“I’m Bobbie,” she said, and shook hands.
Anna turned to Hans. “How about a short walk? Perhaps Bobbie could give us an idea where to go.”
“There’s the lookout on Tom’s Mountain,” Bobbie answered. “You keep straight on up the trail through the sugar canes. I’m not allowed to go there anymore, but Tonto would love a walk, and if the creature’s around he’ll warn you in plenty of time. I’ll get his leash or he’ll chase the monkeys.” She ran off down the path.
Ten minutes later, Anna and Hans were walking up a cart track toward the edge of the sugar canes, which bordered on the rain forest beyond. Bobbie had explained that Tonto wouldn’t need to be leashed until they reached the trees, and if they were quiet they might just see the monkeys. The track ran across open grassland for about a quarter of a mile, then entered the tall canes. At this point, they turned to admire Leeward Bay. Suddenly, Tonto started barking from further up the hill.
“He must have found a monkey,” said Anna.
“I don’t think they come into the canes,” replied Hans, and called the dog as they proceeded further along the path.
It soon became obvious that Tonto had found something about twenty feet off to the left. Hans tried to see what it was, but the little dog was out of sight.
“I’ll go and take a look,” he said.
Hans pushed through the canes while Anna waited. She listened to his progress as he forced his way through the densely packed plants, then stopped. After a few moments he started back again. When Hans emerged onto the path, he had paled and was obviously shaken. He held a protesting Tonto by the collar.
“Hans, what’s the matter? What’s in there?”
“Two bodies,” he replied. “A black man and a white woman.”
“Oh, God!” said Anna. “I’d better take a look.” She was back on the path in a minute or so. “They’re the Seakers,” she said flatly. “Their photographs are on file at the office.”
Leaving Hans on guard, Anna immediately started back to the house to fetch Peter. She found him alone at the reception desk, and after a terse conversation they both went back up the hill.
Peter emerged from the sugar canes after inspecting the corpses; he hadn’t been told who they were. “This is awful. These people were my guests not so long ago.” He looked at Anna and Hans who were standing side by side on the path. “Their names are Mark and Jenny Seaker.”
Hans glanced at Anna.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Peter’s mind was almost numb, but he had a gut feeling that these two knew something. It was the way they looked at one another. He still had enough mental alacrity to try a shot in the dark. “You know them, don’t you? That’s why you’re on the island. And what the hell else are you doing here?”
“I’ll explain everything,” Anna replied, “but down at the house. Your wife must be told. And don’t worry, we’re all on the same side. That is, if there are any sides.”
They agreed that the bodies would be safe enough for the time being, and went back to the hotel. Jon had just arrived and was talking to Meg on the kitchen patio. Peter, Hans and Anna walked across the lawn and joined them.
Peter was white-faced. “A terrible thing has happened. Tonto found two bodies in the canes, Mark and Jenny Seaker. Anna knows them, and is going to tell us how this can be, and what she’s doing here.” He turned to Anna, and his hostility was obvious to everyone.
By this time, Anna had regained her composure. In the stony silence which followed, she decided that she must provide some kind of leadership, at least for now. After all, dealing with problems like this was her profession. She made sure she sat at the end of one of the larger rectangular tables, and signaled Hans with her eyes to sit on her right.
Almost as if in opposition, Peter took a seat at the other end and looked hard at Anna. “Please answer the questions I asked.”
She did. She explained the Seakers’ role as regional observers for Thibald and Sörnsen, and the way the firm was organized. Then she looked round the table. The Seakers’ report had included information on the background of these people, and she was satisfied as to their integrity.
“I shouldn’t really reveal this,” she continued. “And I must ask you to keep the information to yourselves. My company reports to the UN. The information we provide is essential for the safety of the Secretary General, and the effectiveness of the Security Council.” She let that sink in for a moment. “We must now make some decisions about immediate action. I never met the Seakers, but I’m responsible for them, and it’s vital that we find out who killed them.”
Peter wasn’t ready to buy all this without some kind of proof, and said as much.
“Your concern is appreciated, Mr. Calluna,” replied Anna. “But since the phones may be tapped, I don’t see what I can do right now.”
“Couldn’t you contact your Stockholm office regardless?” asked Jon. “Surely no one on St. Barbe’s would understand Swedish.”
“The conversation could be translated elsewhere,” said Peter.
Meg glanced at her husband. “Let’s forget it for the moment.”
Peter nodded and looked round the table. “I think we could all use a drink. Then we’ll make some decisions.”
Anna didn’t want to involve the police, but Peter thought it would be the safest approach, and in the end it was Jon who made up their minds for them. “You said there were no signs of a struggle, and no obvious wounds on the bodies. It sounds to me like they were killed somewhere else and moved. What if the cops planted them? If so, they must have had a good reason. I reckon it was to fabricate an excuse to arrest us. If I’m right, you can bet the police will be here pretty soon so they can pretend to find the bodies. But if they aren’t where they left them, then to put it crudely they’re up shit creek without a paddle.”
“In other words, we should move them,” said Hans. “But where?”
“The only place where they’d never be found is at the bottom of the sea,” said Anna. “And we ought to deal with it tonight.”
