Too Slow to Die

by Tony Jenkins

  Chapter 27

  Confrontation

  After the Russian Mafia gang was killed in the police rescue of Roseanne Dempsey, Randil Security operation gained new clients when much of the credit for the capture was given to Jack Randil, with subtle comments in the Liverpool Echo about the ex-city councillor. His brother-in-law Greg was having difficulty coping with extra customers and Jack persuaded him to take on an assistant to share the burden. Although Jack had only told his wife and squash partner Inspector Peter Kilshaw about his contacts with Gary Dempsey, the demise of the Young Guns gang was also somehow linked to his name. He noticed the special looks he received when attending public functions and meeting with his employees. Patrons of the Devine Fitness Studio quizzed his big friend Joe about Jack’s involvement and smiled knowingly when he told them he knew nothing.

  Jack had telephoned Demeter every few days to check on his safety and ask if there was any sign of Tigo in the area, but he was told that he should return for the coming Hun-Al Board Meeting and there was no need for an earlier visit. Demeter was at his desk at the refinery when he was visited by the local police and given information from Bucharest that the Romanian police had just missed capturing Tigo. They now believed that he was headed for the Hungarian border on his way to Dunakeszi. With the Board meeting only two weeks away, Demeter decided to say nothing to Jack, but warned his servants to keep a sharp watch for any unknown visitors near the house.

  Two days later, Jack received a frantic telephone call from Demeter, who told him that shots were fired at the house and a man had then forced his way inside the kitchen and shot his housekeeper Aranka. Jack booked his flight on the first plane to Budapest and when he arrived, he saw the tall figure of his friend waiting at the customs barrier. With his luggage in the car boot, Demeter then drove off to the Pusztai house and gave Jack a full account of the shooting.

  After Theresa’s horse was shot when she was out riding with Demeter, security at the house was improved and the old window shutters were replaced. Although he had three hunting rifles, Demeter made sure that he and his gardener Janos could quickly arm themselves from storage cupboards on the ground and first floors. Theresa returned to Durham University and many days passed without incident so that security levels were gradually relaxed. Demeter wanted to make a number of proposals at the coming board meeting and decided he would have fewer interruptions if he stayed at home to complete his preparation. After working most of the day in his study, he had a headache and decided he needed fresh air, so taking a number of trade periodicals to read, he sat out on the terrace.

  Aranka had just brought him a coffee, but before he could drink it the heavens opened and rain began to pour down. Demeter ran for shelter through the kitchen door, but was already soaked by the driving rain. Aranka glanced out of the kitchen window and noticing that Demeter had left his magazines on the table, asked him if she should fetch them in. After telling her that he would get them, he was reaching for a waterproof coat when Janos told him he was already soaked and he should stay and dry himself. Janos put on the waterproof coat and ran out into the rain and collected the magazines. As he was hurrying back to the kitchen, he heard two loud shots and the sound of smashing glass. Demeter also heard the gunfire and knew that they must protect themselves.

  He collected two revolvers from a cupboard and giving one to Janos told him to check on the dining room windows and make sure the front door was bolted. Having secured the ground floor, he ran upstairs to look for any signs of the attackers outside the house. After looking through the front and back windows he could see sign of any intruders and then he heard a crash and Aranka screaming downstairs. He ran back downstairs to the kitchen and saw a tall man in the kitchen holding a rifle after forcing his way in through the kitchen door. The man was pointing a rifle at Aranka and Demeter immediately raised his gun and fired at him. His bullet was on target, but struck the wooden stock of the rifle and knocked it out of the intruder’s hands. Unfortunately, the rifle went off and Aranka cried out and dropped to the floor. As Demeter reacted automatically and dodged behind the door entrance the intruder ran out into the pouring rain. Janos rushed into the kitchen and quickly knelt down to attend to his wife.

