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"YourEagleralreadyhadthesameidea,"Tonysaid."Halftheholiday-makerson thispatchofsandareeffingplainclothesmenquizzingtheotherhalf.They've beenoutheresincebreakfast."
ItappearedthatTonyhadgotonverywellwithEagler.Tonyconsideredhehad "constructiveeffingideas,"whichwasTony'shighestmarkofapproval.
"Eagler'salreadysortedoutwhatarsondevicewasusedtofirethedinghy.The dinghywa.s.stolen,whatasurprise."
SomesmallchildrenweredigginganewsandcastlewhereDominic'shadbeenwiped outbythetide.
"AlittlegirlofabouteightgaveMirandathekidnapper'snote,"Isaid."What doyoubetshe'sstillhere?"
WithoutdirectlyansweringTonyrosetohisfeetandlopeddownontothesand, wherehewaspresentlypa.s.singthetimeofdaywithtwoagilepeoplekickinga football.
"They'lllookforher,"hesaid,returning."They'vefoundplentywhosawthe boat.Somewhosawwholeft.i.t.Theonewiththegreenshortshasastatof Giuseppeinhispocket,butnoluckwiththat,sofar."
Thetwoboyswhohadhelpedmecarrytheboatupfromthegraspofthetidecame byandsaidh.e.l.lo,recognizingme.
"Hi,"Isaid."Iseetheboat'sgone,whatwasleftofit."
Oneofthemnodded."Wecamebackalonghereaftersupperandthereweretwo fishermantypeswinchingitontoapickuptruck.Theydidn'tknowwhoseitwas.
TheysaidthecoastguardshadsentthemtofetchitintoayardinItchenor."
"Doyoulivehere?"Iasked.
Theyshooktheirheads."WerentahousealongthereforAugust."Oneofthem pointedeastwards,alongthebeach."Wecomeeveryyear.MumandDadlikeit."
"You'rebrothers?"Iasked.
"Twins,actually.Butfraternal,asyousee."
Theypickedupsomepebblesandthrewthematanemptyc.o.kecanfortarget practice,andpresentlymovedoff.
"Givesyouathoughtortwo,doesn't.i.t?"Tonysaid.
"Yes."
"Eaglerwantedtoseeusanywayataboutfive,"hesaid."IntheSilverSail Cafeinthatplacetheboymentioned.Itchenor.Soundslikesomedisgusting effingdisease."
Thefootball-kickeringreenshortswaspresentlytalkingtoalittlegirlwhose motherbustledupinalarmandprotectivelyshepherdedhernestlingaway.
"Nevermind,"Tonysaid."Thatsmashingbitofgoodsinthepinkbikiniover thereisapolicewoman.What'llyoubetgreenshortswillbetalkingtoherin twoeffingticks?"
"Notapebble,"Isaid.
Wewatchedwhilegreenshortsgotintoconversationwithpinkbikini."Nicely done,"Tonysaidapprovingly."Verynatural."
Thepink-bikinigirlstoppedlookingforsh.e.l.ls.e.xclusivelyandstartedlooking forsmallgirlsaswell,andItookmyshirtoffandbeganturningadelicate shadeoflobster.
Nodramasoccurredonthebeach.Thehotafternoonwarmedtotea-time.The football-kickerswentoffacrossthebreakwatersandthepinkbikiniwentinfor aswim.TonyandIstoodup,stretched,shookandfoldedourtowels,andingood holidaymakerfashiongotintomycaranddrovewestwardstoItchenor.
Eagler,inconspicuousinanopen-neckedshirt,baggygrayflannelsandgrubby tennisshoes,wasdrinkingteaintheSilverSailandwritingapicture postcard.
"Maywejoinyou?"Iaskedpolitely.
"Sitdown,laddie,sitdown."
Itwasanordinarysortofcafe;saucebottlesonthetables,muralsofsailing boatsroundthewalls,browntiledfloor,plasticstackingchairsinblue.A noticebyacashdeskstated"Thebestchipsonthecoast"andacertainwarm oilinessintheatmospheretendedtoprovetheirpopularity.
"MyW.P.C.foundyourgirlchild,"Eaglersaid,stickingastamponhis postcard."NameofSharonWellor,sevenyearsold,stayinginaguesthouse untilSat.u.r.day.Shecouldn'tdescribethemanwhoaskedhertodeliverthenote.