“But we’ll need a boat. And where the hell can we find one?” asked Jon.
“It can be arranged.” Peter looked thoughtful. “Rodney Barker is completely trustworthy. He can borrow his brother’s boat, and we’ll take the bodies beyond the outer reef in Leeward Bay—that’s a couple of miles. But I must say I don’t like it.”
“I’m sure none of us do,” Meg agreed. “But it seems to be the only answer.” She turned to Jon. “Why do you think the police want to arrest us?”
“I don’t really know. It’s just a feeling, and I can’t put my finger on the reason for it.” He turned to Anna. “The Seakers found out something and that’s why they’re dead. And Meg told me about the chopper incident, so they’re onto you guys. And of course there’s the body Josie and I found. The cops probably think we know more than we really do and want us out of the way. But Miss Andersson, surely the Seakers’ reports gave you some sort of clue?” Jon suddenly realized that Anna didn’t know about Judge Winchester’s encounter in London, and what had followed. He resolved to keep quiet until he had a chance to talk to Peter.
“They only mentioned island politics, and the incidents that you’re all familiar with,” replied Anna. “But the mere fact that they were snooping around might have been enough. You’re right Jon, there’s much more to this than meets the eye. If anyone knows anything I don’t, they might consider letting me in on it.”
“We’d better work out a plan to move the Seakers,” said Peter. “And be quick about it.”
Half an hour later, Rodney Barker had arranged to borrow his brother’s boat, which boasted a small outboard motor. Luckily the weather was calm, and there was a thin crescent moon giving just enough light to be helpful, but not enough for them to be seen.
For Hans, Anna, Peter and Jon, it was a grisly business. They drove the hotel pickup to the sugar canes, loaded the Seakers’ gently, then covered them with blankets. Peter had locate
d some bricks to use as weights for sinking the corpses, and rope to attach them. After leaving Leeward, he drove along an unpaved track to bypass the village of Saddles. It eventually led them to the shore where Rodney met them with the boat, and helped transfer the bodies. Jon, Rodney and Hans rowed out into the bay, and Peter returned to the hotel with Anna. It was too risky to leave the truck at the end of the lane, so it was agreed that they would come back in three hours. It was a long tense wait—the arrival of the police before the operation was complete would be a disaster. Fortunately this didn’t happen, and by midnight everyone had retired.
Peter was doing his teeth with the bathroom door open when Meg climbed into bed.
“I wonder why the police never came,” she said.
Peter rinsed his mouth out. “Perhaps they didn’t plant the bodies in the first place.”
“Then who did?”
“We may never know,” said Peter.
“I don’t think the police will turn up at all,” Meg concluded.
They both fell asleep with the feeling that all would be well.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Tuesday, September 18, Leeward Estate Hotel
Jon had slept poorly. He regretted leaving Boston and was worrying about Josie. The business of the preceding night left him with the feeling that he had walked right into a hornet’s nest. The frustrating part was that it would be risky to call Josie and the Judge and tell them because their phones might be tapped. In addition, their safety in Boston was a nagging concern and what about Anna and Hans? Were they really who they said they were? Did Peter believe their story? Perhaps it was they, and not the police, who had dumped the Seakers’ bodies. After a little more thought, he resolved to call Boston during the morning, regardless.
It was just after six and beginning to get light, so Jon got out of bed. He pulled back the drapes and leaned through the open window. The morning air was heavy with the scent of tropical vegetation. His gaze shifted from the garden to the maze then the hillside beyond. Suddenly a figure emerged from the canes. Even from this comparatively long distance he could see that the person held something, pointing it down the hill directly at the hotel—a gun? At that moment the sun pushed its rim above the southern limb of Tom’s Mountain and Jon was blinded. He shaded his eyes, but the figure had gone. As he turned away, the bedside phone rang and made him jump. It was Peter.
“I’m waking everyone up for an early breakfast meeting. We need to take some precautions. It’s possible that we were wrong in thinking the police will turn up, but that means someone else planted the bodies. If so, what can we do? I spent the night trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together, but something’s missing and we don’t know what it is.”
Jon told him about the figure on the hill.
“All the more reason to be careful. We’d better keep an eye on the canes. If you can stay at your window for ten minutes or so, I’ll ask Meg to relieve you. My binoculars are in the office, and she can bring them with her.”
A short time later, the kitchen staff arrived to find everyone but Meg having a breakfast of cold cuts, fruit and coffee. There were only two of them during the low season, and they were clearly puzzled by the small crowd.
Anna noticed. “Can we trust them?” she asked.
Peter looked at her. “Without question. They’ve been with us for years.”
Anna picked at a piece of melon; she wasn’t hungry. “We must make a plan. My training has always emphasized one thing. Keep one foot on the ground, which means holding someone or something in reserve at all times. Never have all your team in one place at the same time.”
“In other words we should split up,” said Peter.
“That’s all very fine,” replied Hans after sipping his coffee. “But shouldn’t we have an objective of some kind? Does one of us try and get off the island, or should a couple of us try for a diplomatic mission like the German Consulate? Another possibility is to sit tight and wait for someone else to make a move.”
