Thunder Point Part 26

"I don't think he'll want to kill us yet," Ferguson said. "All the other little pranks have been aggravation, but he still needs us to hopefully lead him to that U-boat, so let's get moving, there's a good fellow, Dillon."

Dillon switched on, the engine roared into life, the propeller turned. He carefully checked the illuminated dials on the instrument panel. "Fuel, oil pressure." He recited the litany. "Looks good to me. Here we go."

He took the Cessna down the runway and lifted into the night, turning out to sea.

It was a magnificent night, stars glittering in the sky, the sea and the islands below bathed in the hard white light of the full moon. St. John loomed before them. They crossed Ram Head, moving along the southern coast, and it happened, the engine missed a beat, coughed and spluttered.

"What is it?" Ferguson demanded.

"I don't know," Dillon said and then checked the instruments and saw what had happened to the oil pressure.

"We've got problems," he said. "Get your life jackets on."

Carney got the Brigadier's out and helped him into it. "But surely the whole point of these things is that you don't have to crash, you can land on the sea," Ferguson said.

"That's the theory," Dillon told him and the engine died totally and the propeller stopped.

They were at nine hundred feet and he took the plane down in a steep dive. "Reef Bay dead ahead," Carney said.

"Right, now this is how it goes," Dillon told them. "If we're lucky, we'll simply glide down and land on the water. If the waves are too much we might start to tip, so bail out straightaway. How deep is it down there, Carney?"

"Around seven fathoms close in."

"Right, there's a third alternative, Brigadier, and that's going straight under."

"You've just made my night," Ferguson told him.

"If that happens, trust Carney, he'll see to you, but on no account waste time trying to open the door on your way down. It'll just stay closed until we've settled and enough water finds its way inside and equalizes the pressure."

"Thanks very much," Ferguson said.

"Right, here we go."

The surface of the bay was very close now and it didn't look too rough. Dillon dropped the Cessna in for what seemed like a perfect landing and something went wrong straightaway. The plane lurched forward sluggishly, not handling at all, then tipped and plunged beneath the surface nose-down.

The water was like black gla.s.s, they were already totally submerged and descending, still plenty of air in the cabin, the lights gleaming on the instrument panel. Dillon felt the water rising up over his ankles and suddenly it was waist deep and the instrument panel lights went out.

"Christ almighty!" Ferguson cried.

Carney said, "I've unbuckled your belt. Be ready to go any second now."

The Cessna, still nose-down, touched at that moment a patch of clear sand at the bottom of the bay, lifted a little, then settled to one side, the tip of the port wing braced against a coral ridge. The rays of the full moon drifting down through the water created an astonis.h.i.+ng amount of light and Dillon, looking out through the c.o.c.kpit window as the water level reached his neck, was surprised at how far he could see.

He heard Carney say, "Big breath, Brigadier, I'm opening the door now. Just slide out through and we'll go up together."

Dillon took a deep breath himself and as the water pa.s.sed over his head, opened his door, reached for the wing strut and pulled himself out. He turned, still hanging on the strut, saw Carney clutching at the Brigadier's sleeve, kicking away from the wing, and then they started up.

It was usually argued that if you went up too fast and didn't expel air slowly on the way there was a danger of rupturing the lungs, but in a situation like this there was no time for niceties and Dillon floated up, the rays of moonlight filtering down through the clear water, aware of Carney and the Brigadier to the left and above him. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, curiously dreamlike, and then he broke through to the surface and took a deep lungful of salt air.

Carney and Ferguson floated a few yards away. Dillon swam toward them. "Are you all right?"

"Dillon." Ferguson was gasping for breath. "I owe you dinner. I owe you both a dinner."

"I'll hold you to that," Dillon said. "You can take me to the Garrick again."

"Anywhere you want. Now do you think it's possible we could get the h.e.l.l out of here?"

They turned and swam toward the beach, Carney and Dillon on either side of the older man. They staggered out of the water together and sat on the sand recovering.

Carney said, "There's a house not too far from here. I know the people well. They'll run us into town."

"And the plane?" Ferguson asked.

"There's a good salvage outfit in St. Thomas. I'll phone the boss at home tonight. They'll probably get over first thing in the morning. They've got a recovery boat with a crane that'll lift that baby straight off the bottom." He turned to Dillon. "What went wrong?"

"The oil pressure went haywire and that killed the engine."

"I must say your landing left much to be desired," Ferguson said and stood up wearily.

"It was a good landing," Dillon said. "Things only went sour at the very last moment and there has to be a reason for that. I mean, one thing going wrong is unfortunate, two is highly suspicious."

"It'll be interesting to see what those salvage people find," Carney commented.

As they started across the beach, Dillon said, "Remember when I was checking the plane back at Samson, Brigadier, and you said you didn't think he'd want to kill us yet?"

"So?" Ferguson said. "What's your point?"

"Well I think he just tried."

The man Carney knew at the house nearby got his truck out and ran them down to Mongoose, where they went their separate ways, Carney promising to handle the salvaging of the plane and to report back to them in the morning.

Back at the cottage at Caneel Dillon had a hot shower, standing under it for quite some time thinking about things. Finally, he poured himself a gla.s.s of champagne and went and stood on the terrace in the warm night.

He heard his door open and Ferguson came in. "Ah, there you are." He too wore a robe, but also had a towel around his neck. "I'll take a gla.s.s of that, dear boy, and also the phone. What time is it?"

