Marcia Talley - Dark Passage

‘David!’ I yelled, banging on the grill with my fists. ‘Put down the sword! He’s not worth it!’

With his free hand, David grabbed one of the chairs, shook it free from the others, and tossed it after Channing. It slid into him where he lay sprawled next to the rail. ‘Stand up!’ he ordered.

Channing’s mouth gaped. He didn’t move.

David took a step closer, brandishing the sabre. ‘You don’t listen very well. Stand up, I said!’

Channing worked his way into a crawling position, then slowly rose to his feet. He shook his head as if to clear it, then said, ‘You’re out of your mind, you know that?’ His voice shook. Even in the dim light, I could see sweat glistening on the man’s brow.

‘Now, stand up on it,’ David ordered.

‘What?’

‘Stand up on the goddamn chair!’

When Channing didn’t move, the sabre flashed, connecting with Channing’s leg.

‘Up!’ David yelled.

‘I can’t!’ Channing screamed, clutching the gash in his leg as if trying to hold the wound together. Blood drained slowly from it, pooling on the floor next to his foot.

Pia grabbed my arm and tugged. ‘What’s wrong with David? Is he drunk?’

‘We just found out that Tom is the person who attacked Julie, so he’s probably the guy who murdered Charlotte, too.’

‘Tom? No way! You’re both crazy if you think that.’

I covered Pia’s hand where it rested on my arm and squeezed. ‘There’s a witness,’ I told her gently.

‘God, no!’

‘David!’ I yelled, trying to be heard over the howling of the wind. ‘Put the sabre down!’

He ignored me. ‘You have a decision to make, Channing. You can get up on the chair, or I can take this sabre and run you through. You choose.’

Holding on to the back of the chair for support, Channing slowly, painfully eased his wounded leg up on the chair. A few agonizing seconds later, he was standing unsteadily on the seat. His fine, silver hair whipped wildly around his forehead.

What was keeping Security?

Suddenly it hit me. David had never placed the call. ‘Pia!’ I whispered. ‘Call Security! I’ll see if I can talk some sense into David.’

On the other side of the barrier, David stood ramrod straight, legs slightly spread, sword tip pointed down in order arms position. ‘So, Channing. How are you enjoying the evening so far?’

‘I don’t even know who in fucking hell you are!’ Channing shouted into the wind.

David said, deadly calm, ‘I had a beautiful daughter once, Channing. Her name was Charlotte.’

Channing swayed as if slapped, but recovered quickly. ‘I don’t know who the hell you’re talking about.’

‘Let me refresh your memory, then,’ David snarled. He raised the sabre, rested the point against Channing’s chest. ‘Careful, careful,’ he warned. ‘Don’t lean forward or you might get hurt!’

‘You are out of your fucking mind!’

‘Phoenix Voyager ,’ David continued, ignoring the interruption. ‘A young girl named Noelle. Do you even remember her name? Maybe she was your first, maybe not. But my daughter was a smart girl, Channing. She worked with the kids. She had sharp eyes, and she noticed something. What was it? Did she see you slip the drug into Noelle’s drink?’

David slid the point of the sabre slowly up Channing’s chest until it was resting slightly above his breastbone. ‘You murdered my daughter, you worthless piece of shit.’

Channing’s eyes didn’t stray from the hand that held the sabre. A look of desperation clouded his eyes. ‘What do you want from me?’

‘I want a confession, that’s what I want.’

Channing raised both hands in a sign of surrender. ‘OK, OK. Whatever you say. I admit it. I killed your daughter. There, I said it. Is that enough?’

‘And? Come on, Channing. You can do better than that. And? ’

‘I pushed her overboard, OK? She was going to ruin everything. She was going to turn me in, ruin my career, and that would…’ He paused and winced as the tip of the sabre bit into his neck.

‘They say confession is good for the soul, Channing. Tell me, now. What had Charlotte found out?’

‘You know exactly what, you maniac. I know you’re working with her ,’ he snarled, glancing in my direction, ‘and I overheard her talking with Pia.’

‘Say it! Say it out loud. You like sex with little girls. With children, you piece of slime. Children you have to drug until they’re too helpless to resist.’

Channing stammered; in that moment, he looked truly defeated. ‘You don’t understand… nobody does.’

‘Oh, boo hoo,’ David snapped. ‘You’re breaking my heart here.’

‘Put down the sword, please,’ Channing begged, changing tactics. ‘I’ll do whatever you say. Write a confession, sign it. Whatever. Just put down that sword.’

‘No need for that,’ David snapped. ‘We’re not quite finished here, are we? Tell me about Julie Cardinale.’

Channing’s head swiveled in my direction. ‘I didn’t hurt Julie, Hannah, I swear. And I didn’t know…’

‘Bullshit!’ I couldn’t help myself. ‘Julie may be scarred for life, not that you gave that possibility a moment’s thought!’

‘I didn’t…’ Channing stammered.

‘But you would have, you worm,’ I shouted through the mesh that separated us, ‘if somebody hadn’t knocked on the door.’

Chandler’s chin dropped, and I knew I’d hit the nail on the head.

‘So, now that’s settled,’ David said, ‘I think it’s time for a good, old-fashioned nautical tradition.’

Chandler’s head shot up. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘I think it’s time for you to walk the plank.’

‘Plank? What plank?’

‘Figuratively speaking, of course. When in doubt, improvise. The chair will do nicely, I think.’

‘David!’ I shouted, looking desperately around me, wishing that Ben Martin or his officers would hurry up before things got even more out of control. ‘Stop it! Stop!’ I saw a life ring hanging on a railing nearby, lifted it off its hook and held on, praying that it wouldn’t be needed.

‘Jump,’ David said. ‘Jump, you sonofabitch, jump!’ David feinted; the sabre flicked again. Channing closed his eyes and sucked in his lips like a stubborn child.

‘’Course, you don’t have to jump. I could just run you through and save both of us a lot of time.’ The sabre twitched and Channing flinched. ‘But the way I look at it, Channing, you’d have a better chance of surviving if you jump. Death by water or by the sword, take your pick.’

Channing’s wild eyes caught mine, and he mouthed a silent Help!

‘Security is on the way!’ I shouted, hoping that both men heard me.

David risked a quick glance at me. Was he trying to convey some kind of message? Then, ‘Too little, too late,’ he said, before focusing his attention back on Channing.

‘How’d you do it, then, Channing? Drugging those girls – drugging Julie, I mean. It had to have been in the soda straws, but the bartender told me only she and Jack Westfall touched them.’

Incredibly, a slow, sinister grin spread across Channing’s face. Now it was his time to boast. ‘Sleight of hand, Warren, my stock in trade. You redirect their attention here…’ His left arm shot out, the cuff of his shirt sleeve flashing white in the deck lights. ‘… when all the action is really over here !’ Using his right arm, he swept the sword that David held aside.

The trick might have worked, too, if Channing hadn’t been balanced precariously on the chair.

With a desperate glance over his shoulder, Channing teetered backwards and tumbled over the railing.