The Atlas Murders (36 page)

 Between mouthfuls of food he
mumbled, “sounds fine to me Maud and this food is just delicious, haven’t tasted
anything like it in years.”

 “Go on now, it’s just a good
fry up, glad someone appreciates my cooking. I’ll go on deck and I’ll call you
later, the spare bunk is just in there so help yourself.”

 Henry slept a dreamless
sleep and didn’t know where he was when he awoke some four hours later. It took
him a minute to realize where he was and what had gone on the previous day. He
could hear Roy jesting with Maud out on deck. He shook himself awake, looked at
his watch it was eleven hundred hours. He had slept a bit.

Roy greeted him, “good sleep,
you look refreshed.”

 “Yes thank you, a great bit
of shut eye and I’m ready to let you two have a few hours if you think I’m
capable of keeping a true course.”

“We’ve rounded the Tumbas and
it’s a straight course to Cayman, and at this speed we should be in Georgetown
at twenty three hundred hours.” He handed over to Henry, “she’s taking a turn
to port and if you need us just shout down the hatch, I’m light sleeper.”

“Aye-aye sir it’s steady as
she goes.”

 Henry was confident at
steering and he enjoyed the vigorous feeling of being in command. He felt in
his pocket and took out the beautiful bracelet. It sparkled in the bright
sunlight. It was made up of eight bands each studded with two large diamonds
and one emerald. He put it back in his pocket and thought he would use it to
reward Roy and Maud. Who should own it is open to speculation and if he gave it
to the authorities it could lay in some dusty safe for years before some
corrupt official removed it.

 The first lights of Cayman
appeared at twenty one hundred hours and Roy was pleased with his E.T.A. When
they dropped anchor an hour and a half later, Henry stood on the deck and
viewed the collection of boats moored in the harbor, but it was pointless
searching for the Marita Ann until daylight. Maud was brewing up some cocoa and
Henry fiddled with the bracelet in his pocket, he took it out and wondered at
its exquisite beauty under the light of a hanging lantern. He pulled the
make-shift knife out of his belt and placed the bracelet on the rail and with
the knife between the bands, he loosed one, he then threw the knife over the
side, “you did your job,” he murmured.

“Cocoa’s ready Henry,” said
the motherly voice in the little galley.

The table was laid and they sat
with steaming mugs and an array of biscuits, toasted buns with honey, and bully
beef sandwiches with the beef protruding at the sides.

 “Maud this is excellent
fare, it would do any four star hotel justice.”

 Roy mumbled with a half full
mouth, “get stuck
in Henry, you must be starved.”

 “I am.”

 They ate with relish and
then Henry looked at both of them in turn and asked would they be offended if
he offered some compensation for their help and co-operation without which he’d
still be in Cuba. Maud looked at Roy and they both just stared and said
nothing.

“It’s a part of a bracelet; I
came across while following this man. It belonged to a lady who I could only
describe as a Mafia moll. What would happen to it if I was to give it to the
authorities I just don’t know. The lady in question was killed by this man I’m
following. So who would own the bracelet which I’m sure was bought originally
with ill-gotten money, so as far as I’m concerned, part of it should be used as
just reward for apprehending this murderer.”

He placed the section on the
table and the two large diamonds set at either side the emerald sparkled, even
in the dim light of the cabin lamp.

 Maud put her hand to her
mouth and gasped. “My Lord they’re beautiful.”

 Roy breathed a loud sigh,
“they’re worth a king’s ransom, really Henry do you think we should?”

 “Yes, you should, for being
true trustworthy friends and law abiding people. Keep them safe until you
decide what best to do with them.” He smiled at Maud, “one of those would make
a rock of a ring.”

 She picked it up and looked
in wonder at the beautiful craftsmanship that made it. “Its solid gold and the
stones are set in platinum claws.”

 They both thanked Henry and
then all hands hit the bunks for a deserved night’s sleep.

 The next morning, Roy was
first out. He checked the anchor cable, it was holding fine then he raised his
binoculars and searched the yachts lying at anchor all around the harbor. He
knew what the Marita Ann looked like; a big powerful motor launch. The light
filtered brighter as the sun rose hot and clear for another scorcher of a day.
He searched the boats moored at the docks but they were too closely moored to
read their names.

