Night Of The Condor

‘But I shan’t be alone,’ Leigh had protested. ‘I—I’m going to join my fiancé, Evan Gilchrist. He’s based at Atayahuanco on the Peruvian Quest project.’

There had been a silence. Then the plump man had spoken for the first time. ‘You are certain of this, señorita? So how is it the disappearance of this man Gilchrist has been reported to us by the project director, Doctor Martinez?’

So he had actually shown some concern at last, Leigh thought furiously. And at just the wrong moment.

She said smilingly, ‘Oh, Evan will have turned up again by the time I get there. I’m sure he didn’t realise the upset he would cause by going off like that. I think he has dreams of finding a cache of Inca gold.’

The plump man gave a dry, harsh laugh. ‘Inca gold,’ he repeated thoughtfully. ‘That is—amusing.’ He lifted a hand and gave minute attention to his fingernails. ‘You have perhaps received some message from your man, señorita. Some rendezvous has been arranged?’

‘Not exactly,’ Leigh said carefully.

He gave her a long steady look. ‘Be advised, señorita. Go back to Lima, or better still to your own country. It is not safe for you here.’

‘Thank you for the warning.’ Leigh met his glance, her chin tilted.

He said quite affably, ‘It is not a warning, señorita. It is an order.’

They had left her gasping. The visit had unnerved her, and for a while she had been tempted to do as they said, and run for cover. Then she told herself she was being ridiculous. They had been exaggerating, trying to put the frighteners on her, trying to protect their tourist industry. If too many foreigners went missing, it was a reflection on them. But she could afford to hire herself some reliable protection.

However, their visit meant that she had to proceed with a certain amount of caution in her search for a suitable guide. The desk clerk at the hotel had put her in touch with a couple of suitable guides, but both of them had politely but firmly turned Leigh down when they discovered where she wished to go. They preferred, she realised resignedly, to stick to the more lucrative tourist haunts around Cuzco.