'Hardly,' I said. And then I remembered the sheet of typescript in my typewriter. 'Yes, it might,' I added. 'I'd written a report for you. It was an account of what Keramikos had told me. Whoever it was who searched my rooms had had a look at that.'
He nodded. 'And suppose the man that Keramikos had talked with that night was Mayne? Could it have been Mayne?'
'I don't know,' I replied. 'I didn't really see him. But he was tall enough. It could have been.'
'And if it was, then Mayne would have drawn certain conclusions from the fact that you were not in your room. Yes. I think it must have been our friend Mayne.'
There was a pause then. He seemed to have come to the end of his questions. 'Look,' I said. 'It's about time you gave me some idea of what's going on here.'
He considered the point. Then he said, 'You'll be surprised at this, Neil. I know less than you do really. I know the background of Mayne and the Greek. But I don't know how they fit into the Carla-Valdini set-up. There's tension there, I can see that. But why? No, the only thing I know that you don't is the reason they're all here. And the less you know about that the safer you'll be. I don't think you're in any real danger now that I've arrived. For the rest, I think it will all resolve itself — with a little help. This place is just about snowbound. Everybody who is interested in Col da Varda is cooped up inside this hut.' He laughed and there was a devil of excitement lurking in his dark eyes. 'We'll go down and start stoking up the fires. Whatever I say, or whatever I do, Neil — don't interfere. Just keep in the background and watch the fireworks.' He got up abruptly then and opened the door. 'And don't say anything to old Wesson about this. All his thrills are on celluloid. If he met one in real life, he'd have a fit.'
When we returned to the bar, only Carla and Mayne were there. Carla was still drinking Strega and, judging by the flush on her cheeks, she had had quite a number whilst we had been out of the room. Mayne had recovered his ease of manner on cognac. Aldo was behind the bar. 'Due cognac,' Engles ordered.
'Si, si — subito, signore.'
'Where's Wesson?' Engles asked Mayne.
'Gone to develop some negatives for you.'