White Cargo

33

Cat stood in Vargas’s office. There was no chair in which to sit, so he stood like a recruit before his commander.

“Our cottage has been burgled,” he said.

Vargas stood up. “What?”

Cat was relieved that Vargas looked astonished, and he seized the advantage. “I thought I would give you the opportunity to explain before I brought the matter to the attention of Mr. Prince.”

“Who?”

“The Anaconda.”

Vargas was squirming now, and Cat was rather enjoying it. “Mr. Ellis, it will not be necessary for you to speak with the Anaconda about this. Please tell me what was taken from your cottage.”

“Only a rather expensive Sony portable radio and a pistol, a Smith & Wesson .357 magnum. I am not terribly concerned about the radio, but I would like to have the pistol returned.”

“Mr. Ellis,” Vargas said fervently, “I will conduct an investigation immediately. You may be sure your property will be returned to you.”

Cat was about to thank him when an Indian in a servant’s uniform rushed into the room and began babbling in Spanish, gesticulating wildly. Vargas was even more upset by this news than he had been by Cat’s report.

“Mr. Ellis, if you will excuse me, I will begin my investigation.”

“What’s wrong?” Cat asked, nodding at the servant.

“There has been a murder,” Vargas said.

Cat felt a stab of panic and hoped his expression passed for surprise. “Oh? Who?”

“One of the staff.”

“Do you think this might be in some way connected with the burglary of our cottage?”

“I have not had time to form an opinion about that,” Vargas said. “Please excuse me now. I have much to do.”

Cat left him issuing orders to the servant. As he left the room he glanced into the adjacent communications center. All that equipment, he thought, and no way to use it. He didn’t suppose the Anaconda would allow him to make a telephone call.

He went back to the cottage to shower and change. Meg was dressing.

“So, are we going to take our chances in the jungle?” she asked.

“I hope we won’t have to. With a few breaks we may be able to fly out of here.”

“I would prefer that to walking, if it is at all possible to arrange it.”

“I reported the burglary to Vargas. He was shocked. I think that if Prince had wanted the place searched and robbed, he would have told Vargas to arrange it, and Vargas seemed genuinely surprised. I don’t think he’s that good an actor.”

“Oh, yeah?” Meg came back. “I seem to remember that he persuaded you that he was a cop back in Bogotá.”

“I don’t think he was acting. I think he is a cop, a bent one. I wish he weren’t.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because they’ve already found Denny’s body, and I’d just as soon not have an experienced policeman in charge of the investigation.”

“I see your point,” Meg said. “Still, if we’re getting out of here tomorrow morning, he doesn’t have much time to play policeman.”

“Maybe not, but then he’s not constrained by police practice, is he? He’s promised that the radio and the pistol will be returned. I wouldn’t be surprised if he simply started beating up the staff until somebody confesses. This place is a sort of medieval barony, after all. What does it matter to Vargas and Prince if a few serfs get roughed up?”

Meg sighed. “You’re depressing me.”

Cat shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I have to add my speculation to the problems we already have. What we have to do is to get through today and tonight as normally as possible.”

“Then what? You still haven’t told me your plan.”

“Well, the pilot who brought us here likes to work on his helicopter early in the morning. I had another idea, about the little Maule airplane, but there’s not enough fuel in it, and I’d much rather old Hank flew us out of here in the chopper. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Did you arrange our tennis date?”

“Not yet; I thought it was too early.”

“If we can get Prince and Jinx out to the courts early tomorrow morning, maybe we can force him down to the helicopter.”

“Prince, too?”

“You, Jinx, Dell, and me. I’d thought of leaving Prince with a bullet in his head.”

“Can you do that?”

“I did it to Denny last night. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble pulling the trigger on Prince.” He shot her a sardonic grin. “It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.”

Cat arrived at his scheduled meeting in time to watch Prince approach the podium.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” the Anaconda said. “I believe you have all been well instructed in the pricing structure of our product, and you have seen how, with our system of direct supply, both your profits and mine will be enhanced, since we have no middleman with whom to share. This morning we are going to talk about what to do with those profits. After you have reinvested in more product and in widening your distribution, you will still be left with considerable cash reserves. Today we have with us Mr. Wiener and Mr. Simpson, who are representatives, respectively, of Swiss and Cayman Island banking firms. They will be talking to you about various deposit and investment arrangements in Europe and South America, and when they are finished you will have an opportunity to open accounts with them, if you have not yourselves already made such arrangements. Mr. Wiener?” He waved a short, bald man in a three-piece suit onto the platform.

As Wiener approached the podium, Cat felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Vargas standing behind him.

“Will you come with me, please?” Vargas said.

Cat got up and followed the man outside, through the courtyard of the house, then back into the foyer and upstairs. Vargas opened a door and waited for Cat to precede him. Cat walked into a large, handsomely furnished sitting room and was surprised to find Prince waiting for him, sitting on one of a pair of facing sofas. Apparently, he had known a shorter route to the suite. Several yards behind Prince, sitting at an easel, painting in watercolors, was Jinx. Her attention was focused outside the window.

“Please sit down, Bob,” the Anaconda said. His manner was courteous, but cool.

Cat sat down on the sofa facing Prince, and Vargas sat next to him. They were placed so that Cat could not look at both of them at the same time.

“What do you think of our conference so far?” Prince asked.

“I’m very impressed,” Cat said. “You seem to have left nothing to chance.”

Prince smiled slightly. “It is my way to leave nothing to chance,” he said. “Isn’t that right, Mr. Vargas?”

“That is most certainly correct,” Vargas replied.