  Furious with himself for not taking his opportunity to fire again at the man, Demeter ran outside after him. The dusk shadows and pouring rain made it impossible to see more than a few feet and after running around the house, he heard the sounds of a horse galloping away and knew the man had escaped. Demeter rang for an ambulance and then contacted the local police to seek their help. Fortunately, the bullet had only grazed Aranka’s shoulder and although she had a painful wound, the bullet had missed her bones. Janos removed her blouse, which was soaked with her blood and was holding a cold compress to her shoulder when they heard the ambulance arrive outside. Two medical orderlies hurried into the kitchen and after packing the wound to stem the blood flow, took her to the ambulance and drove off to the hospital. As they were leaving, a police car arrived and a sergeant and constable hurried into the house and spoke with Demeter.

  Two armed policemen searched around the house, but the rain was still heavy and dampened their enthusiasm, as well as making it difficult to look for signs left by the gunman. The sergeant examined the gun and said he would get it checked for fingerprints and return in the morning to make a thorough search. A constable remained to keep guard in case the gunman returned. Jack complimented Demeter on his accurate shot.

  “Good shooting Demeter in the heat of the moment and the man was lucky his rifle saved him from a serious wound. Let’s hope he is not so lucky when we catch up with him. Do you know whether your bullet went clean through the gun stock?”

  “It struck the wooden stock just short of the magazine, or according to the policeman, it could have been diverted into his body. It went right through the wood but must then have hit a metal buckle, or even knife the man was carrying because the bullet was flattened and not quite clear of the wood.”

  “It must have been his lucky night, but he lost his gun after nearly losing his life as well. Perhaps he will now leave you alone, or he might be so furious that he missed shooting you that he will get another gun and try again. Did the police find anything when they searched outside the house?”

  Demeter shook his head.

  “I thought they would find the two cartridge cases outside from where he shot at Janos, but the police think he picked them up. They found the cartridge case after he shot Aranka in the kitchen, but any footprints outside would have been washed away by the rain. They are keeping a lookout for any strangers who have moved into the area, but unfortunately they don’t have enough men to make a thorough search.”

  “That worries me, Demeter. The shooter must have searched for the cartridges in heavy rain to take them away with him, then decided to break into your house and attack you. Whoever he is, the man is a determined killer, but he was foolish to take shots at Janos as he was running through heavy rain. Then your sudden appearance in the kitchen must have shocked him into panicking and losing his gun. You could well have wounded him with your shot. We spent two days in Budestin with Tigo, so do you think it could have been him who attacked the house after escaping from Romania?”

  “The man was tall and well built, but he had short hair and no beard and his face was thin and sort of blotchy. He was not the Tigo I remember from Budestin.”

  “The Romanian police think he was coming here after you, but perhaps he had help, or he could have cut off the long hair and ringlets and shaved off the beard to change his appearance when making his escape from Romania. That would leave lighter patches on his face. My guess is that it was Tigo.”

  They arrived at the Pusztai house and Jack was introduced to Janos, who told him his wife would be coming home in two days and she wanted him to teach her how to shoot. The next time anyone broke into the house she promised she would shoot first. The dining room windows had already been repaired and two men were fitting a new and very substa
ntial kitchen door without the glass panes of the original. The new front door was a solid mahogany design, which would be very hard to force, or break. After their evening meal together, Jack asked Demeter to show him local maps of the area. They marked out possible hiding places within reasonable riding distance for anyone wanting to attack the house. Jack was not a good horseman, but remembered that Demeter had an alternative.

  “Do you still have that Kawasaki quad bike you use to scoot around your land?”

  Demeter admitted that it was in an old shed at the back of the house, but he had not used it for a while. They went out to check it over and Janos said he would top up the oil and fill the petrol tank. The 750-cc engine and light frame made it ideal for riding over the hills and grasslands.

  “If I can borrow one of your rifles and a box of ammunition, I will spend tomorrow looking for our friend before he has time to get himself another gun. If you give me a five-gallon can as well, I should be able to get to most of the places we marked on the map.”

  If it was Tigo on his own, or with a helper and he was lucky enough to find them, Jack was determined they would either go to prison, or be shot. At breakfast the next morning, Jack had an idea on identifying the attacker.