Shesayshegaveherarolloffruitpastilles,andshe'sscarednowbecauseher mother'salwaystoldhernevertotakesweetsfromstrangers."
"Didsheknowwhetherhewasoldoryoung?"Iasked.
"Everyoneovertwentyisoldtoaseven-year-old,"Eaglersaid."Shetoldmy W.P.C,whereshe'sstaying,though,soperhapswe'llaskagain."Heglancedat us."Comeupwithanymoreideas,haveyou?"
"Yeah,"Tonysaid."Kidnappersoftendon'ttransporttheirvictimsveryfarfrom theirs.n.a.t.c.hingpoint.Lowerstherisk."
"Inholidayresorts,"Isaidmildly."Halfthehousesareforrent."
Eaglerfiddledaimlesslywithhisteaspoon."Thousandsofthem,"hesaiddryly.
"Butoneofthemmighthavebeenrentedsometimelastweek."
Wewaited,andafterawhilehenodded."We'lldothelegwork.Askthetravel agents,estateagents,localpapers."Hepaused,thensaidwithoutemphasis, "Thekidmayhavebeentakenoffinaboat."
TonyandIpaidfastattention.
"Therewasamotorboatthere,"Eaglersaid."Oneofthoseputt-puttthingsfor hirebythehour.Mydetectiveconstablesweretoldthatwhenthedinghywenton firetheotherboatwas...o...b..ngroundintheshallowswithnooneinit,buta maninswimmingtrunksstandingknee-deepinthewaterholdingontoitbythe bows.Then,ourinformantssaid,thedinghysuddenlywentupinflames,very fast,withawhoosh,andeveryonerantowardsit,naturally.Ourinformantssaid thatafterwardsthemotorboathadgone,whichtheythoughtperfectlynormalas itstimewasprobablyup."Hestopped,lookingatusneutrallybutwithasmile ofsatisfactionplainlyhovering.
"Whowereyourinformants?"Iasked.
Thesmilealmostsurfaced."Aten-year-oldca.n.a.ldiggerandhisgrandmother."
"Veryreliable,"Isaid.
"Theboatwasblue,clinkerbuilt,withanumberseventeeninwhiteonitsbow andstern."
"Andtheman?"
"Themanwasaman.Theyfoundtheboatmoreinteresting."Hepausedagain.
"There'sayardhereinItchenorwithboatslikethatforhire.Thetroubleis they'vegotonlyten.They'veneverhadonewithseventeenonit,ever."
"Butwho'stoknow?"Tonysaid.
"Lookforahousewithaboatshed,"Imurmured.
Eaglersaidbenignly,"Itwouldn'thurt,wouldit,tofindthekid?"
"Iftheyspotanyonelookingthey'llbeoffinaflash,"Isaid,"anditwould bedangerousfortheboy."
Eaglernarrowedhiseyesslightlyatouralarm."We'llgoroundtheagencies,"
hesaid."Ifweturnupanythinglikelyonpaperwewon'tsurrounditwithout tellingyoufirst.How'sthat?"
Webothshookourheads.
"Bettertoavoidraidsandsiegesifpossible,"Isaid.
TonysaidtoEagler,"Ifyoufindalikelyhouseonpaper,letmesussitout.
I'vehadallsortsofexperienceatthissortofthing.I'lltellyouifthe kid'sthere.Andifheis,I'llgethimout."
Chaptertwelve.
THEREWASanurgentmessagefromtheofficeattheBreakwaterHotelformeto telephoneAlessia,whichIdid.
"Miranda'sdistracted...she'sinpieces,"shesaid,soundingstrungupherself beyondsympathytonearsnappingpoint."It'sawful...She'stelephonedmethree times,cryingterribly,beggingmetogetyoutodosomething..."
"SweetAlessia,"Isaid."Takethreedeepbreathsandsitdownifyou're standingup."
"Oh..."Hercoughofsurprisehadhumorinit,andafterapauseshesaid,"All right.I'msitting.Miranda'sdreadfullyfrightened.Isthatbetter?"
"Yes,"Isaid,halfsmiling."What'shappened?"
"SuperintendentRightsworthandJohnNerrityaremakingaplanandwon'tlisten toMiranda,andshe'sdesperatetostopthem.Shewantsyoutomakethemsee theymustn't."Hervoicewa.s.stillhighandanxious,thesentencescomingfast.
