Consider Yourself Dead

Six

Frost had just finished dressing when Suka came to the cabin.

Frost had slept badly. Although Gina had seemingly agreed excitedly to the idea of her being kidnapped, she worried him. He was almost sure that she was reefer smoking, and had been high the previous night. Suppose when she sobered up, she had a change of mind? He had rehearsed over and over again what she had to do.

At exactly three o’clock on Sunday morning, she was to I go to the guardroom. There she would find Marvin drugged. She was to press the red button on the third row I on the panel and wait for at least ten minutes. Then she was to press the fourth button in the same row. She was then to go straight to the harbour where she would find a boat waiting for her.

‘Marvellous! Wonderful! Exciting!’ she had said, and repeated what he had said, but he kept wondering if she would remember to press the right buttons. If she pressed a wrong button, every cop in Paradise City would be arriving. The thought made him sweat.

As Suka tapped, then peered into the cabin, Frost scowled at him.

‘What do you want?’ he demanded aggressively.

‘Mr. Grandi asks for you,’ Suka said. ‘Please to come with me.’

Alert, Frost followed him along the path and into the villa. Suka conducted him into the room where Frost had met Grandi before.

Grandi was behind his desk. Standing by the window, his hands behind his back, was Amando.

Frost paused in the doorway, aware that Suka had faded away.

‘Come in, Frost,’ Grandi said.

Frost moved up to the big desk while Grandi stared up at him.

‘I am leaving now,’ Grandi said. ‘I’ve talked to Marvin. From now on, Frost, you are in charge. Marvin will do what you say. Understand?’

‘If you say so, sir,’ Frost said, startled.

‘That’s what I’m saying. You have more experience than he has. This has been explained to him. From now on you get nine hundred dollars a week.’

‘Thank you, sir,’ Frost said, stiffly.

Grandi leaned forward, his stubby finger pointing at Frost.

‘You’ll earn it! My daughter is to remain here! If anything goes wrong, I’ll make you wish you were dead! Understand?’

Frost looked into the ruthless, evil little eyes and felt himself flinch.

‘Yes, sir.’ He paused, then went on, ‘I told you...’

Grandi cut him short with a wave of his hand.

‘I know what you told me. My daughter stays here! Do you understand?’

Frost drew in a deep breath.

‘Yes, sir.’

Grandi swung around to Amando.

‘You hear what he said?’

‘Yes, Mr. Grandi.’

‘Right,’ Grandi made a gesture of dismissal.

‘Excuse me, sir,’ Frost said, ‘but as I am in charge now, I want to know where I can contact you.’

Grandi leaned back in his chair, staring at Frost.

‘Why?’

Frost wanted to lick his dry lips, but he stopped in time.

‘In case of any emergency, sir.’

‘What emergency?’ The ruthless eyes bored into Frost.

Suddenly, Frost lost his fears of this squat tycoon.

‘How the hell do I know?’ he snarled in his cop voice. ‘Anything can happen! If you want to stay out of sight, it’s your funeral, but if this guy, Amando, walks under a truck, if Marvin falls into the lagoon, if I break my goddamn neck somehow, this, to me is an emergency. You following me, Mr. Grandi?’

Grandi relaxed.

‘You have made your point, Frost.’ He scribbled on a scratch pad, tore off the sheet and shoved it across the desk. ‘Any time, you can reach me.’

Frost took the sheet, stepped back, and said, ‘Thank you, sir.’

‘I’m relying on you,’ Grandi said.

‘That you can do, sir,’ Frost said, then he walked out f of the room, and shut the door behind him.

An hour later, back in his cabin, Frost watched, through the big window, Grandi drive away in the Rolls.

He then walked to the guardroom where he found Marvin.

‘Hi, boss,’ Marvin said as Frost walked in.

‘Cut it out, Jack,’ Frost said. ‘We’re both in this racket. Don’t blame me for Grandi’s ideas. We’re here to make a living. I’m no more boss than you.’

Marvin grinned wryly.

