Read Bond 04 - Diamonds Are Forever for Free Online Page B

trunks and suitcases were good places for this sort of stuff.’
    ‘So do the customs men,’ she said dryly. She sat silent for a moment, reflecting. Then she pulled a piece of paper and a pencil towards her. ‘What sort of golf balls do you use?’ she asked unsmilingly.
    ‘They’re called Dunlop 65’s.’ He was equally serious. ‘Maybe you’ve got something there.’
    She made no comment, but wrote the name down. She looked up. ‘Got a passport?’
    ‘Well, I have,’ admitted Bond. ‘But it’s in my real name.’
    ‘Oh.’ She was suspicious again. ‘And what might that be?’
    ‘James Bond.’
    She snorted. ‘Why not choose Joe Doe?’ She shrugged her shoulders. ‘Who cares anyway? Can you get an American visa in two days? And a vaccination certificate?’
    ‘Don’t see why not,’ said Bond. (Q Branch would fix all that.) ‘There’s nothing against me in America. Or at Criminal Records here, for the matter of that. Under Bond, that is.’
    ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Now listen. Immigration will need this. You’re going over to the States to stay with a man called Tree. Michael Tree. You’ll be staying at the Astor in New York. He’s an American friend of yours. You met him in the war.’ She unbent minutely. ‘Just for the record, this man really exists. He’ll back up your story. But he’s not generally known as Michael. He’s known as “Shady” Tree to his friends. If any,’ she added sourly.
    Bond smiled.
    ‘He’s not as funny as he sounds,’ said the girl shortly. She opened a drawer in the desk and took out a packet of five-pound notes with a rubber band round it. She riffled them through and detached about half their number and put these back in the drawer. She rolled up the rest, snapped the rubber band round them and tossed the packet across the room to Bond. Bond leant forward and caught it near the floor.
    ‘There’s about £500 in there,’ she said. ‘Book yourself in at the Ritz and give that address to Immigration. Get a good used suitcase and put in it what you would take on a golfing holiday. Get your golf clubs. Keep out of sight. B.O.A.C. Monarch to New York. Thursday evening. Get a single ticket first thing tomorrow morning. The Embassy won’t give you a visa without seeing your ticket. Car will pick you up at the Ritz at 6.30 Thursday evening. Driver will give you the golf balls. Put ’em in your bag. And,’ she looked him straight in the eye, ‘don’t think you can go into business for yourself with this stuff. The driver will stay alongside you until your luggage has gone out to the plane. And I’ll be at London Airport. So no funny business. Okay?’
    Bond shrugged his shoulders. ‘What would I do with this kind of merchandise?’ he said carelessly. ‘Too big for me. And what happens the other end?’
    ‘Another driver will be waiting outside the customs. He’ll tell you what to do next. Now,’ her voice was urgent. ‘If anything happens at the customs, either end, you know nothing, see? You just don’t know how the balls got into your bag. Whatever they ask you, just go on saying, “By me”. Act dumb. I shall be watching. And maybe others too. That I wouldn’t know. If they lock you up in America, ask for the British Consul and go on asking. You won’t get any help from us. But that’s what you’re being paid for. Okay?’
    ‘Fair enough,’ said Bond. ‘The only person I could get into trouble would be you.’ He looked appraisingly at her. ‘And I wouldn’t like that to happen.’
    ‘Shucks,’ she said scornfully. ‘You’ve got nothing on me. Don’t worry about me, my friend. I can look after myself.’ She got up and came and stood in front of him. ‘And don’t “little girl” me,’ she said sharply. ‘We’re on a job. And I can take care of myself. You’d be surprised.’
    Bond stood up and away from the window-sill. He smiled down and into the flashing grey eyes that were now dark with impatience. ‘“I can do anything