Present Danger

26

Back at his desk, Dave was feeling uncomfortable. In the calm aftermath of the meeting with Milraud his depression over the break-up with Lucy had returned. Judith had looked in to see how the meeting had gone and he’d assured her that it was all just fine and he was writing it up before deciding what to do next.

But had it really gone fine? The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if Milraud had been playing him along. He was worried about Sabayone. He’d pretended to know all about him but he’d never heard of him and when he got back to the office he’d looked him up on the internet and found no trace of a gunsmith of that name. Whatever game Milraud had been playing, Dave was now convinced that he was not merely a prosperous dealer in antiques. There had been no puzzlement and equally no umbrage taken at Dave’s clear desire to discuss more modern armaments.

He ought to talk to Liz about it before he went back for another interview. She would want to discuss with Michael Binding just how far out on a limb Dave the Derringer Collector should go. If there was information about Piggott and arms dealing to be got out of Milraud, how much were they prepared to pay? It was clear that at the next stage he would need to suggest that cash would be forthcoming in return for information.

But yet again Liz wasn’t in her office. She was coming back via London, Judith told him, because of something she’d learned in Paris. He ought to wait. She might have found out something relevant. But it would be another day before she was back and with Milraud’s departure imminent, there was no time to lose. The investigation of the attempt on Jimmy Fergus meant that there would be no spare A4 resources available at such short notice to provide adequate support for a meeting with Milraud the next morning. And if he requested it as a priority, and Michael Binding had to arbitrate, he would certainly give it to the Fergus investigation and order Dave not to go ahead without full back-up. By which time Milraud would be back in France, leaving the shop in the charge of the woman in the silk suit, who would profess to know nothing about anything except antique weapons.

And that would be that; all the hard work he’d done since the initial call from Brown Fox would go down the drain. No way, thought Dave. He couldn’t bear the thought of his investigation joining his private life in ruins. Besides, Milraud had been receptive so far.

‘The derringer is very appealing, but—’

‘But?’ asked Milraud with a knowing smile. ‘I can move on the price to fifteen thousand, but no more, I am afraid. One reaches a point…’ he gave a vague movement of his hands.

They were in the back office again, and small talk had been kept to a minimum. Milraud wore a tie today, and a suitcase in the corner suggested he would leave for the airport immediately after seeing Dave.

‘I understand,’ Dave said. ‘The price is not the issue.’

‘Ah. Then if I may ask, what is your position? Do you wish to buy?’

Dave hesitated. It crossed his mind that he should have found out more about the man before he embarked on a recruitment approach. But then ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’, he said to himself. Milraud hadn’t exactly thrown him out of the shop yesterday when he’d mentioned modern weapons. So he said, ‘Perhaps other things might be included too.’

The Frenchman looked thoughtfully at him. He raised his eyebrows a fraction. ‘Well, of course, Mr Willis, I deal in a wide range of weapons. But what have you in mind? I assume we are no longer talking about derringers?’

‘No. Modern weapons as well.’

Milraud seemed to consider this, clasping both hands, elbows on the desk in front of him. ‘It’s conceivable. What kinds of weapons?’

‘All kinds. Automatic weapons. Handguns and larger items. Possibly associated ordnance too. Grenades, mortars, RPGs.’

Milraud narrowed his eyes, and his hand wandered beneath the edge of the desk top; Dave tensed. Then it re-emerged, apparently from the upper drawer of the desk. Milraud popped something in his mouth.

‘I assume, Mr Willis, that you are talking about legitimate weaponry? I don’t have many enquiries from amateurs for the sort of things you mention. Of course, what my clients want, I try to find, that is true. But I would need to know more about who they are, and their reasons for making such enquiries. Particularly, if I may say so, in this town.’

Dave was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He had a suspicion that Milraud was playing with him. So he said, ‘To be more precise, what I’m interested in is information. And we may well be talking about sums greater than fifteen thousand pounds.’

‘I should think so, mon ami,’ said Milraud, staring levelly at Dave. ‘I should think so.’

There was a tap on the door. When it opened Mrs Carson stood there. ‘Monsieur Milraud, I beg your pardon for interrupting. But could I see you for a moment please?’ She threw a small smile in Dave’s direction. ‘I’m so sorry. A rather awkward customer in the shop.’

Dave waved an arm in understanding, relieved at the opportunity to gather his thoughts. As Milraud left the room, he wondered what to say next. Money seemed the object, pure and simple; he supposed in Milraud’s world loyalty was always a function of the highest price. He was pondering his next move when he heard the door behind him open. ‘Everything all right?’ he asked.

‘Could not be better, my friend,’ said a foreign-sounding voice. It didn’t belong to Milraud.