‘Yeah... so let’s earn a living. So you’re in charge now. Do you have any extra ideas?’

‘The setup is sweet to me. I’m going for a swim. Remember? It’s my day off.’

‘You think about it, Mike. Maybe you could have ideas.’

Frost walked up to him and gave him a playful thump on his chest.

‘We’re organised, Jack. No problem. This fink’s just shooting off with his mouth.’

Marvin relaxed.

‘When dealing with a thug like him, anything can happen. Okay, Mike, we work together.’

Although his date with Silk was at 18.00, Frost decided there was no point in waiting, so when he left Marvin, he drove to the Ace of Spades, arriving there a little after 14.20.

The restaurant was crowded, but Umney, moving around, showing his teeth at the clients, saw Frost as he came in, and he came quickly to his side.

‘Where’s Silk?’ Frost demanded.

‘He’s busy,’ Umney said, ‘but he’ll be free in half an hour. How about some lunch, Mike?’

‘Where’s Marcia?’

‘On her back. I haven’t eaten yet. Let’s you and me have a lobster salad... right?’

Frost found he was hungry.

‘Okay.’

Umney led him to a side room. A waiter materialised.

‘A drink?’

‘Sure... gin on the rocks.’ Frost sat at the table, and looked around. In a corner, two girls were eating. One was wearing black slacks and was topless; her tiny breasts were like poached eggs. Her companion was lush, blonde and stupid looking. On the far side of the room was a fat, elderly man caressing the hand of a blond boy who was giggling.

As the waiter brought the drinks, Frost said, ‘Nice people you have here.’

‘Turds, but they have the money,’ Umney said indifferently, ‘and we are all after the money.’

‘You can say that again,’ Frost said.

The lobster salad was served.

As they began to eat, Umney said, ‘You got it fixed, Mike?’

‘I’ve got it fixed,’ Frost said.

Umney forked lobster into his mouth.

‘Lu will be glad to hear the news.’

‘Rest your mouth, Ross, I’m eating,’ Frost said.

They finished lunch in silence, then Frost pushed back his chair.

‘Go find Silk,’ he said.

Umney found Silk in the shooting range. Silk had just won three thousand dollars off a playboy who thought he was the best shot in the city until he had challenged Silk.

‘Frost’s here,’ Umney said. ‘He says he’s fixed it. He’s acting tough.’

‘They all act tough,’ Silk said, handing his pistol to Moses. ‘Let’s see what he has come up with. Where’s Mitch?’

‘Stuffing his gut... where else?’

Five minutes later, Frost, Silk, Umney and Goble were sitting around the table in the room overlooking the swimming pool.

The three men listened while Frost talked.

‘So it’s on,’ Frost concluded. ‘I could have a slight problem with the girl. She’s a reefer smoker. She wants to be kidnapped. Could be, at the last moment, she’ll change her mind. This is a risk we’ll have to take.’

‘So long as she neutralises the fence so we can get in,’ Silk said, ‘she can change her goddamn mind as often as she likes.’

‘Now I want the pill for Marvin,’ Frost said.

Silk produced a tiny pillbox.

‘All you have to do is drop it in his drink. Within six hours, he won’t know what’s hit him.’

‘For how long?’

‘Guaranteed for seven hours.’

‘So, I dope this drink at eight o’clock and he gets knocked out at two o’clock, and he surfaces at nine...right?’

‘That’s guaranteed.’

‘And Amando?’

‘Marcia will fix him. He’ll come to the surface around the same time.’

‘So, okay, let’s get down to the paperwork. I want to see the ransom note.’

Umney opened a briefcase and took from it a sheet of paper.

‘Here it is... it’s a draft, but if you want it changed, we’ll try again.’

The ransom note was brief:

Frost nodded.

‘Okay. Now how about the order to the bank he has to sign?’

Umney produced another paper. This was a letter to be signed by Grandi to the National Bank, Lugano, instructing them to transfer thirty million dollars from account No. G/556007 to account No. N/88073, Ferandi Bank, Zurich.

Frost looked at Silk.

