I heard him give a muffled curse, and his grip on my throat tightened viciously. I made a desperate effort to heave him over my head, but he was too heavy. Instead, my heave unbalanced us both. My feet slipped on the wet steps and together we rolled into the sea.
The shock of landing in the water loosened his hold. I caught hold of his wrist and peeled his arm off my throat, then I twisted around so that I faced him and drove my hand under his chin, sending him over on his back. I broke free of him and rose to the surface gasping.
My one fear was that he would shout for help. Whatever happened those in the villa mustn't know I had been up there.
He bobbed up within three yards of me. I saw him before he could shake the water out of his eyes. I dived under him, caught hold of one of his feet and dragged him down.
He kicked so violently that I had to let go of him. We both came to the surface together. I could just see his staring eyes and snarling mouth. He came at me and lifted his right hand out of the water. I saw a flash of steel. I threw myself sideways. The knife missed me by inches. I dived, came around in a tight circle, spotted the dark form of his body within reach and grabbed him around his waist, pulling him under the water. My left hand groped and found his right wrist.
He fought like a madman, and it was as much as I could do to hold him. I held him down as long as I could, then, when my own lungs were at bursting point, I let go of him and kicked my way up to the surface. He took four or five seconds longer to break surface, and when he did come up, I could see by his feeble strokes that he was on his last legs.
He had lost the knife, and as he tried desperately to get away from me, he gave a croaking shout.
I sprinted after him and, putting my hand between his shoulders, I shoved him under again. I dived after him, but now he was offering practically no resistance, and when we came to the surface once more he was done. He would have sunk if I hadn't grabbed him by his collar and held him up. His head lolled on his shoulders and I couldn't hear him breathe. I was only a few yards from the moored rowing-boat. I towed him over to it, and heaved him in, nearly upsetting the boat as I did so. I got in after him and knelt beside him. As he seemed in a bad way, I rolled him over on to his face so the water he had swallowed could drain out of him, then I untied the mooring line, got the oars out and began to row as hard and as fast as I could towards Sorrento.
I must have got about half-way – I had lost the lights of the villa – when Harry stirred and started to mumble. I wasn't going to give him a chance to recover. I didn't fancy a fight with him in this small boat. I hurriedly shipped oars, then, scrambling over the other rowing seat, I reached him as he slowly hauled himself into a sitting position.
He lifted his head and his chin made a perfect target. I hung a right on the point of his jaw that took the skin off my knuckles. He went over backwards as if he had been shot, and then, as his head cracked on the bottom of the boat, he went limp.
I scrambled back to the oars and began to row again. He didn't begin to move until I reached Sorrento harbour.
My boatman was waiting for me, and his eyes bulged out when he saw I wasn't in his boat He nearly dropped in his tracks as I caught hold of Harry and heaved him on to the beach. The movement brought Harry around, and he slowly hauled himself upright. I stepped up to him and brushing his feeble left lead aside, I hung another bone bender on his jaw, sending him flat on his back at the boatman's feet.
"Get a policeman!" I said. "Never mind about your boat. Get a policeman, quick!"
A policeman, who must have been standing in the shadows of the car-park, came up. I was lucky that he didn't argue as they usually do. He listened to what I told him. Frank Setti's name seemed to mean something to him. He turned to the boatman and told him to hold his tongue, put handcuffs on Harry, requisitioned a car and drove Harry and I to the police station.
I was lucky too that Grandi was still on duty. He stared blankly at me as I came into his office, naked, except for a pair of swimming trunks. When I told him I had found Frank Setti and had got one of Setti's men, he came alive.
I told him there was a consignment of dope at the villa, and if he moved fast he would have all the evidence he needed for an arrest. He got on the telephone to Rome headquarters and had a quick talk with the head of the Narcotic Squad. He got orders to go ahead and raid the villa.
As he made for the door, I said, "Watch out. There's five men out there, and they're tough and dangerous."
He gave me a sour smile.
"I can be tough and dangerous too."
He went out and I heard him shouting orders. A little later a policeman came in and showed me where I could have a hot shower. He also gave me a pair of flannel slacks and a sweater.
By the time I was dressed, Grandi had gone down to the beach where he was to await reinforcements from Naples. I decided I would have time to telephone Maxwell before the raid began.
I got Maxwell on the line. I told him that within an hour Frank Setti would be arrested, and warned him to stand by for details. I said I was going down right away to the beach where the police were embarking for Setti's villa.
Maxwell said he would warn New York what was coming, and would wait for me to call back.
I then took a taxi down to the harbour.
Grandi with thirty carabiniere, armed to the teeth, were piling into three motor-boats. When I suggested I should go with them, Grandi waved me away.