  “Since the rifle was shot out of his hands, the local police should find the attacker’s prints on it. Why not ring our friend Herceg at Budapest Police HQ and ask if copies can be sent to that smart Romanian policeman Bumbesco, who is very keen to arrest Tigo for murder? He can then check to find if it was Tigo. If you wait for it to work through the local police it will take weeks and they don’t have Tigo’s fingerprints to check against. Did the police sergeant tell you what type of rifle was used?”

  “Yes, he thought it was a copy of the AK 47 Kalashnikov which had been fitted with a scope for better accuracy. It could have been made here in Hungary, or in China. It’s a good idea to contact the Romanians Jack. I will phone Herceg from the office while you are out on your hunting trip on the Kawasaki, but be careful. By the way, it now has a brand-new seat so you won’t be able to complain about getting injured this time. Be very careful, you don’t know how many you could be facing out there. If you do find them, call the police and let them go in and arrest them.”

  “Tigo is a Tigani and their village is only about eight miles from here. Did the local police check to see if there were any new arrivals?”

  “Yes, it was the first place they checked the day after the shooting, but they found no one and nothing suspicious. They also visited Gunari, who has a house there, but he claims to have had no contact with Tigo.”

  “That man is very smooth and very helpful, but I have a feeling that the ready smile could cover some deep and nasty feelings. Is he still not speaking, or has he finally learned Hungarian?”

  “I have heard him speaking some Hungarian, so either he has learned the language, or he was fooling us when we first met him.”

  “The man is a manipulator and I suspect he was the brains behind the attacks against your railway and the mine. Can I borrow your binoculars and a phone for tomorrow, just in case I get lost, or your Kawasaki breaks down?”

  Chapter 28

  Determination

  After spending five days resting and walking through the woods to do some hunting with the extra ammunition Gunari had brought him, Tigo could restrain himself no longer and he rode towards the Pusztai house. He followed the directions given to him by Gunari, since although his friend would not involve himself with attacks on the Pusztai man, he was willing to give Tigo all the help he needed to attack the last family member.

  After the long rides in the previous weeks, he found the distance no problem, although Gunari had planned a route which used available cover and avoided areas where he might be seen. He had not told Gunari about his attempt to shoot Demeter when he had seen him riding with a companion. When he saw that he had shot the horse of the rider with Demeter, he did not know if the two were armed and rode off. Each day he timed his ride to reach the Pusztai house just before dusk and took care to shield the lenses of the binoculars Gunari had given him to avoid reflecting the dying sun’s rays. He had watched the movements of the Tigani man and woman who worked for Demeter and also caught glimpses of Demeter arriving in his car each afternoon and entering the house.

  It was a short walk for Demeter from his car to the house and he usually walked quickly. Tigo knew his shooting skills were not good enough to be sure of killing the moving man. If he missed, the police would be looking for him and Demeter would be on his guard. If he waited close to the house he might be seen and Demeter could be armed. After five days of watching and then riding back to the vardo, Tigo was looking through the binoculars at the back of the house and expecting Demeter to arrive home by car. He was surprised to catch a glimpse of his prey sitting at a table on the terrace, when he should have been at work, or returning. Tigo worked his way carefully around the house and then it began to rain very heavily, just as Demeter in a hooded raincoat ran outside to pick some papers up from a table. Seizing his chance, Tigo fired two quick shots at him, but missed and smashed a window. Furious with himself for failing, he still remembered his advice from Gunari to always pick up empty cartridge cases.

  Demeter had run back to the house and entered the kitchen. The lights were on, but the curtains were drawn and he could not see inside. Moving closer, he tried the kitchen door and was annoyed to find it locked. Looking at the door with its glass panels he saw it was not very sturdy. Suddenly, his frustration peeked and made him ignore all the training he had received from Gunari to always remain unseen. He kicked the door hard near the lock and it flew open and allowed him to run into the kitchen. A woman was standing near the window and when she saw him, she began screaming. As he raised his rifle to make her keep quiet, she picked up a large kitchen knife and held it pointed towards him. At the same time, Demeter appeared on the far side of the kitchen, with a gun in his hand. For a moment both men glared at each other, then Demeter fired at him and he felt a blow to his stomach and pulled the trigger by accident, since he had not wanted to harm the woman. The impact of the round knocked the rifle from his hands and desperate to avoid being shot again, he ran outside and made for his horse.