‘What’s this 88073 account?’

‘For years, I have had a numbered account with Ferandi,’ Silk said quietly. ‘They know me, so there is no problem paying in thirty million. It’s a private bank and they deal with people who want to sweep money under the carpet: tax evasion, Presidents who don’t think they will last long, film stars... no problem.’

‘So the money goes into your own personal numbered account?’

‘There’s no way else to do it, but we’re all covered.’ Silk nodded to Umney who produced another paper.

Frost studied it. This was an order to Ferandi Bank to pay to each of the signatures (on production of passports) the sum of five million dollars drawn from the thirty million dollars of account G/556007, National Bank, Lugano, and to pay from this account the sum of ten million dollars to Mr. Guiseppe Vessi at his request.

‘We all sign,’ Umney said, ‘and each has a copy. When we have the girl, I telephone Grandi. I arrange to meet him at the Three Square motel which is a good meeting place with plenty of cover. Lu and Mitch will be there, but of sight.’ He paused, then went on, ‘He can’t afford to be tricky, but we have you as an inside man. If you think he’s calling the cops or acting smart, you’ll alert me. I have a gimmick here,’ he took from the briefcase a small, flat box. ‘This is a bleeper. You have this, I have another. If you think Grandi is going to act smart, all you have to do is to press this little button and my bleeper is activated, and the operation is cancelled, but to my thinking, he can’t afford to be tricky.’

‘Okay,’ Frost said. ‘So you have the signed banker’s order. What happens then?’

‘Lu flies to Zurich and checks the transfer. He gives me the green light when the money has arrived. Then we release the girl. Then when the smoke’s died down, say in a week, we three fly out and join Lu. We each take our share and split up. How do you like it?’

Frost sat still while he thought, then turned to Silk.

‘What happens if one of us dies?’

Silk’s face turned wooden.

‘Who’s talking about dying?’

‘I am,’ Frost said, then leaning forward, staring at Silk, he went on, ‘I want life insurance. There’s nothing to stop any of you three putting a bullet in me as soon as you have the banker’s order. I’m not signing anything unless there’s a clause put in this agreement. I either get it or the deal’s off.’

‘What clause?’ Silk asked.

‘If within one month from the date of Grandi’s order, any one of us doesn’t claim his share, his share goes anonymously to Oxfam.’ Frost smiled at Silk. ‘Don’t think I’m being charitable. It means it won’t be worth your while or your risk to kill me, and it won’t be worth my while or risk to kill you three. Get the idea?’

Silk laughed.

‘Okay.’ He looked at Umney. ‘Fix it the way he wants it, Ross.’

Umney shrugged, then grinned at Frost.

‘I’m getting the idea, Mike, you don’t trust any of us.’

‘You can say that again,’ Frost said, then getting to his feet, he went on, ‘I’m taking a swim. I’ll be back in an hour. Have it fixed by then.’

When he had gone, Goble said, ‘I warned you he is a smart sonofabitch, Lu.’

‘He’s looking after himself,’ Silk said, and smiled his evil smile.

Before returning to the Grandi estate, Frost stopped off at the National Florida Bank and lodged his copy of the agreement in a safe deposit box. He was now reasonably sure that he had covered himself, but he was taking no chances. When dealing with a thug like Silk, one thoughtless slip could be the last.

Two more days to D-Day! he thought as he let himself into his cabin. Everything now depended on Gina. If she changed her mind, if she pressed the wrong button...! He wondered what she was doing right now. As he had driven up to the villa, he had seen Amando, at a table, covered with papers, on the terrace, but there had been no sign of Gina.

He changed into his uniform, then later, walked to the guardroom. The time was now 19.75, and he found Marvin, relaxed, before the monitors.

‘Had a good day, Mike?’ Marvin asked, turning.

‘Building up my tan.’ Frost sat down by his side. ‘Any excitements?’

‘She’s sick,’ Marvin said, lighting a cigarette.

Frost stiffened.

‘Come again?’

