“Morning! How can I help you?” he asked, stifling a yawn.
“My name’s Maynard and I’ve driven up here overnight from Kendal to see whoever is in charge here urgently; you should have had a phone call from Inspector Vines at Kendal telling you I was on my way and would be arriving this morning,” Maynard said in an authoritative tone, showing his identification card.
“Oh! Yes sir, I was told you would be arriving this morning,” the constable answered staring at the military intelligence classification. “Would you like to follow me sir, the Chief Constable’s office is this way.”
“Before I do, could you fix up some food and a bed for the driver, he’s been driving all night?”
“Well a bed is no problem, he can use one of the empty cells,” the constable replied, looking at his watch, then at Maynard and the police driver respectively. “But the canteen doesn’t open for another hour I’m afraid, but I can fix you both up with a cup of tea to keep you going for the time being,” he grinned.
Armed with a rather ominous looking mug, its stained interior as brown as the tea it was holding, Maynard was shown into a room of modest size, its windows giving a commanding view of the surrounding area beyond.
“Pleased to meet you Mr Maynard, please, take a seat,” Crawford said as he rose from behind a neat and highly polished desk to shake hands.
“Thank you,” Maynard replied, sitting down and taking out his pipe. “Do you mind?” he asked, holding up the briar.
“No, not at all,” Crawford answered as he watched Maynard go through the process of filling and lighting it.
“So Chief Constable, the first thing I must ask you is when is the next vessel leaving for the Western Isles?”
“Seven o’clock Tuesday morning. There’s the route and timetable she will be taking,” Crawford replied, handing Maynard the two sheets of data.
“Thanks! So she leaves Oban, travels to Coll and Tiree then on to Castlebay at Barra, then to Lochboisdale,” Maynard queried studying the timetable.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Could you show me on your wall map where exactly these islands are?”
“Certainly! These are the four ports in question,” Crawford answered pointing to each one in turn.
Maynard pondered over the area for some time before speaking. “That’s a lot of sea and islands the navy and the air force are going to have to cover. I hadn’t thought about the Inner Hebrides being on the route,” he said, shaking his head before returning to his seat.
“Well, I know there is a lot of air and naval activity going on in the area; exactly what they get up to, you’ll have to ask them when they arrive,” Crawford responded with the makings of a grin.
“Yes, I’ll do that. What time are they arriving?”
“They said they would be here at eight.”
“Okay… So how much did Inspector Vines tell you?”
Crawford sat back in his chair and interlocked his fingers together. “Only the briefest of details, he didn’t like to say too much over the phone. He said you would tell me more when you arrived. We have put in place a round-the-clock surveillance of the docks area as you requested, but that’s all.”
Maynard nodded. “Good! So, firstly I’ll have a wash and get cleaned up, then I think a bit of breakfast wouldn’t go amiss, then afterwards when our two friends from the armed forces arrive, I’ll brief you all about the man we are after and why we need to get our hands on him as soon as possible.”
*
Group Captain Carlton took out a cigarette and tapped it several times on his cigarette case before lighting it as he thought over what Maynard had said.
“Can I ask you Mr Maynard, what makes you so sure this man Bayer is making for the Outer Islands? Let’s face it, there are a hundred and one places along the coast of the mainland he could get picked up from without risking detection travelling by boat. Also, if he did chance his arm going by sea, you have only the briefest description of what he looks like from his ex-lover, which doesn’t help matters.”
“I quite agree Group Captain, we are ‘peeing in the wind’ if you’ll excuse my turn of phrase and as you quite rightly say, we only have a sketchy idea what he looks like or where he’s making for, so it’s up to you and Commander Trent to be our eyes for us.”
“Well, we’ll do our part from the air, but there’s a lot of islands and ocean out there to cover, don’t you agree Commander?” Carlton said, looking at his counterpart sitting beside him.
“I quite agree! But we’ll give you all the help we can from the sea,” Trent concluded.
“Thank you gentlemen, I can’t ask any more than that,” Maynard replied, standing up to shake their hands respectively. After they had left he sat back in his chair and, with hands clasped behind his head, stared up at the ceiling. “Carlton is right in what he says, we’ve no firm I.D. on Bayer, and we haven’t a bloody clue which direction he might take.”
“Aye! It seems we are back to the old waiting game with a hope this Bayer character will show his hand by making a wrong move,” Crawford replied leaning forward to answer the telephone.
“The bastard hasn’t made one yet. He seems to have been one jump ahead of us since leaving Gloucester. He’s either exceptionally good at what he does or been damned lucky.”
Looking directly at Maynard, Crawford listened to what he was being told on the telephone. “And when was this?” he asked sharply to the person he was talking to.
“And this was early Saturday morning?”
Maynard watched with curiosity as Crawford nodded his head several time in response to what he was being told.
