Wewenteventuallyinsearch,Alessiasaid,ofanhonestopinionfromMike Noland;andwiththeforthrightnessIwascomingtoseeasnormalamongthe racingprofessionalshesaid,"No,youwerenogood.b.l.o.o.d.ybad.Saggingall overtheplacelikeasponge.Butwhatdidyouexpect,firsttimeback,after whatyou"vebeenthrough?Iknewyouwouldn"twin.Idoubtifthathorsecould havewontodayanyway,withFredArcherincarnateinthesaddle.Hemighthave beenthird...fourth."Heshrugged."Ontheformbookhecouldn"thavetouchedthe winner.You"lldobetternexttime.Sureto.Sandown,right?"
"Right,"Alessiasaidfaintly.
Thebigmansmiledkindlyfromtheheightofhisfiftyyearsandpattedher againontheshoulder."BestgirljockeyinEurope,"hesaidtome."Giveor takeadozenortwo."
"Thankssomuch,"Alessiasaid.
IwenttoSandownthefollowingweekandtotwomoreracemeetingstheweek after,andonthethirdofthosedaysAlessiawontworaces.
Iwatchedtheapplauseandtheacclaimandsawherquickbrightsmilesa.s.she unsaddledherwinners,sawthelightinhereyesandthecertaintyandspeedof hermovements,sawtherebirthoftheskillsandthequalityofspiritwhichhad takenherbeforetotheheights.Thegoldengirlfilledtonewstaturevisibly daybydayandonthemorningafterherwinnersthenewspapersprintedher picturewithrapturouscaptions.
Shestillseemedtowantmetobethere;toseeme,specifically,waiting.She wouldsearchthesurroundingcrowdswithhereyesandstopandsmilewhenshe sawme.ShecameandwentfromLambourneverytimewithMikeNolandandspent herfreeminutesontheracecoursewithme,butshenolongergraspedme physicallytosaveherselffromdrowning.Shewasafloatandskimmingthewaves, hermindonfarhorizons.Shehadbeguntobe,inthewayshemostneededtobe, happy.
"I"mgoinghome,"shesaidoneday.
"Home?"
"ToItaly.ToseePapa.I"vebeenawaysolong."
Ilookedatthefine-bonedface,sohealthynow,sobrown,sofullofpoise,so intimatelyknown.
"I"llmissyou,"Isaid.
"w.i.l.l.you?"Shesmiledintomyeyes."IoweyouadebtIcan"tpay."
"Nodebt,"Isaid.
"Oh,yes."Hervoicetookitforgranted."Anyway,it"snotgoodbyeforever,or anythingdramaticlikethat.I"llbeback.TheFlatseasonwillbefinishedhere inafewweeks,butI"lldefinitelyberidingheresomeofthetimenext summer."
Nextsummerseemedalongwayaway.
"Alessia,"Isaid.
"No."Sheshookherhead."Don"tsaywhatever"sinyourmind.Youcarryon givingabrilliantimitationofarock,becausemyfoundationsarestillshaky.
I"mgoinghometoPapa...butIwanttoknowyou"reonlyatelephonecallaway...
somedaysIwakeupsweating..."Shebrokeoff."I"mnotmakingsense."
"Youareindeed,"Ia.s.suredher.
Shegavemeabriefbutsearchinginspection."Youneverneedtellingtwice,do you?Sometimesyoudon"tneedtellingonce.Don"tforgetme,w.i.l.l.you?"
"No,"Isaid.
ShewenttoItalyandmydaysseemedremarkablyemptyeventhoughmytimewas busilyfilled.
Nerrity"snear-lossofOrdinandhadcausedahugeflutterinthedovecotesof ownersofgood-as-goldhorses,andIinconjunctionwithourchummyinsurance syndicateatLloydswasbusyraisingdefensesagainstcopycatkidnaps.
Someownerspreferredtoinsuretheanimalsthemselvesagainstabduction,but manysawthepointofinsuringtheirwivesandchildren.Ifoundmyselfinvited toringthefrontdoorbellofmanyanimposingpileandtopa.s.sonthe chairman"sconsideredjudgments,thechairmaninsomeerroneouswayhavingcome toconsidermeanexpertonracingmatters.
Th.e.l.loydssyndicatedidhugenewbusiness,andintoeverycontracttheywrote asusualastipulationthatinthecaseof"anevent,"theadviceofLiberty Marketshouldbeinstantlysought.Youscratchmyback,I"llscratchyours:both thesyndicateandLibertyMarketwerepurring.