Henry came out rubbing sleep
from his eyes, “any sign of her Roy?”

 “I’m afraid not, but I
haven’t made out the names of a lot of them, the ones in the dock are too close
together to read from here. Henry; lower the dinghy and go ashore, then walk
the docks and look for her. It’s the only way you’ll find her among this lot.”

 “I suppose so, that’s if
she’s here at all.”

Henry paddled ashore in the
little dinghy and Roy continued to search the boats at anchor. There were a few
that could be her but he couldn’t read their names, they were either blocked by
other boats or turned the wrong way. He went and made a cup of tea without
waking Maud. Let her enjoy her sleep he thought as he looked in and saw how
peacefully she was slumbering.

As Henry walked the docks he
was amazed at the number of yachts moored up. Most of them he believed were
from Cuba. He strolled back and forth and checked and double checked. He even
went as far as scrutinizing the names to see if any had been painted over. He
was becoming more disappointed and despondent by the minute. As he watched the
boats coming to life and people moving about on their decks, the smell of
frying breakfast and the happy sounds of people enjoying life. He considered
going to the police headquarters but to what avail if Tukola wasn’t here. He
got into the dinghy and paddled back to the Sea Falcon

 “Any luck Henry?”

“Not a sign,” he replied, dejection
written all over his face.

“Don’t worry, all is not
lost. There’s a launch about a mile away and she looks very much like our baby,
but I just can’t read her name. We’ll have to go over in the dinghy and
investigate.”

Roy was enjoying this
detective work now and he felt proud he was an integral part of an important
surveillance. Henry put a few slices of bacon from the pan between his bread
and went out on deck where Roy handed him the binoculars.

“Look over there between
those two yachts,” he pointed and Henry focused the glasses.

 “From what I remember of
seeing her in the dark, it could be her, but I cannot make out a name. It
should be on her stern but it’s just blank.”

 Roy took the glasses and looked.

 “Yes, it seems from here the
name’s blanked out, come on lets go.”

Roy shipped the two small
oars and with a deft stroke weaved his way in around yachts until they were
twenty yards from the launch. They both looked and Roy’s shrewd eyes noticed the
jolly boat was missing off her davit. He rowed a bit closer. “look!” he
exclaimed to Henry. “There’s a length of canvas hanging down over her name.”

They rowed even closer and
Henry put his hand down into his stocking and felt for the hand gun. He was
tense and he didn’t want to put Roy in any danger. They were alongside the
small ladder and they could hear the hum of the generators.

 Roy shouted, “anybody
aboard, custom officials coming on board.”

They waited with bated
breath, but there was no reply, the silence palpable, he shouted again, “coming
on board.” Again, there was no reply.

Roy looked at Henry and said in
a sharp and serious voice, “Give me that hand gun. If he’s there he won’t know
me, don’t worry I served my time in the The Green Howards and I know how to
handle this if it gets rough.”

 Henry was astounded that Roy
even knew he had a gun, he must remember to ask him later how he found that one
out. He handed him the small gun, and Roy tucked it into his belt like a
professional. He climbed on board and Henry could hear him shouting down the
companionway.

“Anyone on board, custom
officials,”

He went below and saw where
there had been a struggle; charts and navigational books were scattered around
as if in frustration and anger and there was blood on a bulkhead. He went to
the engine room hatch and looked down; there was no one on board. Back on deck
he took the dinghy rope and tied her.

 “Come on board and see
what’s happened here.”

 Roy went aft and pulled up
the loose canvas to reveal the name, Marita Ann. It was not tampered with just
covered up. Henry searched through the cabins and noted the scattered and
broken furniture of what seemed to be a struggle and the blood. He touched
nothing as the finger print team from shore would want a clear run. He saw the
small safe forced open and emptied. The ship’s log was lying on the deck and
seemed intact.

Roy looked down and said in
an authoritative voice, “we better go ashore and notify the authorities. What
do you say Henry?”