“And you say the vehicle taken was a Singer motor vehicle? Right, thank you for letting us know. Yes, and goodbye to you.”
“What was all that about?” Maynard enquired.
“Well. It could be something to do with the man you’re after. An empty house at Ardgarten, that’s near where the canoe was found, has been broken into. By all accounts, the local postman saw smoke coming from the chimney, mentioned it to a Christine Weir who knows the owner and knew the house was empty, apparently the owner was away in Perth staying with her mother. When she went to investigate she was confronted by a male occupant who said he was renting the place from the owner while on leave. Finding this a bit suspicious she was eventually able to make contact with the owner in Perth, who said she hadn’t rented the place out or given anybody permission to use it. Christine Weir called the police, and it turns out the place had been broken into, used overnight and a dark green Singer car taken from the garage the next morning, which was yesterday.”
“And there has been no sighting of the vehicle anywhere in the area?” Maynard asked.
“The vehicle’s particulars have been passed to the traffic divisions, but I’ll check with them now to see if they have seen anything,” Crawford replied picking up the telephone.
Sitting back in his chair Maynard listened to what sounded like a negative response from the traffic control centre to Crawford’s enquiry.
“Aye! Well tell them to keep their eyes open, okay?” Crawford replied, replacing the receiver.
“Nothing?” Maynard asked, getting up and walking over to the window.
“I’m afraid not,” Crawford said frowning.
“He’s here Chief Constable, I know it, I can feel it, the murdering sod’s in the area, but where, where’s he making for?” Turning around quickly he looked at Crawford. “Do we know how much petrol was in the Singer?”
“I’m sorry, I never thought to ask,” Crawford answered, a little embarrassed at being caught out on such an important issue.
“Well, could you find out for me, also what mileage the car will do on a gallon of petrol, that will give us some idea as to what distance he can travel.”
“Aye! I’ll do it right away.”
*
Maynard had just put down the phone after ringing Granville in London when he saw a police constable enter the room holding a p
iece of paper and make for where he was sitting.
“These are the details for the Singer motor vehicle that you asked for sir.”
“Thanks. Where is the Chief Constable now?” he asked.
“He’s in the incident room, would you like me to get him for you sir?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll go through and see him myself,” Maynard replied.
He found Crawford studying the wall map with a tall lean man in a rather shabby looking suit who Maynard suspected was from the plain clothes division.
“Ha! Mr Maynard, this is Sergeant Baird, he’s with the C.I.D. He is going to work with us on the Bayer case because of his knowledge of the Outer Islands. He has worked on quite a few cases over there in the past, so his input will be greatly appreciated.
“Sergeant!” Maynard acknowledged, coming between the two men.
“You got the details of the Singer?” Crawford asked.
“Yes, thanks.”
“So with the petrol that was in the tank and a couple of gallons in the boot, I would think the vehicle could cover about 100 to a 120 miles maximum,” Crawford said looking at both men respectively, to which they were both in agreement.
“So let’s see! It is roughly about 60 miles from where the vehicle was taken from to here, so that gives Bayer 30 miles of coastline to play with on either side of Oban, or 60 miles in one direction give or take a few miles. If he goes northward up the A828 he’s got to go up as far as Fort William to get over to the coast which means he will have to get petrol somehow, or find some more transport which he is very adept at doing, but it’s not without its risks. The second alternative he’s got is to follow the A816 south.” Maynard concluded.
“Where there are plenty of bays and islands where he could get picked up from by submarine. Or, like you said Mr Maynard, he’s making for one of the Outer Islands,” Baird added.
Chapter Twenty-Four
BAYER ROLLED onto his back and looked up at the ceiling while his heavy breathing regulated to a more moderate pace. “What time is it?” he asked, as he turned on his side to watch Stella’s visually appealing figure head in the direction of the bathroom.
“Quarter to eleven,” came the reply over the sound of running water.
Slipping out of bed he got partially dressed, then crossed the room to draw back the curtains to see what Sunday morning in Oban had to offer. From his high vantage point he had a clear all-round view of the town, the bay and the docks. Running a careful eye over the scene below he was soon drawn to a certain amount of activity that was taking place around the area of the dock office. He stood watching the comings and goings for several minutes when he suddenly felt arms slip around his naked waist and Stella’s chin came to rest on his left shoulder.
“What are you looking at?” she asked kissing his neck several times.
“I was just wondering what was going on down there at the dock office,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone so as not to arouse any suspicion. “You work there, Stella, is that normal on a Sunday morning?”
Focusing on where her lover was looking she watched in silence for several minutes, intrigued by the presence of people she didn’t recognise. “Well, whatever’s going on down there, it’s nothing I’ve heard about and it certainly is unusual behaviour. The only thing I can think of is, it could be a security alert; maybe the authorities are on the lookout for somebody coming in on this afternoon’s boat. Anyway are you coming down? I’m going to make some breakfast, then afterwards, I suggest you leave your hotel and come and stay here for the next two nights,” she said, smiling seductively.
