Raisins and almonds - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

Raisins and Almonds 18
‘Simon, how did he catch you?’ she asked, sadly. ‘Was it a
note telling you to go down to the warehouse after dark and
tell no one?’
‘He picked me up in the car,’ said Simon. ‘I was going home.
Then he drove me here and said that he had something he
wanted to check—I thought it was the shoe shop—we came up
here, and then he produced a knife and tied me up and gagged
me and stowed me under the counter in there. I’ve been trying
to get loose for hours.’
‘Your mother was looking for you,’ said Phryne meaningly.
‘Oy, I’m in trouble,’ said Simon, managing a creditable grin.
‘Hey,’ interjected Chaim, ‘what about me?’
‘What about you?’ asked Phryne coldly. ‘If you’ll excuse me, this
is a private conversation. Simon, I won’t leave you,’ she said.
‘Tell me you love me,’ he said. Phryne did not like being blackmailed
but the circumstances were, she supposed, special.
‘I love you,’ she said obediently. ‘And I’ll take you to dinner
at the Society again, and after that we will see.’
‘Lady,’ began Chaim Abrahams. ‘Hey, lady!’
‘Oh, did you want to say something?’ Phryne’s social manner
was unassailable. ‘Do please forgive me. I was just chatting to
your charming nephew.’
‘He’s a fool. So is his father. All fools.’
‘Oh? Tell us about it.’
Phryne lit a gasper and exhaled the smoke, leaning back in
the bench. There was a small cold lump in her stomach. She
began to fancy that she could smell blood.
‘That compound is going to make me rich,’ said Chaim.
‘All my life I’ve been working, working, and always events were
against me, even God was against me, gevalt! I toiled and I starved
and I never got nowhere. Then, just when I’ve got a good shoe
business going, comes my brother back from France, rich as
Croesus, rich for life from just one deal, and what does he do?
He takes it off me, he takes my shoe business for his own, and
then what can I do? He’s got the money. He’s got the power.’