TheJockeyClubshowedsomeinterest.Iwasdispatchedtotheirofficesin PortmanSquareinLondontodiscusstheproblemsofextortionwiththesenior steward,whoshookmyhandfirmlyandaskedwhetherLibertyMarketconsidered thedangerarealone.
"Yes,"Isaidmoderately."Therehavebeenthreekidnapsintheracingworld recently:amaninItalywhoownedaracecourse,AlessiaCenci,thejockey,whom youmustknowabout,andJohnNerrity"sson."
Hefrowned."Youthinkthey"reconnected?"
Itoldhimhowpositivelythelattertwowereconnectedandhisfrowndeepened.
"NoonecantellwhetherthisparticularmanwilltryagainnowthattheNerrity venturehasendedinfailure,"Isaid,"b.u.t.theideaofforcingsomeonetosell avaluablehorsemaybeseductiveenoughtoattractimitators.Soyes,wedo thinkownerswouldbeprudenttoinsureagainstanysortofextortioninvolving theirhorses."
Theseniorstewardwatchedmyfaceunsmilingly.Hewasathick-setman,maybe sixty,withthesamenaturala.s.sumptionofauthorityasourchairman,thoughnot withthesameoverpoweringgoodlooks.MorganFreemantle,seniorsteward,top authorityofthehugeracingindustry,cameacrossasaforceofmorepowerthan charm,moreintelligencethankindness,moreresolutionthanpatience.Iguessed thatingeneralpeoplerespectedhimratherthanlikedhim,andalsothathewas probablygoodnewsforthehealthoftheracingworld.
Hehadsaidhehadheardofourexistencefromafriendofhiswhowasan underwriteratLloyds,andthathehadsincemadeseveralinquiries.
"Itseemsyourfirmiswell-regarded,"hetoldmeausterely."ImustsayIwould haveseennoneedforsuchanorganization,butInowlearnthereare approximatelytwohundredkidnapsforransomintheworldeachyear,not countingtribaldisturbancesinAfrica,orpoliticalupheavalsinCentraland SouthAmerica."
"Er..."Isaid.
Heswepton."Iamtoldtheremaybemanymoreoccurrencesthanthoseactually reported.Caseswherefamiliesorfirmssettleinprivateanddon"tinformthe police."
"Probably,"Iagreed.
"Foolish,"hesaidshortly.
"Mostoften,yes."
"Iunderstandfromthepolicecommissionersthattheyarewillingtoworkwith yourfirmwheneverappropriate."Hepaused,andaddedalmostgrudgingly,"They havenoadversecriticisms."
Bullyforthem,Ithought.
"Ithinkwecansay,therefore,"MorganFreemantlewentonjudiciously,"thatif anythingfurthershouldhappentoanyoneconnectedwithracing,youmaycall upontheJockeyClubforanyhelpitiswithinourpowertogive."
"Thankyouverymuch,"Isaid,surprised.
Henodded."Wehaveanexcellentsecurityservice.They"llbehappytoworkwith youalso.WeintheJockeyClub,"heinformedmeregretfully,"spendagreat dealoftimeconfoundingdishonesty,becauseunfortunatelyracingbreedsfraud."
Theredidn"tseemtobeananswertothat,soIgavenone.
"Letmeknow,then,Mr...er...Douglas,"hesaid,rising,"ifyourfirmshouldbe engagedbyanyoneinracingtodealwithafuturecirc.u.mstancewhichmightcome withinourprovince.Anything,thatistosay,whichmightaffectthestability ofracingasawhole.As.e.xtortionbymeansofhorsesmostcertainlydoes."
Istoodalso."MyfirmcouldonlyadviseaclientthattheJockeyClubshouldbe informed,"Isaidneutrally."Wecouldn"tinsist."
Hegavemeastraightconsideringstare."Weliketoknowwhat"sgoingoninour ownbackyard,"hesaid."Weliketoknowwhattodefendourselvesagainst."
"LibertyMarketwillalwayscooperateasfullyaspossible,"Ia.s.suredhim.
Hesmiledbriefly,almostsardonically."Butyou,likeus,don"tknowwherean enemymaystrike,orinwhatway,andwefindourselveswishingfordefenseswe neverenvisaged."
"Mm,"Isaid."Life"slikethat."
Heshookmyhandagainfirmlyandcamewithmefromhisdesktothedoorofhis office.
"Let"shopewe"veseenanendtothewholething.Butifnot,cometoseeme."
"Yes,"Isaid.
ItelephonedtotheVillaFranceseoneeveningandmycallwasansweredby Ilaria.