They went roaring off into the darkness, leaving me with my boatman who, by now, was tearing his hair and yelling for his boat.
I said I would show him where I had left it if he could find a motor-boat to take us there. After some argument, he persuaded one of his friends to take us, and we set off.
By the time we had picked up the rowing-boat from the beach where I had left it, Grandi and his men had landed at Setti's villa. I kept my ears pricked for the sound of shooting but I heard nothing.
I managed to persuade the boatman to hang around just outside Setti's harbour. The moon had now come up, and I could see the three police boats in the harbour.
After a twenty-minute wait, I saw a bunch of men come along the harbour wall and get into the boats. There was a girl with them and I guessed it was Myra.
I told the boatman to get back to Sorrento, and was waiting on the beach when Grandi and his men and prisoners landed. He had got them all.
While they were being hustled into the waiting police van, I crossed over to where Grandi was standing.
"Did you get the consignment of drugs?"
"Yes, I got it all right."
"No trouble?"
He shook his head.
"I didn't give them a chance to make trouble."
"I want to be kept out of this. I've got to get back to Rome right away. You won't need me, will you?"
"No. But you will be down next Monday for the inquest?"
"I'll be down."
Leaving him, I got into my car and drove back to the hotel. I called Maxwell and gave him the details of Setti's arrest. I told him to let Matthews of the Associated Press have the story too. He said he would get a cable off to New York right away and then call Matthews.
"I'm coming back to-night," I said. "I'll see you in the morning."
He asked if I didn't think I should stay on in Naples and cover the case when Setti came up in court.
He was right of course, but I had Carlo on my mind. I didn't know how Carlo was going to react when he heard Setti had been arrested and the consignment of drugs he was waiting for had been seized. I had to convince him I had nothing to do with it or he would fix me.
"He won't come before a court for a couple of days. I've things to do in Rome."
"Well, okay, please yourself. I'll be seeing you."
I said I would be seeing him.
II
Back in Rome around nine o'clock the following morning, and still in bed, I called Maxwell again.
He said he had had a call from New York for more details of Setti's
life in Italy, and could I do anything about it?
I said it might be an idea if he went to Naples instead of me.
"Yeah, I want to," he said, "but Gina's not in to-day. She's fooling around with the stuff at Helen's apartment. I can't leave the office without someone to handle the telephone calls."
"Isn't she there now?"
"She wanted the day off. She will be at Helen's apartment around ten o'clock. She said the old man wanted the place cleared.
"That's what he does want. Okay. I'll go over there and send hex back. Then you can get off."
"I should have thought you would have wanted to have handled this yourself," Maxwell said. "It's the biggest story in years."
"As you're taking over the Rome office," I said, "this is now your story. I'll get Gina back to you by half-past eleven. There's a plane to Naples at two o'clock. You'd better get yourself a reservation."
He said he would do that.
I got out of bed, took a shower, shaved and dressed, then went down to the garage. I got to Helen's apartment and rang the bell. Gina opened the door.
"Why, hello, Ed," she said. Her smile was a little uncertain."
"Hello, there," I said, and, following her into the lounge, I went on, "How are you getting on here?"
"I'm packing. There's so much to clear. I'll be through in about half an hour."
"Have you got rid of it all?"
"Yes." She sat on the arm of a chair and looked at me. "What's been happening, Ed?"
I dropped into an easy-chair.
"Plenty." I went on to tell her about the capture of Setti. "Maxwell wants to get down to Naples. He's waiting now for you to relieve him. You'd better get off, Gina. I can handle what you haven't finished here."
"He'll have to catch the two o'clock plane, so there's plenty of time," Gina said firmly. "Ed, how did you know that Setti was in this villa?"
I looked at her.
"Why should you worry how I knew?"
"I'm asking you, Ed," she said. "It's too good to be true. You must see that. Every policeman in Italy has been looking for Setti. Then you find him. How did you know he was there? If I don't ask you, someone else will."
I could see the sense in that. Now she had put the question, I was surprised that Grandi hadn't asked me.
"I guess you're right," I said. "Well, it's a long story."
"I want to hear it. You have deliberately kept away from me. Please, don't deny it. You have. You're involved somehow in this business, aren't you? You knew she was falling herself Mrs. Douglas Sherrard. There's something wrong somewhere. I'm worried. You must tell me."
"You've got to keep clear of it," I said. "Don't ask questions. Helen was murdered. I didn't kill her, but the police have an idea that I did. You must see I can't tell you anything without getting you involved."
Her small hands turned into fists.
