Pokrewne

Start
Diane Bator [Yin Yang Mystery Death of a Jaded Samurai (v5.0)
Carolyn Hart [Death on Demand Yankee Doodle Dead (v5.0) (epub
Carolyn Hart [Death on Demand Dead Days of Summer (retail) (e
Cody McFadyen [Smoky Barrett The Face of Death (v5.0) (epub)
Colleen Helme [Shelby Nichols Deep In Death (epub)
Colin Dexter [Morse 12] Death is Now My Neighbour (epub
Beaton, M C Hamish Macbeth 11 Death Of A Nag (v1.0 HE)
Diane Kelly [Tara Holloway 08 Death, Taxes
Barry Sadler [Casca 02] God of Death (epub)
DICK PHILIP K Trzy stygmaty Pa

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.”Toby set a hand on his arm.“Help us to get him, Jonah.I mean, this is right down your street.”Mansel shook his head.“Sorry.The police are too tiresome.I don’t want to be involved.Remember that Toby.You’re not to let me in.Damn it all – if you’re careful, you can’t go wrong.” He turned to me.“Come, William.”We bade Toby Rage goodnight and turned up the hill.“Did you see the — big shot?” said Mansel.“Clearly,” said I.“Queer-looking cove, isn’t he?”“You know him?” said I.“I know who he is,” said Mansel.“I thought it was he the moment I heard his voice.I got in his way once – a few years back.My cousins and I, between us, prevented him from acquiring some eighty thousand pounds.”I swallowed before replying, for exaggeration is not among Mansel’s faults.“I don’t suppose,” said I, “he remembers you in his prayers.”“That,” said Mansel, gravely, “would be too much to expect.Still, it was nice to see him again – and nicer still to have put a spoke in his wheel.And if Toby Rage does his stuff, he ought to go down the drain.And it’s just about time he did – he’s a devilish dangerous man.You see, he’s one of those felons – happily, very few – who are ready to go all lengths.That is why he has lasted so long.Audacity always pays.It was almost certainly he who shot the butler dead.If death will assist such a man, then somebody dies.”“And he looks,” said I, “he looks a full-marks fool.”“I know,” said Mansel.“A most extraordinary thing.Yet, he’s right at the top of his calling, and always was.Thieves call him ‘Auntie Emma’ – of all strange sobriquets.His real name is Daniel Gedge, and he must be about forty-five.”“Just as well he didn’t see you,” said I.“I mean, he’d have known at once that he had you to thank for his failure to get away.And his eyes betrayed his emotion – you can’t get away from that.”“Just as well,” said Mansel, and left it there.At the top of the hill we turned to go down to the lighthouse, and two or three minutes later we rounded a bend to see the lights of the Rolls.I must make two things clear.First, in front of the lighthouse there was an open space in which, despite the trees, there could have been parked some fifteen or twenty cars: the spot was in fact a public belvedere, from which a man could survey the whole of the Biarritz plage.Secondly, the lantern of the lighthouse had been at work since dusk, and every so many seconds its beam swept round, to search the neighbourhood.(The beam had hardly illumined the hill up which we had come, for the buildings upon our left hand had stood in its way.)We were, perhaps, eighty yards off, when the lantern’s beam came round, to show the Rolls facing our way and Carson standing beside her – with his arms not folded but crossed, his right wrist over his left.Mansel and I stopped dead.Though we could not see the pistol, we knew it was in Carson’s right hand.“And here’s trouble,” breathed Mansel.“Gedge has come by this way.” His hand went up to his chin.“He must have recognized Carson, and Carson has recognized him.And he knows that where Carson is, I shall very soon be.”“And he knows,” said I, “he knows why his car wouldn’t move.”“More,” said Mansel.“He knows that to return for his plunder would be the act of a fool.”I bit my lip.“He’s waiting for you,” I said.“I imagine so,” said Mansel.“I mean, his emotions apart, he’d be very well advised to put me out.You see, inside the villa he was almost certainly masked: but I can identify him.” He sighed.“And Jenny sitting there waiting… I hope to God she’s asleep.”Mercifully, though we could see, we could not be seen, for some trees which were growing beside us were thick with leaves, and the beam could not pierce the cover their branches gave.But ten paces farther on this came to an end.I tried to think what we could do.We always carried a pistol within the Rolls; but Carson would never have drawn it, unless some considerable danger had lifted its head.He, of course, knew nothing of what we had seen and done: but he knew that Gedge was at hand, and that was enough for him.That he did not know where he was was perfectly clear, for whenever the beam came round, I saw his head slowly turning, as though to miss no movement which might give his man away.“You go back,” said I, “and let me go up to the car.” But as I spoke, I knew what the answer would be.“Not on your life,” said Mansel.“He is expecting me – and he hasn’t seen me for years.Remember, this light is tricky.And though he mayn’t be quite certain, he’ll play for safety – and shoot.And Carson is in very great danger.Gedge can, of course, see him; but he can’t see Gedge.”That we were badly placed was painfully clear.Gedge had done one murder some twenty minutes ago: and, since he had but one neck, the fellow had nothing to lose by doing two more: but he had much to gain, for Mansel and Carson alive could both identify him.Then, again, to kill Mansel must be his heart’s desire, for this was the second time that Mansel had spoiled his game.And he was there in the shadows, behind a bush or a tree; but the Rolls was out in the fairway, which, every so many seconds, was lighted up.And Jenny, my wife, the gentlest creature, I think, I ever knew, was actually on the stage which was set for battle and murder and sudden death.“It goes without saying,” said Mansel, “that Bell has the wheel of the Rolls and his eyes on this road.We could, therefore, move clear of these trees and sign to him to come on.But I daren’t do that because of Carson: for the moment Gedge sees the car move, he’ll open fire.At least, he very well may: and that’s a risk I can’t take.And Jenny in the front line! There must be some way out, but I can’t see it yet.”“I believe I can,” said I.“I’ve just remembered something.I stayed here years ago, and I’ve never been back.But now I remember… This isn’t the only road that leads to the phare.There’s another one – to the right: less than a road – a lane.We can’t see it from here, but, as she is standing now, the Rolls must be opposite its mouth.Broadside on, of course.”“Where,” said Mansel, “where does that lane come out?”“Into the road we left six minutes ago [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]