‘I didn’t see her around so I asked Old Creepy. He said she was in bed, and not to worry.’

Jesus! Frost thought. It only wants this!

‘Something bad?’

Marvin shrugged indifferently.

‘You know girls... they have troubles. There’s been no doctor, so I guess it’s the usual thing.’

‘Who the hell would want to be a girl?’ Frost said, drawing in a deep breath.

‘Yeah. Anyway, I didn’t have to keep my eye on her.’ Marvin flicked ash, then went on, ‘You know something? Strictly between ourselves, I think the girl’s not right in her head. I think she’s as nutty as a fruit cake.’

Frost became very alert.

‘What makes you say that, Jack?’

‘I’ve seen a lot more of her than you have,’ Marvin said. ‘She doesn’t act like a normal girl. There’s something about her that really bothers me... spooky could be the word.’

Frost thought of Gina’s glittering eyes, the touch of her fingers, her wish that her father was dead. Spooky, he thought, was a good word.

‘You can’t expect any girl living like a caged animal to be normal,’ he said.

‘There’s that.’ Marvin rubbed his jaw, then shrugged. ‘She asked me to give her a gun.’

Frost stared at him.

‘A gun?’

‘She said she would feel safer to have a gun. She told me she was scared of Old Creepy. She said when she was alone with him, she felt he wanted to rape her.’

‘It would scare me to have Old Creepy continually around me. So what did you tell her?’

‘I told her no way, and that either you or I were always around so she had nothing to be scared about.’

Just then there came a tap on the door, signalling to them their dinner had arrived. Suka, following Grandi’s instructions, no longer came into the guardroom.

Frost got to his feet, unlocked the door and stepped into the dimly lit hall in time to see Suka walking away. He brought in the two trays.

‘Looks good,’ he said, setting down the trays. ‘I’ll get the beers.’

He went to the refrigerator, took out two cans, opened them with his back turned to Marvin. Saturday night, he reminded himself, he would repeat the performance, but into Marvin’s can, he would drop the pill Silk had given him.

‘I’m damn grateful I’ve got a boy,’ Marvin said, as they began to eat. ‘On Sunday, I’m taking him to the funfair. He’s crazy about riding the dodgems.’

During the meal, Marvin talked on about his son while Frost half listened, then when Marvin had gone, Frost settled down before the monitors. He watched the dogs being released. This was routine, his mind was on Gina.

Around midnight, still worrying about Gina, he went to the door leading to the villa, unlocked it and edged it open. The hall was in darkness. He stood listening, then hearing no sound, he took from his hip pocket a small flashlight, stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him. He was aware of the risk he was taking. If Amando caught him, the operation would be blown, but the urge to check on Gina, to make sure she wasn’t really ill, to once again check she still wanted to be kidnapped, compelled him forward.

Moving fast, cat-like, silently, he climbed the stairs, paused at the head of them, listened, then went quickly to Gina’s room. He turned the handle, pressed and the door yielded. As it opened, he saw there was a faint light. Moving fast, he entered the room and closed the door.

Gina, a dim bedside light illuminating her, was lying in bed. She started up, staring at him, then her face, half in shadow, lit up.

‘Mike!’ she whispered, sat up and stretched out her arms to him. ‘I’ve been waiting and waiting.’

He came to the bed, catching hold of her hands.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked. ‘Marvin said you were sick.’

She giggled: a sound that made Frost’s nerves creep.

‘I’m fine. I didn’t want to see the kinky old creep again So I took to my bed.’ Her fingers moved along his arms. ‘Let’s make love. Mike! I have this thing for you. I’ve been waiting and waiting.’

Why did her dry fingers remind him of the feel of spider’s legs? He swept aside her hands, looking at her. Yes... as Marvin had said... spooky was the right word.

‘No way,’ he said, his voice low and harsh. ‘Listen, baby, it’s all fixed. I’m taking a hell of a risk, but I had to I have a word with you. When I heard you had gone sick, I was scared. You remember what you have to do, and you’ll be free.’

Her hands moved along his trouser legs, but again he swept them away.

