiting to speak to you is Eve Warner.'

  'How the hell does she know I'm here?' Newman thought for a moment. 'Well, she does - and I'd better find out how she knows that.'

  'Where are you speaking from?' were Newman's first words.

  'A call box in Bahnhofstrasse.'

  'So what made you think I might be found here? Tell me or I'll put the phone down.'

  'Don't be like that, Bob,' she coaxed. 'I'll be honest. I saw you coming out of the Gotthard earlier today. I have information you need urgently.'

  'How much?' Newman enquired cynically.

&
nbsp; 'That's not nice. Not nice at all. I'm not asking for money. This time.'

  'Then why are you calling? What information?'

  'Tweed's life is in danger. I overheard Craig saying he was covering Bahnhofstrasse and the platz with his troops ready for when Brazil meets Tweed at the Schweizerhof.'

  'Did Craig say the target was Tweed?'

  'Well . . .' A pause. 'Actually, no. I think he may have plans to kill you.'

  'Thanks for the information.'

  'I may call again if I have more information. So.' she ended, 'you see you have misjudged me. Not everyone in this world is interested only in money . . .'

  Newman put down the phone, reported what she'd said to the others. Marler lit a king-size, took a puff.

  'Don't understand what she's up to. From what you've said about her, Bob, she's on the make. All of the time.'

  'I still think she is. Maybe this was her opening shot.'

  He clapped his hands. 'We can't waste any more time on her. Now, is everyone clear as to the positions they're going to take up in Bahnhofplatz while Tweed is holding this crazy meeting with Brazil?'

  'I'm clear.' said Butler, 'and I'll have smoke bombs ready.'

  'I'm clear, too.' said Meld. 'And I also have my smoke bombs. Why are we using those - if we have to?'

  'Because if there's shooting, corpses in the street, Chief of Police Arthur Beck will be in deep trouble. So shall we.' He checked his watch.

  'Not long now.' Marler remarked. 'Zero hour draws nigh . . .'

  Eve emerged from the call box in a furious mood -furious with Newman. The very idea that all she was interested in was money! It was insulting. Still, the important thing was she had established contact with him.

  She was so annoyed she failed to notice a man inside a doorway who had been watching her. Not that she would probably have observed him anyway. Gustav, who had followed her from the hotel, was an expert shadow.

  An attractive woman glanced into the doorway, looked away quickly when she saw him. He scowled. He knew why she had averted her gaze. Gustav's face was not a pretty picture. His long nose had been broken in a fight, which gave it a hooked appearance. His mouth was thin, cruel. He was coming to dislike women, except for one purpose.

  What was Eve up to? he wondered. Something underhand - or else why should she go out to a call box to phone someone when she could have used the phone in her room? He'd report what had happened to Brazil when the chance arose. Not to Craig - who would simply take all the credit, would probably say he'd ordered Gustav to keep an eye on Eve.

  As Eve drew near the Baur-en-Ville she saw the limo with the amber-tinted windows glide to the kerb. She stopped, pretended to gaze into a shop window. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Brazil emerge from the rear, opening the door himself. He ran into the hotel, checking his watch as he moved swiftly.

  Eve waited until Jose had driven away the limo to park it and hurried into the hotel and up to her room. It was, fortunately, on the same floor as Brazil's suite. Inside her room, she locked the door, opened a hanging cupboard, knelt down, and felt along her shoes scattered across the floor. She brought out the stethoscope she had purchased in a Zurich shop, tucked it inside her shoulder bag.

  Returning to the corridor, she walked quietly to the door leading into Brazil's living room. She had her excuse ready as she opened it, peered inside. Empty. Closing the door after entering, she ran lightly over the deep-pile carpet, opened a cabinet, took out a bottle of vodka, poured herself a glass and left it on a table near the two closed sliding doors leading into the meeting room with a long table.

  She pressed her ear to one door and the material was so thin she could hear voices. She took out the stethoscope, pressed one end against the door, the other ends to her ears. If she heard someone coming she'd ram the stethoscope into her shoulder bag and say she'd come to get a glass of vodka. With the aid of the stethoscope she heard clearly.

  'So you arrived safely from Sion, Luigi. How is everything going down there?' asked Brazil, voice booming.

  'The station is ready for operation. We tested laser contact with the satellite and it was a tremendous success.' An unpleasant pedantic voice. Italian accent.