  In the heavy rain and darkness, he was able to ride away from the house unseen and headed the horse back to the vardo, cursing himself for his rash behaviour and for losing his rifle. As he rode, he could feel every movement bringing waves of pain to his stomach and he dreaded to think how badly he had been injured by Demeter. He began thinking how he would explain his stupid behaviour to Gunari. The man never seemed to show any emotion, but when angered he was always able to keep perfectly calm and harness his cold fury to retaliate. Once he was inside the lighted vardo, he removed his jacket and saw the deep dent in his ornate belt buckle, which had saved him from Demeter’s bullet. If it had not been blocked by his buckle, it would certainly have been far more serious than the wounds he had suffered in Romania. A large purple bruise was already forming on his stomach around the tear in his flesh made by the bullet tip. The round must have passed though the wooden stock of the gun, before hitting his buckle. As he soaked the painful wound with a wet cloth, he knew he had been very lucky to escape from the Pusztai house. He thought about giving up his dream of becoming a rich landowner and returning to Romania, but decided it was worth risking his life and there was no future for him in Romania. The man he needed to kill was only eight miles away and older brother Renko had already killed Demeter’s sister. He must now kill the brother.

  He hoped to persuade Gunari to find him another rifle, or even a revolver, but a handgun would mean having to get close to his victim who would probably be armed. It would be unwise to tell Gunari about his failed attack on the Pusztai kitchen and instead, he would claim a lucky shot from Demeter had struck his gun. At least he had remembered to pick up his empty cartridge cases. He knew that Gunari was away at another village for a few days and he would have to avoid any further visits to the Pus
ztai house until he had another weapon. After his attack on the house, the police could be guarding it, or Demeter’s friend, the man called Jack might return and would come after him. His foolish behaviour and failed attempt on Demeter would now make it much harder to kill the man. Two days later under cover of darkness, Gunari walked in to the vardo and sat down facing Tigo without saying a word. Unable to remain silent as he sensed the cold anger in his friend, he stood up and reached for a can of Dreher beer.

  “It’s good to see you Gunari. Would you like a beer?”

  His friend waved away the proffered drink and glared at him.

  “The police searched my house yesterday when I was away and they were back again this afternoon to ask me about you. I told them I met you in Romania, but have not seen you for some time. If they find you, you will tell them the same and you must leave this vardo tomorrow. I bought it from another Tigani and if you were found using it, I would be suspected.”

  Tigo was shocked to hear that he must give up his refuge and desperately tried to get his friend to help him.

  “Is there somewhere I can stay, at least until I become the new owner of the Pusztai lands?”

  “After your foolish attempt to kill Demeter the other night, he is in little danger of losing his properties to you. I was told that you also left your rifle behind before you ran out of his house to escape on your horse. Have you forgotten all the advice I gave you about never being seen? Because you are my friend, I will help you, but you must not take away all the goodwill and respect I have built up here in Dunakeszi. I have brought you a tent and food as well as a rifle and ammunition. Put up the tent only at night because they will be looking for you and will see it in daylight. I don’t want to know where you are hiding, but will leave food and any messages in the hidden compartment in the vardo. If we need to send messages, we can put them on the bottom of the compartment I leave the food in. Fortunately, the police did not find this rifle when they searched my house. I bought it from a local man and I would be very unhappy if you lost, or damaged it. I have brought that special package you wanted, but it is very dangerous so be careful how you handle it and remember all the instructions I gave you about using it. You will have no chance of taking the land from Demeter unless you follow the training I gave you when we were together in the mountains. You must leave the vardo tomorrow morning and must not sleep here again. Make sure that you clean up any signs that show you were here and do not make any more stupid mistakes.”