"What'stheplan?"Iasked.
"Johnisgoingtopretendtodowhatthekidnapperstellhim.Pretendtocollect themoney.Thenwhenthepretendmoneyishandedover,Superintendent RightsworthwilljumponthekidnappersandmakethemsaywhereDominicis."She gulpedaudibly."That'swhatwentwrong...withme...inBologna...isn't.i.t?"
"Yes,"Isaid,"anambushattheR.V.istomymindtoohigharisk."
"What'stheR.V.?"
"Sorry.Rendezvous.Theplacewheretheransomishandedover."
"MirandasaysJohndoesn'twanttopaytheransomandSuperintendentRightsworth istellinghimnottoworry,hedoesn'tneedto."
"Mm,"Isaid,"well,IcanseewhyMiranda'supset.Didshetalktoyoufromthe telephoneinherownhouse?"
"What?Oh,mygoodness,it'stapped,isn't.i.t,withthepolicelisteningto everyword?"
"Itisindeed,"Isaiddryly.
"Shewasupinherbedroom.Isupposeshedidn'tthink.And...heavens...shesaid JohnwasregrettingcallinginLibertyMarket,becauseyouwereadvisinghimto pay.SuperintendentRightsworthhasa.s.suredhimthepolicecantakecareof everything,there'snoneedtohaveoutsidersputtingtheiroarin."
ThephrasehadanauthenticRightsworthring.
"MirandasaysJohnisgoingtotellLibertyMarkethedoesn'twanttheirhelp anymore.Hesaysit'sawasteofmoney...andMiranda'sfrantic."
"Mm,"Isaid."Ifshetelephonesyouagain,trytoremindherthephone's tapped.Ifshehasanysenseshe'llringyoubackfromsomewhereelse.Then rea.s.sureherthatwe'lldoourbesttochangeherhusband'smind."
"Buthow?"Alessiasaid,despairing.
"Getourchairmantofrightenhimsilly,Idaresay,"Isaid."AndIneversaid that.It'sforyourearsonly."
"Willitwork?"Alessiasaiddoubtfully.
"TherearealsopeoplewhocanoverruleRightsworth."
"Isupposethereare."Shesoundedhappierwiththat."ShallItellMirandato telephonedirectlytoyou,inyouroffice?"
"No,"1said."I'llbemovingabout.Whenyou'veheardfromher,leaveamessage againformetocallyou,andIwill."
"Allright."Shesoundedtired."Ihaven'tbeenabletothinkofanythingelse allday.PoorMiranda.Poor,poorlittleboy.Ineverreallyunderstooduntil nowwhatPapawentthroughbecauseofme."
"Becauseofyourkidnappers,"Isaid,"andforloveofyou,yes."
Afterapauseshesaid,"You'retellingmeagain...Imustfeelnoguilt."
"That'sright,"Isaid."NomoreguiltthanDominic."
"It'snoteasy..."
"No,"Iagreed."Butessential."
SheaskedifIwouldcometolunchonSunday,andIsaidyesifpossiblebutnot tocountonit.
"Youwillgethimbackalive,won'tyou?"shesaidfinally,noneoftheworry dissipated;andIsaid"Yes,"andmeant.i.t.
"Goodbye,then..."
"Goodbye,"Isaid."AndlovetoPopsy."
LibertyMarket,Ireflected,puttingdownthereceiver,mighthaveanoverall successrateashighasninety-fivepercent,butJohnNerrityseemedtobe headinghimselfperilouslytowardstheothertragicfive.Perhapshetruly believed,perhapsevenRightsworthbelieved,thatanambushatthedropproduced thebestresults.Andsotheydid,ifcapturingsomeofthekidnapperswasthe overridingaim.
TherehadbeenacaseinFlorida,however,whenthepolicehadambushedtheman whopickeduptheransomandshothimdownasherantoescape,andonlybecause thewoundedmanrelentedandtoldwherehisvictimwasafewsecondsbeforehe slidintoafinalcomahadtheyeverfoundtheboyalive.Hehadbeenleftin thetrunkofaparkedcar,andwouldslowlyhavesuffocatedifthepolicehad firedafractionstraighter.
ItoldTonyofNerrity'splansandhesaiddisgustedly,"Whatishe,aneffing optimist?"Hebithisthumbnail."Havetofindthatlittlenipper,won'twe?"
"HopetoG.o.d."