‘Gina! Later. We’ll have all the loving you’ll ever need, but I must get back to the guardroom. You really remember what you have to do?’

She dropped back on her pillow and made a grimace.

‘Of course I do. Three o’clock on Sunday morning, I go to the guardroom, press the red button on the third row of the panel. This recalls the dogs. I wait ten minutes, then press the fourth button on the same row. Then I go down to the harbour where your friends are waiting...right?’

‘That’s it.’ Frost got to his feet and forced a smile. ‘Do all that, and you’ll be free to live your thing.’

He moved to the door, waved to her, eased open the door, looked into the dark corridor, then made his way silently back to the guardroom.

As he settled before the monitors, he told himself he had taken every possible precaution. The operation, which would make him five million dollars, was now in the lap of the gods.

Friday and Saturday dragged by.

Frost kept clear of the Ace of Spades. He spent the long hours on the beach. His mind concentrated on what five million dollars would mean to him. Every so often some dolly in a skimpy bikini came over to him and asked if he was lonely. He waved them away. There would be time, when he got the money, to think about dolly birds.

Saturday night finally arrived.

This was it, he thought as he walked to the guardhouse. He had the pill for Marvin. He had telephoned Marcia who told him Amando was keeping his usual appointment at 21.00, and she would slip him the pill.

Frost found Marvin in the guardroom.

‘Had a good day?’

The routine question.

‘Fine... and you?’

‘She’s up and about. No problems.’

Frost went to the refrigerator.

‘I’ve got a thirst. Join me?’

‘Whoever refuses beer?’

Frost got two cans from the refrigerator, turned his back on Marvin, opened the cans and dropped the pill into one of them. He poured the drinks into glasses, then gave Marvin the doped glass. They drank. Marvin sighed, ‘Tomorrow I see my son.’

Tomorrow, Frost thought as he drank, all hell will break loose.

They talked, then there came a tap on the door.

‘Dinner time,’ Frost said, and went to the door. He carried in the two trays.

As they began to eat, Marvin said, ‘The day’s stint is easy, Mike. All you have to do is walk around and look busy. Old Creepy will be watching you. Keep away from Gina. Don’t talk to her. Just keep walking around.’

‘Sure.’ Frost finished the meal, then pushed back his chair. ‘I’m having an early night. See you tomorrow at eight... okay?’

Marvin grinned at him.

‘Don’t be late. I want a few hours’ sleep. I’m picking my son up at midday.’

‘I’ll be here,’ Frost said, then walked to his cabin. He let his alarm clock to go off at 01.00, then slipping out of his uniform, he stretched out on the bed and turned off the light, but he didn’t sleep.

The hours crept by. Nine — ten — eleven — midnight. Impatiently, he turned on the light, then sat up. Another three hours! He found he was sweating. Getting off the bed he took a cold shower. What was Gina doing? He was still uneasy about her. Drying himself, he felt the pressure. Suppose she blew her cork? He remembered what Marvin had said: she’s as nutty as a fruit cake. He grimaced, shrugging. There was nothing he could do now. He had to hope.

He put on slacks and a black shirt, then he turned off the light and sat by the window. He saw one of the dogs go by. He sat there, from time to time, looking at his strap watch. The hands crawled around to 02.00, moved on while Frost sat motionless. By now, if he could rely on Silk, Marvin was knocked out. Amando too should be knocked out. He wiped the sweat off his face with the back of his hand. Suppose Gina had fallen asleep? There was nothing he could do, except wait.

So he waited. Then when the hands of his watch crawled to three, he stood up. If Gina hadn’t chickened out, she I would be now leaving her bedroom, making her way down; the stairs to the guardroom. She would first press the button that released the silent dog whistle. It would take some ten minutes before the dogs returned to their compound.

Frost remained at the window, his heart thumping, his mouth dry. Then, after an interminable wait of ten minutes, he pulled his gun from its holster and stepped out into the hot, humid air.