"Do you think I care about that?" she said. "I want to know. Ed, please. What kind of trouble are you in?"
"I'm in a lot of trouble. But I can't tell you the details. You've got to keep clear of it, Gina."
"Did that girl mean anything to you?"
I hesitated.
"At one time I think she did, but not when I found out what she really was. I guess I was acting like a ..."
"Don't say it. I know how it was. Tell me what happened, Ed."
"Forget it!" I got to my feet and wandered over to the window. "I stuck my neck out, and now I've got to take what's coming."
"Are you scared il Signor Chalmers will find out?"
"I've got beyond that. He's offered me the foreign desk. When he knows what I've been up to, I won't get it. The foreign desk is important to me, Gina."
"You'll leave Rome?"
"That was the idea, but it looks now as if I won't have a job at all."
There was such a sharp silence that I turned and looked at her. She had lost colour and her eyes were full of unshed tears.
"Don't look like that, Gina. The end of the world hasn't come."
"Not to you perhaps."
I realized for the first time since I had known her what she really meant to me. I went over to her. Putting my hands on her hips, I pulled her to me.
"Okay, I admit it. I'm in a hell of a mess. It's my own stupid fault. You've got to keep clear of it. If you know too much, they could hang an accessory rap on you."
"For heaven's sake, Ed," she said, beginning to cry. "Do you think I care? It's you I care about."
My hands slid around her back. She raised her face, glistening with tears, and my lips came down on hers. We stood like that for a long moment, then I pushed her back.
"This isn't the way," I said. "I guess I must have been crazy to have chased after that little tramp. Now I've got to take what's coming to me. Keep clear of me, Gina. You must keep clear of me."
Her fingers moved up into my hair and she smiled at me.
"I can help you. I know I can. Do you want me to?"
"I want you to keep clear of it."
"Ed, do you love me a little? Do I mean anything to you?"
"I guess you do. I've taken a long time to find that out, haven't I?" I pulled her to me. "But that's beside the point, Gina. I'll need a lot of luck to beat this rap. Carlotti is more or less convinced that I'm the guy he's looking for."
"Won't you tell me what really happened? Right from the beginning?"
I sat down and told her. I gave her the whole story. I didn't hold a thing back.
She sat listening, her face pale, her lips parted, and when I had finished, she drew in a long, slow breath.
"Oh, darling, it's been dreadful for you!"
"It's been bad, but I asked for it. If I could only pin Helen's death on Carlo I would be in the clear. I just can't see how I'm going to do it"
"You must tell Carlotti the whole story just as you've told it to me. It rings true. He'll understand. You must tell him."
I shook my head.
"There's too much evidence against me. I should have told him before. Hell only think my nerve's cracked and I'm trying to get out of it. He'll arrest me, and then I won't be able to get after Carlo. I've got to fix Carlo myself if that's possible."
"No, please, Ed. You must tell him. I am sure it's the only thing to do."
"Well, I'll think about it. I'm not going to tell him yet."
"Ed! I've suddenly thought of something," Gina said, jumping to her feet. "Yesterday while I was here the postman brought a carton of film addressed to Helen."
I stared at her.
"A carton of film!"
"Yes. She must have sent it to be processed."
I was aware that my heart was beginning to thump painfully. "Have you got it?"
She opened her handbag and took out a yellow carton.
"It may be a film she took in Sorrento," she said, and held out the carton to me.
As I reached for it, the door swung open. We both turned quickly.
Carlo stood in the doorway, his thick lips parted in a grin.
"I'll have that," he said. "I've been waiting days for that damn thing to turn up. Give it here!"
III
Gina's reflexes worked a lot faster than mine. She must have recognized Carlo from my description the moment she saw him. She whipped the canon into her bag and was on her feet by the time Carlo was half-way across the lounge.
She spun on her heel and made a dash for the bedroom door.
Snarling Carlo jumped forward, his thick fingers reaching for her. As he passed me, I shot out my foot and hooked his leg from under him. He sprawled headlong, his fingers closing on Gina's blouse. She gave a frantic twist of her body. The thin material tore from her shoulder and she broke free. She didn't attempt to take the longer way around the room to the front door. She dashed into the bedroom, slammed the door, and I heard the key turn.
The apartment was on the fourth floor. There was no escape from the bedroom, but at least the door was solid. Carlo would have a job to break it down.
All thi
s flashed through my mind as I heaved myself out of the chair I was sitting in.
Carlo was still sprawled on the floor, cursing. I didn't make the mistake of tangling with him. I jumped across the room to the fireplace and snatched up a heavy steel poker. He was on his feet as I turned.
You Find Him – I'll Fix Him Page 21