Crash Course by Derek Fee (pdf to ebook reader .txt) 📕

numbers on the lift which he had taken. The door opened beside her and she noticed that his lift had stopped on the fourth floor. She jumped into the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor.

Doc looked along the long bare corridors. If he was lifted in Barrett’s room, there would be hell to pay. He pulled the plastic key out of his pocket and slipped it into the lock. The bell of the lift sounded behind him but he resisted the impulse to turn around and look. He had to behave as though this was his room. He pulled the key out swiftly and sighed with relief as the lock clicked. He pushed the door open and stepped quickly into the room.

Morweena watched Doc push in the door and, without looking around, go immediately into the room. She knew that he and Reg were staying together in a small pension in the streets behind the Croisette. What the hell was he doing with a key to a room at the Carlton? It wasn’t Mark’s room so whose was it?

Barrett entered the lobby of the Carlton and hobbled to the reception. He ached all over but he hated hospitals. He was out of there as soon as his legs could carry him. It was an almighty fuck up. Kane was down in Spain moving his load while he’d twiddle his thumbs in Cannes.

“Four fifteen,” Barrett said.

The receptionist hesitated.

“Four fifteen, now!” Barrett was in no mood to put up with hotel staff who felt they were superior to the guests.

The receptionist looked puzzled but handed over the plastic key.

Doc pulled open the bottom drawer of the chest in the corner of Barrett’s room. So far, nothing. The sooner he got through with this bit of madness the better. He searched carefully through the shirts and underwear, taking care to disturb them as little as possible.

Morweena listened at the door but could hear nothing. If Mark was inside, Doc and he must be talking in whispers. She felt a knot in her stomach. Did she really want to know what lay behind that door? If Mark did have attachments that he didn’t want to talk about, shouldn’t she give him the opportunity to sort them out? To hell with it. They were both adults and she wasn’t about to be treated like a child. She rapped on the door.

Doc turned sharply when he heard the knocking. He closed the drawer and stood like a statue. The knocking came again, louder and more insistent.

“Doc, I know you’re in there. Now open this door right now,” Morweena said.

Doc recognised Morweena’s voice and the limbs which were frozen a second ago agreed to move. He walked quickly to the door, opened it, and pulled Morweena into the room.

“What the…!” Morweena said as she was pulled bodily into the room and the door slammed behind her. “Okay, where is he?” she said as soon as she had regained her composure.

“Where’s who?” Doc looked puzzled.

“Mark. Tell him he can come out now.”

“He’s not here, Morweena. This isn’t his room.”

“Then whose room is it?”

“I’ve no idea.” They both had to get out of there quickly.

“You mean you don’t know where he is or you don’t know whose room this is?”

“I have no idea where Mark is and this is Barrett’s room.” Sweat was beginning to run down Doc’s face. “We’ve got to get out of here.” He took her by the arm.

Doc’s heart hit his boots when he heard the click at the door.

Barrett pushed open the door with his good hand. He stopped dead when he saw the two figures standing at the foot of his bed. He turned and locked the door.

“Now this is one for the scrapbook.” He walked to the edge of the bed and sat down heavily. “When the cat is banged up in hospital, the rats are running around his hotel room.”

“Graham,” Morweena said quickly. “How wonderful to see you out so quickly. Somebody said that you needed new clothes and I enlisted Doc to help me make a bag up for you.”

“Is that so?” Barrett opened the drawer beside the bed. “How very kind of you, Morweena.” He reached into the recess of the drawer and pulled out a small revolver. “Now unless you give me a good, and reasonable, explanation as to what you’re doing in my room I think we’ll have some fun and games. It might even be a bit like old times, eh, Morweena? Wouldn’t that be fun? Who would like to begin?”

“Graham, this is not funny. Put away that gun. Someone could get hurt.” She looked anxiously at Doc as though commanding him to come up with something.

“So, that’s the way it is.” Barrett walked to the closet and removed a tie from the rack. He tossed it to Morweena. “Tie his hands behind his back and do it right. I’ll examine the knot when you’re finished.”

“And if I don’t?” Morweena was indignant.

“Then I’ll shoot your mechanic dead.” Barrett’s voice was calm. “I returned and found a burglar in my room. I tackled him and my gun went off.”

“I’ll tell what happened,” Morweena said.

“Who says that you’ll be in any condition to speak? Tie him up and use all that nautical skill of yours to make sure he can’t get free.”

“Do as he says,” Doc said quietly. If Kane was right and Barrett was their man, then he was probably capable of killing them both. Doc held his hands behind his back and Morweena tied them, making as good a job of it as she could. She finished tying the knots and stood out of the way so that Barrett could examine them.

“Satisfied?” she said.

“Okay, Doc, old pal,” Barrett said, sitting on the bed again. “Spill it.”

Doc stayed stock still.

“Oh, come now, Doc.” Barrett eased himself further onto the bed. His left arm was aching. “Do we have to do this the hard way? Let me run through the numbers for you. One, I