Dennis Wheatley - The White Witch of the South Seas

Again Gregory registered the fact that, although not his type, she was a splendid specimen of young womanhood. She was a big girl, at least five foot eleven in height, with a generous bust and full hips, separated by a waist that could not be said to be narrow, but was small enough to accentuate the curves of her upper and lower body. Her black hair was parted in the centre, Madonna fashion; but fell to each side of her face and on to her broad shoulders in a glory of long curls. She had painted her Cupid's bow mouth a bright red. Her big black eyes, under tapering arched brows, lit up as their glance became riveted on James.

Running forward, he clasped both her hands, raised them in turn rapidly to his lips and cried, `Did you think me dead? I had no way of getting in touch with you. Mr. Sallust and I have survived all sorts of dangers. But we're still alive. And… and… thank God you are. Oh, how wonderful it is to see you again.'

`Yes,' she stammered. `Yes. For me too. But Valentim? Is… is it true that he is dead?'

Smiling, James nodded. `Yes. He's dead. Lacost or one of the Colons killed him. We have not the least doubt about that. But it means that you are now in danger. I've been worried out of my wits about you. Oh, thank God, I've found you safe and well.

'How… how did Valentim die?' she asked, a little breathlessly. James told her; and of how Gregory had made certain by partly disinterring the corpse, that the man on whom the coconut was said to have fallen was Valentim:

She stared at Gregory with distended eyes. `You did that? You opened up a grave? And in the middle of the night! How did you dare?'

He spread out his hands in the foreign gesture he sometimes used. 'Senhora, that sort of thing does not require anywhere near the courage that it does to grapple with an armed man. The dead cannot harm one. And while I have every reason to believe in the existence of evil occult forces, I do not believe that they can harm anyone who has faith in his ability to defy them.'

Olinda shook her head. `All the same, I think you are very brave, and it makes me happy that James should have you for his friend. After what you tell me there can be no doubt that Valentim is no more. I married him when quite young, hypnotised a little, perhaps, by his vivid personality and the power he exercised through his great fortune. Later he resented it that I did not give him children, although, according to the doctors, that was no fault of mine. Then his constant infidelities sickened me, and I began to hate him. I cannot honestly say that I am sorry that he is dead, but I will have many Masses said for his soul.'

As she crossed herself, Gregory asked, `Has Lacost been here to see you? If he hasn't, he may arrive at any moment, and we must be prepared.'

`He was here over an hour ago. Very tactfully and, apparently, with much sorrow, he told me about Valentim's death or, rather, about a falling coconut having killed him. To get rid of him quickly I pretended to faint, as you had told me to. Before he went off he left a message with Captain Amedo. It was to the effect that he had secured divers in the Yasawas and intended to leave shortly with them for Tujoa. He added that as soon as I had sufficiently recovered and the Boa Viagem was fit to put to sea he trusted that I would follow; as, now that my husband was dead, he naturally regarded me as his partner.'

James let go a sigh of relief. `Then, if he's off back to Tujoa, you should be quite safe here.'

`If he does go,' Gregory added. `But I wouldn't trust him.' Then, looking across at Olinda, he said, `There seems to be a question about the Boa Viagem's being fit to put to sea. What did he mean by that?

'Oh, of course you wouldn't know,' Olinda replied quickly.

`Soon after we arrived here from Tujoa something went wrong with the engines. I know little about such things, but it was thought that some discontented member of the crew had damaged them deliberately. That is why Valentim went to the Yasawas in Lacost's boat, and I stayed behind.'

Gregory smiled. `I suspected something of the kind. Evidently Lacost managed to put one of his pals on board to do a job of sabotage, or bribed one of your crew to do it. All the same, I'm a little surprised that he managed to persuade your husband to go with him in the Pigalle. After all, the Colons could have collected the divers quite well without Senhor de Carvalho.'

`That wasn't difficult. Valentim always enjoyed visiting the smaller groups of islands and he had never been to the Yasawas. There was also some talk of hula hula girls, and having left me here in Suva, he wouldn't even have had to invent excuses for going ashore without me.'

`I see. I take it the engine has since been repaired, though?'

`Not yet. We are still waiting for one small part that has to be flown down from San Francisco. It should be here in a day or two.' Moving over to a cocktail cabinet, Olinda added, `But both of you must be tired and thirsty. Let me mix you a drink.'

While she was busy at the cabinet, James said, `You realise, of course, why Lacost murdered Valentim?'

`I assume it was something to do with the licence to get up the gold,' she replied. `Holding it was Valentim's contribution to the partnership they entered into in Tujoa; the Colons were to do the actual work. After you escaped from Noumea I had no idea where you had got to, or whether you were alive or dead; so I could not let you know that they were making a deal, or do anything to stop them:

`We guessed that was what had taken place. Anyhow, now Valentim is dead, you have become the licence holder. Unless Lacost is prepared to risk being arrested he must either come to some arrangement with you or bring about your death; so that the way is clear for him to secure a licence himself. That's why we were so anxious about you.'

Her face lit by a lovely smile, she turned and handed him a frosted glass. 'Dear James. You must know that nothing would induce me to help him rob you of the treasure. It's yours by right, and since you say that the licence is now mine, I will happily make it over to you.'

While James kissed her hands again and expressed his gratitude, Gregory took a long drink, then said

`That's very generous of you, but it may not be possible. If your husband entered into a legal partnership with Lacost while they were in Tujoa, although you have become the licence holder, you will still be bound by the contract. And there is another thing. If de Carvalho took the licence with him to the outer isles Lacost will have got hold of it.'

Olinda shook her head. `They would have needed a lawyer to draw up a proper deed of partnership, and no lawyer came on board either while we were at Tujoa or here; neither did Valentim go ashore to see one. As for the licence, since it was registered at Noumea in the name of de Carvalho, what good could the possession of it do Lacost?'

`He might go to Noumea, show it to the authorities and say that he had bought it from your husband, then get them to cancel it and issue one to him.'

`I think it very unlikely that Valentim did take the licence with him. After all, why should he? If he didn't, it will be in the safe. As my jewellery is kept in it, I know the combination, so we can soon find out.'

The safe was cunningly concealed behind one of the mahogany panels that formed a front for the banquettes which ran along both sides of the saloon. Kneeling, Olinda removed the panel, twirled the knobs and opened the safe. In it, besides the cases holding her jewels, there were several folders. One of them was labelled Reina Maria Anialia Treasure. Pulling it out, she threw it up on to the table.

Gregory swiftly shuffled through the papers it contained. `Here we are,' he said after a moment. `This is the licence all right: Then he handed the folder back to Olinda, who locked it up again in the safe.