He began a slow, cautious, silent walk towards the guardroom, his eyes searching the darkness, ready to shoot if one of the dogs pounced on him. He reached the guardroom without incident.

Drawing in a deep breath of relief, he opened the guardroom door and moved in.

The room was lit. The shady light from the monitors made square puddles. Marvin lay, sprawled back in one of the chairs.

Frost took him in with a glance, then he looked at the alarm panel. The red button recalling the dogs was alight. Further along, the other red button that neutralised the fence was also alight.

So she had remembered and she had done it!

Frost bent over Marvin, looked carefully at him, then nodded. The pill had worked!

He stood motionless, thinking of Gina who by now must have reached the harbour. She would find the boat waiting for her.

Frost wiped the sweat off his face.

The first stage of the operation had worked!

Umney steered the motorboat towards the Grandi harbour. Goble sat in the bow. The time now was 03.17. The lagoon was in darkness.

‘More to your right,’ Goble said, ‘take it dead slow.’

Umney cut the engine and the boat drifted forward.

Both men were tense. Silk had left the job to them.

‘Collect her and bring her back here,’ he had ordered.

Goble turned on the powerful flashlight he was holding.

‘There she is! Let’s go!’

The boat surged forward as Umney opened up. Still keeping the beam of the light on the harbour, both men could see Gina standing on the harbour wall.

She waved to them as the boat came alongside.

‘Hi there!’ she exclaimed. ‘Are you Mike’s friends?’

‘That’s right, Miss Grandi,’ Umney said. He had been warned by Silk to give her the V.I.P. treatment ‘Hold a moment.’

Leaving Goble to secure the boat, he clambered on to the harbour wall by her side.

‘No problems, Miss Grandi?’

She released a giggle.

‘Absolutely super. I have things with me.’

By her was a big suitcase and an air travel bag.

‘I’ll take care of them,’ Umney said, and passed the items of luggage down to Goble.

‘Where are we going?’ Gina asked.

‘We have everything fixed for you, Miss Grandi,’ Umney said. ‘Let me help you.’

She looked down at the boat, then moved to him, leaning against him, ‘I don’t want to fall in.’

Umney felt her fingers move on his body. She giggled again.

‘You’re quite a man,’ she said.

He swung her off her feet and lowered her into the boat which Goble steadied.

What the hell have I got here? he thought, but the feel of her fingers excited him.

Climbing by her, he revved up the engine and backed the boat out of the harbour.

Gina regarded Goble in the semi-darkness. Her fingers touched his fat larded shoulder, and she drew away.

‘You eat too much,’ she said, and joined Umney.

Umney laughed as she sat by his side and pressed herself against him.

At 07.30, Frost, who hadn’t slept, put on his uniform. He had shaved carefully, had showered, but looking in the mirror as he was shaving, he saw his face was tight drawn, and there were black shadows under his eyes. He waited until 07.50, then leaving his cabin, he walked to the guardroom. He knew that at exactly 08.00, Suka would bring the breakfast trays. He would tap on the door and go away.

Frost entered the guardroom.

Marvin lay, slumped in the lounging chair, snoring and breathing heavily.

Frost acted out his part. He pulled Marvin upright, shook him, then let him drop back in the chair, as he did so there came a tap on the door.

Suka!

Bracing himself, Frost opened the door.

Suka was moving off.

‘Suka!’ Frost snapped. ‘Marvin’s ill or something. Take a look at him!’

Suka paused, turned to stare at Frost, then moving by him, he entered the guardroom. He bent over Marvin, shook him, then looked up, his face expressionless.

‘Drugged.’

Still acting out his part, Frost swung around and stared at the alarm panel.

‘The fence has been neutralised!’ he exclaimed. ‘Check on Miss Grandi! I’ll alert Amando. Where do I find him?’

‘I do it,’ Suka said, and moving rapidly, he rushed up the stairs.

Frost stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting. He looked at his strap watch. The time was now 08.05. In another five minutes, Silk would telephone.

Suka appeared at the head of the staircase.

‘Miss Gina not here! Mr. Amando drugged!’

