Death in Zanzibar (34 page)

‘I'll say you are!' said Mr Dowling fervently, taking the words in an uncomplimentary sense. ‘You must be mad! Going off like that on your own when
____
'

‘You're wet too. Did you jump in with all your clothes on?'

‘I fell into that bloody bird-bath — that's why I didn't get here a lot sooner. I'm sorry about that. But at least you're not dead. It was a near thing though —
phew!
'

He took out a sopping handkerchief and mopped his wet forehead and Dany said: ‘I think I'm going to be sick.'

‘Here
____
! don't do that,' said Mr Dowling, alarmed. ‘Try another swig of this.'

He reached for a bottle that had been standing on the floor beside him, and lifting Dany's head poured a liberal quantity of some fiery liquid down her throat.

Dany gasped and choked, but the stuff warmed her stomach and helped to dull the excruciating pain in her head. Larry Dowling, having laid her back, took a long pull at the bottle himself and said: ‘Gosh, I needed that!'

He put it down, and lifting Dany, carried her over to the divan and lowered her on to it carefully. ‘Are you feeling any better?'

‘I don't know. What happened? Was I going to drown?'

‘Drown? No. He was stuffing you through the window, and in one more minute
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However, don't let's think of that. Can you stand up?'

‘Who was stuffing me through a window? I don't know what you're —
Nigel!
'

Dany attempted to rise and once again a blinding wave of pain and nausea lashed out at her.

‘Here, take it easy,' urged Larry Dowling anxiously. He sat down beside her and put a dripping arm about her, supporting her.

Dany leant against his wet shoulder and said without opening her eyes: ‘Where is he?'

‘Over there,' said Larry briefly. ‘It's all right. He won't move for hours — if ever. I cracked him over the head with a bottle of gin.'

Dany forced open her eyes again and saw for the first time that Nigel's limp body was lying face downwards on the floor near the window. She could not see his face, but there was a lump on the back of his head the size of a healthy orange, and his hands were joined behind him by links of metal.

She said slowly and stupidly: ‘Handcuffs. Where did you get them?'

Larry Dowling looked slightly embarrassed. ‘As a matter of fact, I thought at one time I'd have to use them on you.'

‘On
me?
'

‘Yes. I've been tailing you for days, young woman. And a tedious dance you've led me. You actually bumped into me once in London — rushing out of the dining-room at the Airlane. I was afraid you might recognize me next day, but you didn't.'

‘
Tailing
me? To get a story? But you're
____
'

‘Only a simple cop, I'm afraid. I'm sorry if it's a disappointment to you. We were going to grab you in London, and then, what with one thing and another, it seemed a better scheme to see where you went and what you led us to. The M.I.5 boys had a few ideas of their own on the whole situation, and wanted us to play it their way. So we radioed all the proper people to let you through on that borrowed passport, and I was sent along to find out what I could.'

‘Oh,' said Dany; and added after a pause for thought: ‘Lash isn't going to like that.'

‘Lash has got a lot of explaining to do,' said Larry Dowling.

‘I have, have I?' said a furious voice from the doorway. ‘Well let me tell you that it's nothing to the explaining you're going to have to do!'

Dany said: ‘Lash
____
Oh, Lash!'

‘I'll deal with you later,' said Lash savagely. ‘When I've taken care of this double-crossing ten-cent Romeo of yours!'

He covered the distance between them in two hasty strides, and before the startled Mr Dowling had even grasped the implications of his remarks he had thrust Dany to one side, gripped her rescuer by the collar, jerked him to his feet and slugged him scientifically on the jaw.

Mr Dowling went down for the count and Dany started to laugh, burst into overwrought tears, and quite suddenly slid off the divan on to the floor in a dead faint. Making it three in all.

*   *   *

Lorraine was saying: ‘… raw beef steak. It's the only thing. I put it on Tyson once when he got into an argument with some men in San Francisco, and it worked
wonders.
Didn't it, darling?'

‘Yes,' said a resonant voice. ‘I ate it. And where do you think you're going to get raw beef steak at this hour of the night, I'd like to know?'

Dany winced and opened her eyes. She was lying in her own bedroom and there seemed to be a lot of people in it. Lorraine, Tyson, Gussie Bingham … She tried to turn her head, but finding that it was too painful, gave up the attempt and lay still.

