Ten

“Laura?”

The window drapes were open. The room had been made up. Fletch pushed the ajar door to the bathroom all the way open.

“Laura?”

There was a note for him on the bureau.

Fletch—

Otavio called. He is feeling too tired to stay for Carnival in Rio. He wants to be home in Bahia. He said this morning he feels too tired to travel alone, through all the Carnival crowds. So I am helping him travel to Bahia.

Surely I will be back Sunday. Enjoy the Canecão Ball tonight even without me. If you get too lonely without me, I have left you Jorge Amado’s Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands—a great Brazilian classic. And I will bring you a present from Bahia—something I want for you.

Ciao,

  Laura

Across the utility area, the man was still painting the room.

The phone rang.

“Janio?”

“Not here, at present.”

“Is Fletcher there?”

“Yes, he’s here. I think.”

“Toninho Braga, Fletch.”

“How are you? Have you slept?”

“We thought you might like to spend the day with us. Drive up to a place we know in the mountains. Laura can go shopping.”

“Laura’s gone to Bahia with her father.”

“That’s well. Then will you come? A place we know, very amusing, very relaxing. It is important to get away during Carnival.”

“Toninho, I haven’t slept. I went running.”

“This place is very relaxing. You can have a sleep there, after lunch.”

“Teo da Costa is expecting me for the Canecão Ball tonight.”

“Oh, we’ll be back in plenty of time for that. We are going to the ball, too.”

“Who’s we?”

“Just Tito, Norival, Orlando, and myself. Get away from the women a few hours.”

“I think I should try to sleep.”

“You don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand anything.”

“We are downstairs in the lobby, expecting you.”

“Toninho.”

“You will come?”

Fletch looked at the freshly made bed. “É preciso terno?”

Such was a tourist joke. In Brazil a suit was never necessary.

“You will need no clothes. Do you have money?”

Fletch felt the wad of cruzeiros in his pocket he had taken out of the hotel safe for Joan Collins Stanwyk. “Yes.”

“Good. Bring your money. We will gamble. We will gamble and take your money away from you.”

“Okay.”

“You coming right down?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t say that.”

“I’ll be right down.”

Before leaving the telephone, Fletch called The Hotel Jangada and asked for Room 912.

There was no answer.

He took a full liter of mineral water from the bathroom.

Before leaving the hotel room, Fletch checked under the bed.

The frog was still there.