"Just coming up to midnight."

"Five o'clock in the morning in London. Time to get up," and Ferguson dialed the number of Detective Inspector Jack Lane's flat.

Lane came awake with a groan, switched on the bedside lamp and picked up the phone. "Lane here."

"It's me, Jack," Ferguson told him. "Still in bed, are we?"

"For G.o.d's sake, sir, it's only five o'clock in the morning."

"What's that got to do with it? I've got work for you, Jack. I've discovered how our friend Santiago has managed to stay so well informed."

"Really, sir?" Lane was coming awake now.

"Would you believe Sir Francis Pamer?"

"Good G.o.d!" Lane flung the bedclothes to one side and sat up. "But why?"

Ferguson gave him a brief account of what had happened, culminating in old Joseph Jackson's revelations and the plane crash.

Lane said, "It's difficult to believe."

"Isn't it? Anyway, give the Pamer family the works, Jack. Where did old Sir Joseph's money come from, how does Sir Francis manage to live like a prince? Use all the usual sources."

"What about the Deputy Director, sir, do I inform him in any way?"

"Simon Carter?" Ferguson laughed out loud. "He'd go through the roof. It would be at least a week before he could bring himself to believe it."

"Very well, sir. I'll get moving on things right away."

Ferguson said, "So, that's taken care of."

"I've been thinking," Dillon said. "You were right when you said earlier that you didn't think Santiago was ready to kill us yet because he needed us. So, a.s.suming the crash was no accident, I wonder what made him change his mind?"

"I've no idea, dear boy, but I'm sure we'll find out." Ferguson punched the numbers on the cellular phone again. "Ah, Samson Cay Resort? Mr. Prieto, if you please."

A moment later a voice said, "Prieto here."

"Charles Ferguson calling from Caneel. Wonderful evening, excellent meal. Do thank Mr. Santiago for me."

"But of course, Brigadier, it was kind of you to call."

Ferguson replaced the phone. "That will give the b.a.s.t.a.r.d pause for thought. Give me another drop of champagne, dear boy, then I'm off to my bed."

Dillon filled his gla.s.s. "Not before you tell me something."

Ferguson swallowed half the champagne. "And what would that be?"

"You knew you'd be coming to St. John from the beginning, booked your accommodation at the same time you booked mine and that was before I got here, before it became apparent that Santiago knew my name and who I was and why I was here."

"Which means what?"

Dillon said, "You knew Pamer was up to no good before I left London."

"True," Ferguson said. "I just didn't have any proof."

"But how did you know?"

"Process of elimination, dear boy. After all, who knew about the affair at all? Henry Baker, the girl, Admiral Travers, myself, Jack Lane, you, Dillon, the Prime Minister. Every one of you could be instantly discarded."

"Which only left Carter and Pamer."

"Sounds like an old-fas.h.i.+oned variety act, doesn't it? Carter, as I told you earlier and based on my past experience of the man, is totally honest."

"Which left the good Sir Francis?"

"Exactly and that seemed absurd. As I've said before, a baronet, one of England's oldest families, a Government Minister." He finished his champagne and put the gla.s.s down. "But then, as I think the great Sherlock Holmes once said, when you've exhausted all the possibilities, then the impossible must be the answer." He smiled. "Goodnight, dear boy, I'll see you in the morning."

13.

The following morning Santiago went for a swim in the sea, then sat in the stern under the awnings, had coffee and toast and a few grapes while he thought about things. Algaro waited by the rail patiently, saying nothing.

"I wonder what went wrong," Santiago said. "After all, it would be unusual for you to make a mistake, Algaro."

"I know my business, I did what was necessary, Senor, believe me."

At that moment Captain Serra presented himself. "I've just had a call from my man in Cruz Bay, Senor. It appears the Cessna crashed in Reef Bay last night, that's on the south coast of St. John. It finished up forty feet down on the bottom. Ferguson, Carney and Dillon all survived.

"d.a.m.n them to h.e.l.l!" Algaro said angrily.

"Soon enough." Santiago sat there, frowning.

Serra said, "Have you any order, Senor?"

"Yes." Santiago turned to Algaro. "After lunch, you take Guerra and go to St. John in the launch. The girl should arrive at around six in the evening."

"You wish us to bring her to you, Senor?"

"That won't be necessary. Just find out what she knows, I'm sure that's not beyond your capability."

Algaro's smile was quite evil. "At your orders, Senor," and he withdrew.

Serra waited patiently while Santiago poured more coffee. "How long will the launch take to make the run to Cruz Bay?" Santiago asked.

"Depending on the weather, two to two and a half hours, Senor."

"About the same time as the Maria Blanco Maria Blanco would take?" would take?"

"Yes, Senor."

Santiago nodded. "I may want to return to our mooring at Paradise some time tonight. I'm not sure. It depends on events. In any case, get me Sir Francis in London."

It took twenty minutes for Serra to run Pamer to earth and he finally located him at a function at the Dorchester. He sounded rather irritated when he came to the phone. "Who is this? I hope it's important, I've got a speech to make."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll do marvelously, Francis."

There was a pause and Pamer said, "Oh, it's you, Max, how are things?"

"We succeeded in locating the old man you mentioned, Jackson. What a mind. Quite remarkable. Remembered everything about nineteen forty-five in sharpest detail."