‘Search the house!’ Frost said. ‘Make sure she isn’t here!’

As Suka came down the stairs, the telephone bell in the guardroom began ringing.

‘Hold it!’ Frost said. He beckoned to Suka. ‘This could be trouble. I want you to hear. Use the extension!’

As Suka picked up the extension receiver, Frost snatched up the other receiver.

‘Yes?’

‘Tell Grandi this is a snatch.’ Frost guessed Silk was talking behind a handkerchief, but his voice still sounded menacing. ‘We have his daughter. We’ll call again tomorrow at this time. Tell him no cops,’ and the line went lead.

As Frost replaced the receiver, he looked at Suka who was staring at him.

‘Could be a hoax,’ he said. ‘Check the house. Make sure she isn’t around.’

‘No hoax,’ Suka said, his little black eyes showing alarm. ‘Better call Mr. Grandi.’

Frost snatched up the telephone and called the guard on the barrier at the estate’s entrance. He told him no one was to leave the estate and when the staff arrived they were to be told to take the day off.

‘No one leaves without my permission,’ he said.

‘You got trouble up there?’ the guard demanded.

‘Nothing we can’t handle,’ Frost said curtly. ‘Just follow instructions.’ He hung up, then seeing Suka still hovering in the doorway, he waved him away.

‘Check the house!’

He waited until Suka had gone, then taking from his shirt pocket the New York telephone number Grandi had given him he dialled. As he was waiting for the connection, Marvin moaned, then slowly sat up. He pressed his hands to his eyes.

A voice said from New York, ‘Mr. Grandi’s residence.’

Frost could imagine a prim faced, black butler at the other end of the line.

‘I must talk to Mr. Grandi,’ Frost said. ‘Tell him Frost calling from Orchid Villa. This is an emergency.’

‘Yes, sir.’

There was a long pause.

Marvin shook his head, then stared at Frost, his eyes glazed.

‘What the hell goes on?’ he muttered.

Frost waved him to silence as Grandi came on the line.

‘What is it, Frost?’ The snarl in Grandi’s voice was chilling.

‘Miss Grandi has been kidnapped, sir,’ Frost said. ‘The ransom demand will be telephoned here this time tomorrow. They said there’s to be no police action.’

There was a brief pause, then Grandi said, ‘Do nothing until I come. I will arrive in eight hours,’ and he hung up.

‘Kidnapped?’ Marvin staggered to his feet, reeled, then sat down again.

‘You’ve been drugged,’ Frost said, and going out into the lobby, he picked up the big coffee pot and a cup off the waiting breakfast trays and returned to the guardroom.

Marvin drank the coffee, set down the cup, ran his hand over his face and stared at Frost.

‘The girl’s been kidnapped?’

‘Yep. The snatchers have just telephoned. I’ve stopped the staff arriving and I’ve told the guard to let no one out. I’ve just talked to Grandi. He says we do nothing until he arrives in eight hours. I’m going to take a look around. I want to see if they took one of the boats.’

‘Kidnapped? But how?’ Marvin shook his head, shut his eyes, opened them and got unsteadily to his feet. ‘When?’

‘Amando was drugged too. I’ll be back,’ and Frost left the guardroom. He walked fast down to the harbour. The gate to the harbour stood open. He wondered what Gina was doing right now: probably giggling herself silly with excitement.

Leaving the gate as it was, he walked around the estate. By the time he returned to the villa, it was 09.15.

He found Marvin with Amando in the guardroom. He was glad to see Amando looked utterly stricken. He was white and shaking. Frost was sure that when Grandi arrived, Amando would be skinned.

‘She’s gone,’ he said. ‘The boats are all there. Mr. Grandi will be here by 16.00.’ He sat down, waving the other two to chairs. ‘I’m in charge, and it’s my neck that’ll be chopped.’ He talked in his hard cop voice. ‘You two were drugged. How could you have been drugged?’ He glared at Amando.

‘I... I don’t know.’

‘Then you’d better start thinking!’ Frost snapped. ‘Did you have a drink last night?’