“Okay, if that’s what you want,” he answered, their eyes meeting in a knowing look.
After getting fully dressed he deliberately left his wrist watch on the bedside table, giving him a reason to go back upstairs after breakfast to retrieve it and also take another look at developments on the docks.
Sitting down at the breakfast table, Bayer still had an uneasy feeling about what he had seen as he watched Stella go through the motions of preparing them a meal.
“You’re quiet, you okay?” she asked.
“Yes, fine,” he answered, trying to sound light-hearted about it.
“Breakfast won’t be long. There’s tea in the pot if you’d like to pour it,” she smiled, beckoning with her head towards the two cups.
“Have you had many security alerts before?” Bayer asked casually, as he filled both cups.
“We’ve had several since I’ve worked there. Reports of German submarines being seen off the Outer Islands is the main worry. They could be dropping off or picking up agents that might be trying to get on or off the mainland; fortunately the navy and the air force are pretty active in these parts, and the authorities keep a watchful eye on whose coming and going. Only last week they caught an airman trying to get home without a pass, so he was for the high jump.”
“Yes, I suppose he would be,” he grinned.
“You’ve never actually said where you’re making for, Andrew?” she said, giving him a questioning look.
Bayer looked at her expressionless. “No, I haven’t have I?” he replied.
Stella dropped her gaze back to what she was doing. “I see, like that is it?”
“I’m afraid so, not allowed to talk about it, you understand?”
“Oh! I get the picture,” she said, placing the knives and forks on the table.
*
After retrieving his watch from the bedroom he returned to his hotel, telling Stella he would see her later that evening, which she enthusiastically agreed to. As the day wore on a raw coldness began to take over from the less harsh conditions of the morning and by early afternoon, snow showers began to sweep in across the bay. He had been in the early stages of sleep after his long night of passion when the sound of a ship’s horn roused him back to consciousness and sent him heading across the room to the bedroom window to watch the docking procedure of the freighter. Bayer noticed that there seemed to be a lot of interest taken in the disembarking passengers by certain parties on the quay side, which made him wonder if what Stella had said was right, and the authorities were on the look-out for someone. Stroking his chin several times he finally went and sat down on the bed to think things over, but no matter which way he looked at the situation it still came back to the same thing, he had to get to the Outer Islands and steal a boat to get to Stracandra Island. Pulling the eiderdown over himself for added warmth and with thoughts of his predicament on his mind, he drifted off to sleep.
The room was in total darkness when he woke. Getting out from the confines of the warm bed he shivered as he made his way to the window only to see the dark silent shape of the ship, its superstructure illuminated by several dimly lit security lights. Bayer noted that there didn’t seem to be any human activity either on the freighter or the quay side and it passed through his mind whether there was a chance of getting aboard without being seen and finding some obscure place to hide. After closing the curtains he switched on the light, then set about getting ready to go and meet his lover while turning over his latest plan for getting on board. The scheme seemed to throw up several difficulties the more he thought it over; firstly he had to get across the open expanse of the docks; if he succeeded in doing that he then had to get aboard and find someplace where he could conceal himself for the duration of the voyage, all without being seen. But with the ship making more than one stop there was always the chance he could be discovered before he reached South Uist, and if he had to kill to protect himself, he knew he had only one line of escape and that was over the side, if he made it that far. That he knew would be fatal in these cold northern waters in winter. There had to be another way where he wouldn’t look so conspicuous, he thought, as he left the room and went downstairs to the reception to pay his bill. Walking the unlit streets in the cold night air to where Stella lived, Bayer suddenly thought of a previous remark she had made, that she would be on the dockside to see him off on Tuesday morning. “Yes!” he whis
pered to himself, there was the answer to his predicament; if he could persuade her to come with him, the authorities would be keeping more of a wary eye on single passengers, especially men, but a couple travelling together would draw less attention from the prying eyes if they looked like a couple in love off to the Outer Islands to spend some quality time together, and it would be no problem to eliminate her and conceal her body once he reached his objective.
*
Stella cried out in sheer ecstasy as Andrew’s fast rhythmic movement made her shed her self-control. She lay quiet and still for quite some time. Running her finger slowly up and down his back she could feel the perspiration from his skin which heightened the feeling that she felt for him. He was the perfect lover with a body to match, strong, handsome and at all times in complete control while making love; all the qualities she longed for in a partner and which she had never had from her husband. Could she fall in love with him? That she knew would be easy by the way he made her feel; she’d had several lovers while her husband had been away but none had come remotely close to making her feel the way she did now.
“Did you?” she whispered, kissing him tenderly.
“Yes!” he grinned.
“I can’t get enough of you,” she said softly as his gentle movement against her had the desired effect on her lithe body. “Please do it again.”
Stracandra Island Page 22