Десмонд Бэгли - Bahama Crisis

Then he was past us and I slammed over the tiller, already feeling the difference in the behaviour of the boat; she was slow to come about and not as easily controlled. But Billy shouted, ‘He’s stopped. I hit his engine.’

I twisted and looked back. The dory was drifting into the bank and, as it touched, Robinson leapt ashore and began to run. He paused and snapped one shot at us before disappearing behind one of the heaps of grey limestone rubble, the spoil left from the dredging of the canal.

‘Let’s get after him,’ urged Billy.

I needed no urging. Already I was heading for the bank and standing, ready to jump. Our feet hit the ground simultaneously, and Billy said, ‘We’ll tackle him from two sides.’ He gestured with his pistol. ‘You go that way and keep your head down.’ He ran in the other direction.

I ran to the nearest heap of limestone and dropped flat before peering around it cautiously. There was no sign of Robinson. From behind I heard the sound of engines so I looked back to see the Customs launch coming up the canal, fairly boiling along at top speed. Deane must have heard the shots and decided to come in.

I ignored it and turned again to look for Robinson. We were quite close to the house and there were now two men on the roof, and one of them was pointing at something. I followed the direction of his arm, got to my feet, and began to run. Skidding around another heap of rubble I came across Robinson about ten yards away. He had his back to me, and beyond him I saw Billy come into sight.

I was late in the tackle. Before I could get to him Robinson fired and Billy dropped in his tracks. But then I was on to him and I had no mercy. His pistol went flying and it took Deane and two of his men to prise my hands from Robinson’s neck.

Deane hauled me to my feet and pushed me away, standing between me and Robinson. ‘That’s enough!’ he said curtly.

I heard a car door slam and saw Perigord walking over from a police car near the house. I regained my breath, and said, ‘Then get the bastard out of my sight before I kill him.’ I turned and walked towards Billy.

He was sitting up, his hand to his head, and when he took it away it was red with blood. ‘He creased me!’ he said blankly. ‘Jesus, but it hurts!’ There was an unfocused look to his eyes, a sign of concussion. I stooped, picked up his gun, and walked to the water’s edge and tossed it into the canal. Then I went back and helped him to his feet.

‘You’re lucky you’re not dead,’ I said. ‘Be glad it hurts; it means you’ll live.’

Already he was looking better. He glanced across at Deane and saw Robinson still prostrate on the ground. ‘Well, we’ve got him.’

‘Yes,’ I said shortly. Deane would not now need any excuse for holding Robinson. Any man who popped off a gun was automatically his prey — including Billy. Still, Deane had not seen Billy shoot, so, as we walked towards him, I said, ‘I ditched your gun in the canal.’

‘Thanks.’

Robinson sat up and Deane was addressing him in fast, fluent Spanish. Among the spate of words I heard the name Perez, repeated several times. Robinson shook his head and replied in Spanish, and then switched into English, with the same plummy accent I had come to know in Texas. ‘I’m a soldier of the revolution,’ he said pompously. ‘And now a prisoner of war. I will answer no questions.’ He got to his feet.

‘Prisoner of war?’ said Billy unbelievingly. ‘The guy’s nuts!’

‘He’s a bloody murderer,’ I said.

‘But that’s for a court to decide, Mr Mangan,’ said Perigord.

Deane took out handcuffs and then paused, looking at Billy expressionlessly. ‘Search this man,’ he said.

Billy grinned widely as Perigord’s hands expertly patted his body. ‘What gun?’ he said. ‘I took your advice. It was good.’

It was then that Robinson made his break. He thumped the nearest Customs officer in the gut, sending him to the ground writhing and retching, and took off, running towards the house. He took us all by surprise. Deane dropped the handcuffs and broke into a run, with me at his heels.

The builders at the house had stopped work and were now all on the roof, a good vantage point to view the morning’s unexpected entertainment. The sole exception was the driver of a truck which had just arrived. He had got out, leaving the door open and the engine idling, and was calling to the men on the roof. Robinson clouted him in passing and he staggered back to collide with Deane and they both went down in a tangle of arms and legs.

By that time Robinson was in the cab and the engine of the truck roared. I leaped over the sprawled bodies of Deane and the driver and jumped for the cab, but it was too late and the truck was moving. I missed and fell to the ground. By the time I had picked myself up the truck was speeding up the road.

I saw Perigord getting into his car so I ran and piled in next to him just as he drove off with a squeal of rubber and a lot of wheel spin. He drove with one hand while unhooking the microphone of his radio from its bracket. He began to give brief but precise instructions, and I gathered that he was remarshalling his forces.

The truck was still in sight and we were gaining on it. It turned left on to East Sunrise Highway, and I said, ‘He’ll be going on to Midshipman Road, by the Garden of the Groves.’

‘Yes,’ said Perigord, and spoke into the microphone again.

The Garden of the Groves is one of the more sedate of our tourist attractions, the name being a punning one because the 100-acre gardens are dedicated to the memory of Wallace Groves, the founder of Freeport. There were always tourists wandering about that area and the chances were that Robinson could kill someone, travelling at the speed he was.

We sped down East Sunrise and turned on to Midshipman, and by then we were within fifty yards of the truck. A car shot out of a side road and hit the truck a glancing blow and Perigord braked hard as it crashed into a palm tree. I fumbled for the door handle as I saw Robinson jump from the cab and run towards the Garden.

Perigord was out before me, and he did something surprising — he threw his swagger stick at Robinson. It flew straight as an arrow and hit Robinson at the nape of the neck and he fell in a tumbled heap in the road.

Perigord was about to go to him but jumped back as a big double-decker London bus came around the corner. The driver swerved to avoid the crashed truck and his brakes squealed, but it was too late. The bus brushed past Perigord but one wheel went over Robinson’s head.

After the immediate discussion that followed that incident I did not see Perigord to talk with seriously for nearly a month. He was a very busy man, and so was Commissioner Deane over in Nassau. But he did telephone to tell me that the ampoules found on Carrasco-Perez proved to contain a culture of L. pneumophila , enough to poison the water in every hotel in the Bahamas.

On the occasion of the annual BASRA Swimming Marathon I invited him and his family back to the house for drinks. Both our daughters had been competitors and Karen, like Sue before her, had won a second prize in her class. Full of pride and ice-cream she cavorted in the pool with Ginnie Perigord, and there did not seem to be much difference between a tanned white hide and a natural brown hide.

Debbie laughed and said to Amy Perigord, ‘Where do they get the energy? You wouldn’t think they’ve just swum two miles. Would you like a drink?’

‘I’d rather have tea,’ said Mrs Perigord. ‘I’m not really a drinker.’

‘We won’t bother Luke,’ said Debbie. ‘Come into the kitchen and chat while I make it.’

I smiled at Perigord as they went away. Because he had attended the Marathon in his official capacity he was in full fig, swagger stick and all. I said, ‘I propose something stronger. What will you have?’