 “Yes, he’s ashore here and
dangerous, the sooner he’s caught the better.”

 They rowed to the dock and
Henry left Roy and made his way to the police station. He was ushered into the
office of the chief constable. He was a man in his early fifties, colonial to
the core, born in The Caymans as his father before him, a career policeman. He
was surprised when Henry introduced himself and intrigued as the story
unfolded.

“A serious fellow this Tukola.
He will have to be apprehended as soon as possible, but where to start? You reckon
he probably arrived yesterday. Let me check with the port authorities. I’ll
immediately get a team out to the launch. What’s the boat’s name again?” He
wrote it down. Henry, can you go and meet the man I’m going to put in charge of
this? His name is Monty Simms.”

Henry stood up.

“Sorry old boy, I forgot to
introduce myself, the name’s Gordon Mummery.”

 “Gordon sir, I have a couple
of things I would like you to do for me in your capacity of chief constable. Firstly,
when I left the ship the Rangoon, I didn’t inform the captain because as I told
you, it happened too quickly to tell anyone. So I would like you to send a
communication to the British Ambassador in Havana and get him to write or send
someone to explain to the captain what has happened. There is also a box under
the mattress of my bunk which I wish him to retrieve and put in safe keeping
prior to being handed over to Scotland Yard when the ship arrives in a home
port. This box I took from Tukola’s cabin and it contains what I might term
trophies retrieved from his victims. Warn the captain it holds items which will
cause him distress and he may not want to open it.”

 Gordon Mummery looked with
astonishment.

 “Good grief, Henry, this man
will have to be caught quickly.”

“The next thing I want you to
do for me is to restore my proper passport,” he said as he handed over his
passport in the name of Henry Tyler.

“I’ll make this priority and
have your new passport tomorrow - it’ll be a Cayman Island one.”

 “Suits me fine.”

Shaking hands he left the
office.

 “Right, I must go and meet
Monty Simms.”

 Things moved fast; Monty was
a young and active policeman who never had a lot to do in investigative work
and he relished the challenge. He didn’t think going to the launch would
achieve much, “We’ll leave that to the fingerprint men.” His slim frame and
bronze skin lent him a Hollywood appearance, sharp hazel eyes and black wavy
hair - a lady’s man without even trying, Henry thought, then noticed the gold
wedding band on his finger. This didn’t detract from his efficiency as a
detective. He spread a map of Georgetown on the desk and marked in the launch.

“The next thing is we will
have to find out where the small boat is and see where he came ashore. I’ll
send a man to search around the area to find that boat. I also want a good
description of the killer and we’ll have his details posted to all corners of
this island before evening.”

 “I have a man down the
street who will make up a sketch and you can view it later. Henry, this is
going to take me about half an hour to put in motion so why don’t you go for a
walk around and God knows what you might see - even him. You also mentioned the
attaché case full of money and jewels. What is your opinion of what he might do
with it?”

 “I would personally think he’d
stash it somewhere and not carry it with him.”

 Monty folded the map and
turning his head to look out the window he wrinkled his forehead.

 “Yes, I was thinking along
those same lines. Will you come back to me in an hour?”

 “Will do.”

 Henry walked along Elgin
Avenue and out to Shedden Road. He glanced at every male of the same skin color
and age as Tukola. Now that he knew for certain he was around, he could show up
any place. Tukola he was sure, would be confident walking around here, and
never for a moment harboring a thought he was being hunted by Henry or the
local police. Having the element of surprise on their side was their key to
catching him. He went into the first shop selling tourist items, and to
disguise himself he bought a Panama hat, a pair of sunglasses and a colorful
shirt; the type a typical tourist would wear. He changed in the shop’s changing
room and carried his old shirt in the shopping bag. He looked at himself in a
mirror in the shop and thought yes, I don’t even recognize myself! He sat
outside a coffee shop sipping iced tea and munching cookies. The street was
busy with shoppers and tourists. When I see Monty later, he mused, I’ll suggest
that if they find the small tender boat from the launch they should leave it where
it is and have a plain clothes man watch it in case he returns to it.