“No, not that.” Anna turned to Peter and looked straight into his dark eyes. “We must take some kind of pre-emptive step, don’t you agree Peter? When we removed the bodies, I think we took the initiative away from the other side, whoever they are. Let’s keep it. Hans and I should try to reach the German Consulate. We’ll get Rodney Barker to drive us in the beetle, and we can duck down in the back whenever another vehicle passes. That way we won’t get spotted. Rodney won’t be noticed like one of us would, and if he wears sunglasses and some sort of hat, no one will recognize him. We’ll be safe once we’re inside the Consulate, and if they’ll have us, we can stay there for a while. Also, we’ll be linked with the outside world through my company.”
“Sounds okay.” Peter didn’t seem overly enthusiastic. He felt that his family was being left to face the music alone.
Hans looked up at Anna. “I’m not entirely happy about your plan. I think I can be of more use outside the Consulate, particularly if the police arrest everyone here. And what about Bobbie?”
“Perhaps if we make it look as though Anna and Hans have tried to get off the island, it might lift suspicion from those of us staying behind,” suggested Jon.
“But if Hans doesn’t go to the German Consulate, where does he go?” asked Peter.
There was silence.
“I’ll hide in the hills!” Hans thumped the table. “No one will ever find me there.”
“Probably not,” laughed Peter. “Because you’ll get lost.”
“Not a chance. Orienteering and wilderness training were my favorite pastimes when I was a Scout. Consider me an expert. I once did an Arctic survival course for recreation. And you never know, I might even find out what the bear creature is.” Hans was smiling.
“I’d forgotten all about him.” Anna turned to Peter. “If Hans is to go up there, can you find him a gun?”
“What? You don’t mean to say you didn’t bring one with you?” Peter was unable to contain his sarcasm. He was irked by her self-assurance, and wondered what Hans had gotten himself into, poor sod. Then, in the interest of maintaining harmony, he apologized. “Sorry. Just teasing. I do have a shotgun.”
“Excellent.” Hans pushed back his chair. “I’ve used a 12 bore. It can stop most things at close range. It is a 12 bore I hope?”
“Indeed it is,” Peter replied. “Very well then, I’ll ask Rodney to take you as near to Umbrella Mountain as he can get. It’s as good a place as any to hide. If you become disoriented, you can find The Track by going east. We’ll preselect a rendezvous point along it. Some long-range walkie-talkies would come in handy, but there’s not much chance of getting any.”
“Well then,” said Anna, “if you can get all this set up, Peter, I’ll relieve your wife on lookout duty.”
“Communications will definitely be a bit of a problem,” Hans added. “We’ll have to sort it out later. Meanwhile, I’ll go and put some gear together.”
Breakfast broke up with Jon and Bobbie looking a bit puzzled. They had been eating on their own. Peter had sent them to another table out of earshot of the adult conversation, which might have scared Bobbie. She looked up at Jon while her father slipped into his office to phone Rodney Barker.
“There’s something fishy going on,” she said. “There was a lot of noise last night. I heard it. And what’s Mum been doing in your room with a pair of binoculars?”
“She’ll tell you all about it.” Jon had no idea what to say.
At that point, Rodney’s son, Neil, appeared in the doorway. Presumably they’d both go to school as usual—Rodney generally drove them in the pickup.
Jon looked at his watch. “It’s a quarter to eight already. You’d better scoot young lady or you’ll be late.”
Bobbie started on the way to her room, then broke into a run when she realized how late it was. She tore up the stairs to get her book bag, and passed Meg on the way down. Peter emerged from his office and stood behind the reception desk.
“Meg, would you m
ind going to Norton Grinder’s with Rodney and the kids? That way you can bring the pickup back here while he follows in Grinder’s beetle. Rodney will be driving Hans to The Track, and Anna to the German Consulate, but they’re not ready yet. He’ll give you the details en route.”
Twenty minutes later, after picking up his passengers, Rodney Barker slouched down behind the wheel of the beetle, pulled down an old cotton hat to help conceal his face, and adjusted his sunglasses. This simple disguise was quite effective from a distance.
Rodney turned left onto the main road at the end of the driveway, and since they were approaching the village he instructed them to duck for a couple of minutes. “I’ve been thinking,” he went on. “I know just the place for you to hide, Mr. Wetzlar. It’s well into rain forest. On the northwest side of Umbrella Mountain there’s an escarpment with a small cave. It would be perfect. The reservoir’s only about half a mile away to the west along a footpath. Another thing, there’s a second path that goes directly from the west end of the reservoir to the hotel, but it’s hard to follow in places. As soon as we get a chance, we can check it out. It could be very useful.”
The beetle hit a pothole and bottomed out on its suspension.
Anna swore as her head cracked against the rear door handle. She and Hans were still hunkered down.
“Sorry,” said Rodney. “But you can get up now. We’re through the village. Hans, I think we should drop you off at the entrance to The Track. Ms. Andersson will have more room for the rest of the drive, and if we do get stopped you won’t be nabbed as well. I’ll take you to the reservoir on the way back.”
“That’s fine with me. I can stay out of sight and check for edible fruits and nuts while I’m waiting.”
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