“Bill said something-”
Whitehead broke in.
“Toy’s left the estate. You won’t be seeing him again.”
“When did he go?”
“Earlier in the week. Relations between us have been deteriorating for a while.” He caught Marty’s dismay. “Don’t fret about it. Your position here is as secure as it ever was. But you must trust me absolutely.”
“Sir-”
“No affirmations of loyalty; they’re wasted on me. Not because I don’t believe you’re sincere. But I’m surrounded by people who tell me whatever they think I want to hear. That’s how they keep their wives in furs and their sons in cocaine.” His gloved fingers clawed at his bearded cheek as he spoke. “So few honest people. Toy was one. Evangeline, my wife, was another. But so very few. I just have to trust to instinct; I have to blot out all the talk and follow what my head tells me. And it trusts you, Martin.”
Marty said nothing; just listened as Whitehead’s voice became quieter, his eyes so intense now a glance from them might have ignited tinder.
“If you stay with me-if you keep me safe-there’s nothing you can’t be or have. Understand me? Nothing.”
This was not the first time the old man had offered this seduction; but circumstances had clearly changed since Marty first arrived at the Sanctuary. There was more at risk now. “What’s the worst that can happen?” he asked.
The mazed face had slackened: only the incendiary eyes still showed life.
“The worst?” Whitehead said. “Who knows the worst?” The burning eyes seemed about to be extinguished by tears; he fought them. “I have seen such things. And passed by them on the other side. Never thought . . . not once . . .”
A pattering announced rain; its soft percussion accompanied Whitehead as he stumbled to speak. All his verbal skills had deserted him suddenly; he was bereft. But something-a vast something-demanded to be said.
“Never thought . . . it would ever happen to me.”
He bit back more words, and shook his head at his own absurdity.
“Will you help me?” he asked, in place of further explanation.
“Of course.”
“Well,” he replied. “We’ll see, eh?”
Without warning he suddenly stepped past Marty and returned the way they’d come. The jaunt was apparently over. For several minutes they walked as they had, Whitehead taking the lead, with Marty trailing a discreet two yards behind. Just before they came in sight of the house Whitehead spoke again. This time he didn’t break the rhythm of his step, but threw the inquiry over his shoulder. Just four words.
“And the Devil, Marty?”
“What, sir?”
“The Devil. Did you ever pray to him?”
It was a joke. A little leaden maybe, but the old man’s way of making light of his confessional.
“Well, did you?”
“Once or twice,” Marty answered, skirting a smile. As the words left his lips Whitehead froze dead in his tracks, a hand outstretched behind him to check Marty.
“Ssh.”
Twenty yards ahead, arrested as it crossed their path, was a fox. It hadn’t seen its observers yet, but it could only be a matter of moments before their scent reached its nostrils.
“Which way?” Whitehead hissed.
“What?”
“Which way will it run? A thousand pounds. Straight bet.”
“I haven’t got-” Marty began.
“Against a week’s pay.”
Marty began to smile. What was a week’s pay? He couldn’t spend it anyway.
“A thousand pounds says it runs to the right,” said Whitehead.
Marty hesitated.
“Quickly, man-”
“Done.”
Even on the word, the animal caught their scent. Its ears pricked, its head turned, and it saw them. For an instant it was too stupefied by surprise to move; then it ran. For several yards it took off away from them along the path, not veering to one side or the other, its heels kicking up dead leaves as it went. Then, without warning, it sliced away into the cover of the trees, to the left. There was no ambiguity about the victory.
“Well done,” said Whitehead, pulling off his glove and extending his hand to Marty. When he shook it, Marty felt it tingle like the chips had on a winning night.