‘I have a glass of milk every night. Suka brings it to me.’

Frost looked at Marvin.

‘We had beer, but I opened the cans. That soup! Did it taste odd?’

Marvin had now recovered. He was staring thoughtfully at Frost.

‘It tasted fine.’

‘It could have been doped, couldn’t it?’

‘Then why wasn’t your soup doped?’

Watch it, Frost warned himself, this sonofabitch is a trained cop.

‘This is the way I see it,’ he said. ‘As I told Mr. Grandi, to get at his daughter, there had to be an inside man to neutralise the fence. There are four men on the estate: Mr. Amando, you, myself and Suka. You two were drugged because you were both in the villa. I wasn’t drugged because I was in my cabin, and there is no way I can reach the guardroom to neutralise the fence without getting attacked by the dogs? Right?’

Marvin’s eyes narrowed.

‘I guess that’s right. Suka, huh?’

‘Couldn’t be anyone else.’ Frost looked at Amando.

‘You with me?’

‘Yes... yes,’ he said in a quavering voice. ‘I’ve never trusted Suka.’ He got unsteadily to his feet. ‘I am feeling bad. I must rest before Mr. Grandi comes. I will be in my room,’ and he walked unsteadily from the guardroom.

‘This is the end of the road for him,’ Frost said, as the door closed.

‘Let’s get that yellow sonofabitch in here and grill him!’ Marvin said.

‘No! We do nothing until Grandi arrives. Those were his orders. As soon as he arrives, we’ll take Suka apart.’

‘So we sit around here for eight goddamn hours, doing nothing?’

‘That’s what I’ve got to do, but you’re officially off-duty. Go and get some sleep.’

Marvin poured more coffee.

‘I couldn’t sleep.’ He drank, then sighed. ‘Gee! My kid’s going to be disappointed. I promised to take him to the fun fair. I’d better call Mrs. Washington and tell her I won’t be coming.’

‘Why do that? Why disappoint the kid? Grandi won’t be here until 16.00. That gives you at least six hours to be with your kid. Go on, see him, and get back here before 14.00. Why not?’

Marvin hesitated, then his face lit up.

‘I’ve never broken a promise to him... not ever. Do you think it’ll be all right, Mike?’

‘Sure. I’ll just have to sit around, counting my fingers. The action won’t start until Grandi gets here. Go on, get off.’

Still Marvin hesitated.

‘How about Suka?’

‘We have him trapped,’ Frost said. ‘The guard won’t let him out and the fence is electrified. I intend to stay right here by the telephone in case they call again. I intend to lock myself in when you’ve gone. No problem.’

‘Well, then if you’re sure, I’ll get off.’

‘I’ll alert the guard to let you out. Have a ball with your kid.’ Frost reached for the telephone and gave the guard instructions to let Marvin out and let him in on his return, then he went on to the guard, ‘Mr. Grandi will be arriving around 16.00. Let him in,’ and he hung up.

After some twenty minutes, he saw Marvin drive away in the T.R.7.

At their last meeting, Frost had told Silk of his idea of making Suka the fall guy, and Silk had approved. He had told Silk what he then was going to do, and again Silk approved.

‘One Jap less is one Jap less,’ Frost had said.

He got to his feet and went to the door leading to the villa and raising his voice, he called, ‘Suka! Hey, Suka!’

Leaving the door open, he returned to the desk and sat down.

After a delay, Suka appeared in the doorway.

‘I want you to go down to the harbour right away,’ Frost said. ‘When I checked the grounds, I found the harbour gate open. I forgot to shut it. I have to stay here by the telephone. Will you go down and shut it?’

Suka nodded.

Frost got up and pressed the button that neutralised the fence.

‘The current’s off,’ he said, trying to speak casually. ‘Go ahead.’

Suka nodded and hurried away.

Frost was aware his heart was thumping. He had never killed a man, but what was one Jap less?

Drawing in a deep breath, he pressed the red button, turning on the current. The moment Suka touched the gate, he would be dead.