Part 8 (1/2)
It was a long ride out to the shack, every bu I had learned frohts were correct - whatever that bundle off Big Gull Island contained, it could get a peace-loving gentleman likeas to believe that Inspector Daly hadme just as soon as he recovered froiven hi tosyste on his own, or if he had partners and I guessed he was alone, taking opportunity as it presented itself
I parked the pick-up in the yard and went through on to the veranda of my shack Missus Chubby had been out to sweep and tidy while I ay There were fresh flowers in a ja-roos and bacon, bread and butter in the icebox
I stripped offThere were thick raised welts around my chest that the cane had left, and the wounds were a , then, standing naked over the stove, I scras with bacon and while it cooked, I poured a very dark whisky and took it like medicine
I was too tired to climb between the sheets, and as I fell across the bed I wondered if I would be fit enough to work the night run on schedule It was ht before sun-up
And after I had showered again and so Doloxene painkillers with a glass of cold pineapple juice and eaten another panful of eggs for breakfast I thought the ansas yes I was stiff and sore, but I could work At noon I drove into town, stopped off at Missus Eddy's store for supplies and then went on down to Adelo were on board already, and Dancer lay against the wharf
”I filled the auxiliary tariks, Harry,” Chubby told ood for a thousand o nets?” I asked, and he nodded
”They are stowed in the main sail locker” We would use the nets to deck load the bulky ivory cargo
”Don't forget to bring a coat - it will be cold out on the strea-”
”Don't worry, Harry You the one should watch it Man, you look bad as you were ten days ago You look real sick”
”I feel beautiful, Chubby”
”Yeah,” he grunted, ”like ed the subject ”What happened to your carbine, oing out there without a piece on board?”
”We never needed it yet”
”There is always a first tihty naked without it”
Chubby's obsession with armaments always amused me Despite all the evidence that I presented to the contrary, Chubby could never quite shake, off the belief that the velocity and range of a bullet depended upon how hard one pulled the trigger - and Chubby intended that his bullets go very fast and very far indeed
The savage strength hich he sent them on their ould have buckled a less robust weapon than the FN He also suffered from a co
I have seen hie of ten feet with a fullto make it to Bisley, but he just naturally loved firear
”It will be a milk run, a ruddy pleasure cruise, Chubby, you'll see,” and he crossed his fingers to avert the hex, and shuffled off to work on Dancer's already brilliant brasswork, while I went ashore
The front office of Fred coker's travel agency was deserted and I rang the bell on the desk He stuck his head through from the back room
”Welcome, Mister Harry” He had removed his coat and tie and had rolled up his shi+rt sleeves, about his waist he wore a red rubber apron ”Lock the front door, please, and coh”
The back rooaudy wallpaper and bright travel posters It was a long, gloo one ere piled cheap pine coffins The hearse was parked inside the double doors at the far end Behind a griuttering around the edges and a spout to direct fluid fro into a bucket on the floor
”Come in, sit down There is a chair Excusewhile we talk I have to have this ready for four o'clock this afternoon”
I took one look at the frail naked corpse on the slab It was a little girl of about six years of age with long dark hair One look was enough and I moved the chair behind the screen so I could see only Fred coker's bald head, and I lit a cheroot There was a heavy sht in et used to it, Mister Harry” Fred coker had noticed my distaste
”Did you set it up?” I didn't want to discuss his gruesome trade
”It's fixed,” he assured me
”Did you square our friend at the fort?”
”It's all fixed”
”when did you see him!” I persisted, I wanted to know about Daly
I was very interested in how Daly felt
”I saw hi, Mister Harry”
”Hoas he?”
”He seerisly task and looked ataround, dancing a jig, singing, tying the dog loose?”
”No He was sitting down, and he was not in a very good hed and my own injuries felt better ”But he took the pay off?”
”Yes, he took it”
”Good, then we have still got a deal” ”Like I told you, it's all fixed”
”Lay it on me, Mr coker”
”The pick up is at the mouth of the Salsa stream where it enters the south channel of the main Duza estuary” I nodded, that was acceptable There was a good channel and the holding ground off the Salsa was satisfactory
”The recognition signal will be two lanterns - one over the other, placed on the bank nearest the mouth You will flash twice, repeated at thirty-second intervals and when the lower lantern is extinguished you can anchor Got that?”
”Good” It was all satisfactory
”They will provide labour to load frohters” I nodded, then asked ”They know that slack water is three o'clock - and I must be out of the channel before that?” ”Yes, Mister Harry I told the before two hundred hours”
”All right then - what about the drop off?”