"h.e.l.lo,Mr.Fixit,"shesaidwithamus.e.m.e.nt."How"sitgoing?"
"Everywhichway,"Isaid."Andhowareyou?"
"Bored,wouldn"tyouknow?"
"IsAlessiathere?"Iasked.
"ThepreciousgirlisoutvisitingwithPapa."
"Oh..."
"However,"Ilariasaidcarefully,"sheshouldbebackbyten.Tryagainlater."
"Yes.Thankyou."
"Don"tthankme.SheisoutvisitingLorenzoTraventi,whohasmadeagreat recoveryfromhisbulletsandisnowlookingparticularlyravishingandromantic andiskissingherhandateveryopportunity."
"DearIlaria,"Isaid."Alwayssokind."
"s.h.i.t,"shesaidcheerfully."Imighttellheryoucalled."
Shedidtellher.WhenIrangagain,Alessiaansweredalmostimmediately.
"SorryIwasout,"shesaid."How"sthings?"
"Howaretheywithyou?"Iasked.
"Oh...fine.Reallyfine.Imeanit.I"veriddeninseveralracessinceI"vebeen back.Twowinners.Notbad.DoyourememberBrunelleschi?"
Ithoughtback."Thehorseyoudidn"trideintheDerby?"
"That"sright.Spoton.Well...hewasoneofmywinnerslastweek,andthey"re sendinghimtoWashingtontorunintheInternational,andbelieveitornotbut they"veaskedmetogotoo,toridehim."Hervoiceheldbothtriumphand apprehensioninroughlyequalamounts.
"Areyougoing?"Isaid.
"I...don"tknow."
"Washington,D.C.?"Iasked."America?"
"Yes.TheyhaveaninternationalraceeveryyearthereatLaurelracecourse.
TheyinvitesomereallysuperhorsesfromEuropetogothere...payalltheir expenses,andthoseofthetrainersandjockeys.I"veneverbeen,butI"veheard it"sgreat.Sowhatdoyouthink?"
"Go,ifyoucan,"Isaid.
Therewasasmallsilence."That"sthewholething,isn"t.i.t?IfIcan.Ialmost can.ButIhavetodecidebytomorrowatthelatest.Givethemtimetofind someoneelse."
"TakeIlariawithyou,"Isuggested.
"Shewouldn"tgo,"shesaidpositively,andthenmoredoubtfully,"wouldshe?"
"Youcanbutask."
"Yes.PerhapsIwill.Idowish,though,thatyoucouldgo,yourself.I"dsail throughthewholethingifIknewyouwerethere."
"Notachance,"Isaidregretfully."Butyouwillbeallright."
Wetalkedforawhilelongeranddisconnected,andIspentsometimewondering ifIcould,afterall,w.a.n.gleaweekoffandblowthefare:butwewereallat thattimeveryshort-handedintheoffice,TonyVinehavingbeencalledaway urgentlytoBrazilandfourorfivepartnerstiedupinamultiplemessin Sardinia.Iwasconstantlytakingmessagesfromthemontheswitchboardin betweentheadvisorytripstoracehorseowners,andevenGerryClayton"sfolded birdsofparadisehadgivenwaytomoreorthodoxpaperwork.
Nothinghappensthewayoneexpects.
MorganFreemantle,seniorstewardoftheJockeyClub,wenttoLaurelforaweek tobetheguestofhonorofthepresidentoftheracecourse,acourtesybetween racingfraternities.
Ontheseconddayofhisvisithewaskidnapped.
WASHINGTON,D.C.
Chaptersixteen.
THECHAIRMANsentmeroundtotheJockeyClub,whereshockhadproduced suspendedanimationakintothewaxworks.
Forastarttherewereveryfewpeopleintheplaceandnoonewasquitesure whowasincharge;aflockwithout.i.tsleader.WhenIaskedwhichindividualhad receivedthefirstdemandfromthekidnappersIwa.s.steeredtotheofficeofa stiff-backedmiddle-agedwomaninsilkshirtandtweedskirtwholookedatme numblyandtoldmeIhadcomeatabadtime.
"Mrs.Berkeley?"Iinquired.
Shenodded,hereyesvague,herthoughtselsewhere,herspinerigid.
"I"vecomeaboutMr.Freemantle,"Isaid.ItsoundedratherasifI"dsaid"I"ve comeabouttheplumbing,"andIhaddifficultyinstiflingalaugh.Mrs.
Berkeleypaidmoreattentionandsaid,"You"renotthemanfromLibertyMarket, areyou?"