  'Please be more specific. What exactly happened when they carried out the experiment?'

  'We used the equipment inside the room in the old house on the mountainside. The laser was directed at the phone number in that room which was included in the satellite's circuitry. It was tremendous!'

  'But what exactly happened when you returned to the room after sending the signal for that number?'

  'Every piece of equipment was shattered. The tethered goat was dead - killed by the terrible screaming noise.'

  'Then it does work. Let me think . . .'

  Eve shoved the stethoscope back inside her shoulder bag. Drinking half the glass of vodka quickly, she held the glass as she left the room in case someone like Craig should be in the corridor. Back inside her room she sank onto a couch.

  'What the hell was that all about?' she asked herself.

  She didn't even know where Sion was. Then she had an idea. Jumping up, she remembered to hide the stethoscope before leaving her room. She had just quietly opened her door when she heard voices further down the corridor. She froze.

  'How are the scientists behaving themselves, Luigi? It is vital none of them leave the laboratory. If one should escape . . .'

  'No one will escape, Mr Brazil.'

  She heard a door close. She rattled the key in her lock as though just opening it, walked out, locked it. A small fat man in an expensive grey business suit walked towards her. He had a plump face, sensuous lips and a dark moustache to match his thick hair. He looked at her with brazen interest as they passed each other, then stopped, came back alongside her.

  'My name is Luigi, beautiful lady.'

  'My name is I damn well don't know you . . .'

  She left him with a nasty expression on his face and went down into the lobby. Strolling around, she checked to make sure none of Craig's thugs were about. Then she walked up to the concierge.

  'A friend has suggested to me it might be interesting to visit Sion. I don't even know where it is.'

  'In the Valais, Madame. Let me show you on the map.'

  She studied the map as he went on talking to her.

  'I can't recommend Sion at this time of the year.'

  'Why not?'

  'It is in the canton of the Valais. Very popular with winter sports enthusiasts during the season, but the season is almost over. The weather has turned bad down there. We have had several reports of avalanches. If you were thinking of walking in the mountains I would advise against it.'

  'Thank you.'

  Eve went back to her room, closed and locked the door. She lit a cigarette, folded one arm across her chest, supported the elbow of the other on her hand. She walked slowly back and forth.

  It was curious that Brazil, always so security-conscious, should talk about scientists and a laboratory so publicly. Then she remembered the long corridor had been empty except for the fat man, Luigi. Doubtless Brazil had peered out before he began talking.

  She recalled the weird conversation she had eavesdropped on. She could remember every word although she didn't understand the meaning. Newman and Tweed would, she felt sure, understand what had been said. It sounded like information they should have.

  * * *

  Tweed was waiting in the lobby of the Schweizerhof when Brazil arrived, stepped out of the limo, walked briskly into the hotel. He held out his hand and Tweed shook it.

  'I have a room upstairs where we can talk.' Tweed said and led the way to the elevator.

  Brazil wore a blue pin-stripe suit, a white shirt, and, unusually for him, a gaudy tie in exotic colours. He was brimful of energy, refused Tweed's offer of anything to drink.

  'No alcohol when I'm discussing business.'

  Tweed had arranged an armchair on either side of a long glass-topped table. They sat facing each other,
like duellists. Tweed said nothing, taking off his glasses to clean them with his handkerchief.

  'I've come to offer you a partnership with me in a great historic enterprise.' Brazil told him. 'A plan to change the whole balance of world power.'

  'Sounds rather ambitious.'

  'The West is going into a steep decline, is rendering itself defenceless, cutting its arms budgets almost daily. In Britain, as in other countries, people are demoralized, no longer have any sense of purpose. They are drifting, Mr Tweed. So law and order is breaking down everywhere. Criminals control the streets. We need the discipline we once had, the stability, the sense of purpose. We are collapsing into moral decadence, which produces a growing decay in our society. Or would you not agree?'

  'So far what you have said makes sense.' Tweed replied as he put on his glasses. 'What is your solution?'

  'We need strong, ruthless leadership. The only thing to wake people up is the return of fear. There was fear when Soviet Russia was strong. Then there was energy in the West, the building up of NATO. People were alert, on their guard. Only the revival of Russia as a great power will instil the sense of fear which is needed to give the West a sense of purpose. The battle for survival. Do you agree, Mr Tweed?'