Читать книгу The Ostrekoff Jewels онлайн

79 страница из 92

"Then I will put the matter before you so that only a dolt could fail to understand it," he said, and this time there was an open sneer in his tone. "You are trying to take the Ostrekoff jewels across to London or Paris. I am here to stop you doing it—I and my soldiers."

"If you or any one belonging to you dare to touch bags with the Embassy seal upon them, you'll be looking for trouble," Haven threatened him.

Patinsky waved his words away.

"Do not be foolish," he begged. "These are days of war. Behind you are the red fires of revolution. You are almost within sound of the German guns. Who cares what is done in such a spot? And who will there be, young man, if you should prove foolish, to bring the crime home to anybody?"

"The idea is to kill me and make a clean job of it, then?" Haven observed.

"I shall certainly kill you," Patinsky agreed, "rather than allow you to leave this place with the jewels. Be sensible. Sit down and drink with me. Open the bag and let us look at them. I have a weakness for jewels. If ever there was a tradesman in my family I think that he must have been a jeweller."