“Now,” Prince said, “could you please tell me how you spent last evening?”

“I had dinner in the dining room, then I went to the discotheque.”

“Alone?”

“Yes, Miss Garcia was tired and wanted to retire early.”

“And what did you do at the discotheque?”

“I watched the... performance.”

“Please tell me exactly what you did from the time you entered the discotheque until the time you returned to your cottage.”

Cat took a deep breath. “Well, when I arrived, the show had already started. I stood and watched.”

“Did you see Denny?”

“Who?”

“Denny, my, ah... associate.”

“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,” Cat replied.

“Of course not,” Prince said, almost to himself.

“Did you do anything else while you were at the discotheque?”

Cat shrugged. It seemed best to stick as close to the truth as possible. “I went to the men’s room.”

“For how long?”

“A couple of minutes, I guess. As long as it took.”

“Was anyone else in the men’s room?”

“No... wait, a man came in as I was leaving.”

“Describe him, please.”

“Well, I didn’t pay him much attention. I just brushed past him on the way out.”

“Whatever you can remember.”

“Youngish, shorter than I, sandy hair, moderately long. I’m afraid that’s the best I can do.”

“Did you speak to him, or he to you?”

“No.”

“What did you do when you left the men’s room?”

“I went back and watched the performance.”

“At what point in the show was this?”

“Well, there were two men and a woman at first, then, shortly after I came back, it changed to two women and one man.”

“Did you speak to anyone else while you were there?”

“No.”

“Did you stand next to anyone you knew?”

“It was pretty dark, and there were flashing lights. Anyway, my attention was on the performance.”

Prince smiled. “Yes, I can understand that. What did you do when the performance was over?”

“I didn’t stay that long. The show made me want to return to my cottage.” He managed a little smile. “I left shortly after the second group started.”

“Do you possess a 9-millimeter automatic pistol?” Prince asked.

“I had a .357 magnum until last night.”

Prince frowned. “Of course, the burglary at your cottage last night. What was taken?”

“Only the pistol and a portable radio.”

“Were there other valuables present?”

“I suppose so. I thought perhaps the thief might have been interrupted when Miss Garcia returned to the cottage.”

Prince turned to Vargas. “What steps have you taken?”

“The staff are being questioned,” Vargas said, lamely.

Prince turned back to Cat. “I must apologize,” he said, “but of course everyone who was at the discotheque has to be questioned.”

Cat shrugged. “Of course. I would like to have the pistol back if it’s recovered,” he said.

“Not the radio?”

“I can buy a radio anywhere,” Cat responded, “but I don’t like being in this country without a pistol.”

“Of course.” Prince turned, put his feet on the couch, and placed a pillow at his back. “I have something else to ask you,” he said to Cat, “and I want a full and complete response.”

“What would you like to know?” Cat asked.

“Why do you think that my name is Prince?”

Cat cocked his head. “I’m sorry, isn’t that your name?” he asked, playing for time. He had blown it somewhere along the way, but where? Then he remembered. He had said it to Vargas when he reported the burglary.

“Where did you hear this?” Prince demanded.

“At the reception on the first night,” Cat said. “Perhaps I misunderstood.”

“From whom?”

Cat wrinkled his brow. “From nobody in particular — I mean, it didn’t come from anyone I met. As I remember, I was standing, waiting for a drink at the bar, and someone behind me was talking. Someone said, ‘Anaconda? Doesn’t the man have a name?’ And someone else said, ‘Yes, it’s Prince.’”

“Who was this person?” Prince wanted to know.

“I’m sorry, it was no one I knew. I didn’t even turn around, so I never saw his face. He seemed pretty sure of himself, though. He was quite definite.”

Prince stared at Cat for a long moment without speaking. Finally, he said, “I understand you were looking at airplanes this morning.”

“Yes, I went jogging, and I ended up there.”

“You were asking quite specific questions about an airplane.”

“Yes, the Maule. I saw one demonstrated once, and I was curious to know the technique.”

“You are a pilot?”

“Yes, a very new one. I only got my license recently. I was hoping your man would give me a demonstration, but he said he only barely made it into the clearing and that it wouldn’t be possible to take off from there until more land had been cleared. Apparently, a short-field takeoff isn’t as easy as it looks.”

“So I’m told,” Prince said. He stood up. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer,” he said.

Cat stood. “Will you and your friend join us for some tennis again tomorrow morning?” He nodded at Jinx, who was still absorbed in her painting.

“Fine, eight o’clock?” Prince replied.

“How about seven?” Cat said. “I find I wake up early in the jungle.”

“Seven o’clock then,” Prince said.

Cat followed Vargas to the door, then stopped and turned. “By the way, if my pistol shouldn’t be recovered, do you think I might have a replacement? I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about the street crime in this country.”

Prince walked toward him. “I think we can find you something to take away with you,” he said. He looked down and brushed something off his trousers.

Something caused Cat to look at Jinx. She was no longer looking out the window, painting what she saw. She was looking directly at him. Suddenly, she did something that struck him speechless. She gave him a broad wink.

Cat followed Vargas back downstairs, breathing rapidly. Jinx was coming out of whatever prison she had built in her mind, he knew she was. He had a memory of her, a tiny thing, learning how to wink one eye and keep the other open. It had been one of their personal forms of communication ever since.

He tried to contain his exhilaration. She knew who he was, but did she understand what was going on? And if she did, could she keep her wits about her until tomorrow’s tennis match? She could if she was the old Jinx, he knew. He wondered if, after all she had been through, she could ever be the old Jinx again.