At least she was not wet any longer, for someone had removed her drenched clothes and put her into a nightgown. She wondered if anyone had removed Larry's, which had been a good deal wetter, and she must have made an attempt to inquire, for suddenly they were all leaning over her, looking at her anxiously, and Lorraine was saying: ‘Darling, how do you feel?'

Tyson said: ‘Now don't go trying to sit up. Much better to lie still. Get some brandy into her.'

‘I think Mr Holden gave her some,' said Gussie.

‘Nonsense! How could he? She wasn't conscious. Here, Dany
____
'

Dany attempted a feeble protest, but to no avail, and Tyson, having dealt efficiently with the matter, laid her back on the pillows and said bracingly: ‘Now you'll feel better!'

‘Do you, baby?' inquired Lorraine anxiously, holding both her hands. ‘Lash has taken one of the cars in to fetch a doctor and the police and medicines and things, and they'll be here soon, and then you'll be all right.'

Dany said: ‘I'm all right now. Where's Larry? He saved me.'

‘I know, darling.
Bless
him! If it hadn't been for him
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Oh, don't let's think of it. It's too awful!'

‘It was Nigel.'

‘Yes, darling. We know.'

‘Ought to have known from the beginning,' growled Tyson, sitting down moodily on the end of her bed. ‘No one else could have possibly known every dam' thing there was to be known. I suppose he took the letters off Abdurahman and said he'd post 'em. And he'd met old Honeywood, so he thought it would be quite easy. Turn up just before you, get the letter and then shoot him. And while you were being held up and questioned he'd be off and away.'

‘But
how?
' said Gussie. ‘How could he possibly be in England? He was in Kenya!'

Tyson said: ‘Obviously he flew out. If you're in that camp, nothing is too difficult.'

‘In what camp? What are you talking about?'

‘The Reds, of course. Dowling is being a bit cagey about it, but it's obvious that the police, or M.I.5, or some of those cloak-and-dagger boys, had a line on him. And on this Zanzibar business.'

‘What Zanzibar business?'

‘An under-cover revolutionary movement that has recently been started in this island. Dowling says that Nigel's always been in it up to his neck. He's one of the really fervent kind, and those are always more dangerous than the ones who are merely after the cash rewards. He was behind Jembe's party: working to turn the island into a hot little Soviet stronghold. Get rid of British influence, then the Sultan, start a “Democratic” republic — and up with the red flag! And the next step would have been to slap an iron curtain round it, and use it as a spring-board for all sorts of merry Russian ballets. But they needed money to buy votes and supporters and get the thing really moving, and when that paper of old Emory's turned up it seemed they'd got it.'

‘But they hadn't got it!' protested Gussie.

‘Don't be unintelligent, Gussie! They meant to get it. They thought it was more or less in the bag. All they had to do was to get that envelope off Honeywood. And since Nigel was the obvious person to get it, they arranged to send him home and get him back again — presumably by means of some flourishing and very well organized under-cover route. And then Dany spoilt the whole show by jumping the gun.'

Gussie said: ‘It's all very confusing. And I still don't understand what this Jembe was doing in England, anyway.'

‘At a guess, because the Reds have never learnt to trust one another a yard, and I imagine that he was sent to keep an eye on Nigel. But Nigel failed to get the goods off Honeywood, so he put Jembe on to trying to find it — that is the supposition, anyway — and to planting that gun and pinching her passport for good measure. To ensure that the police would be kept busy suspecting her for a bit, so that she'd probably end by posting off the letter.'

‘
Too
silly,' said Lorraine. ‘Once he knew she had it, he ought to have just let her bring it out with her, and found some way of getting it off her here.'

‘Ah, but he couldn't travel out with her — and Jembe could! Nigel would have had to nip back to Kenya in order to meet the plane at Nairobi, and I imagine he didn't trust Jembe. Probably thought that if Jembe got his hooks on it, while on his own, he'd stick to it and leave the Revolution to chase itself round the block. Dowling says that Jembe was obviously trailing Dany too, and so knew quite well who she was, and it seems that either he or Nigel had another crack at getting the letter in Nairobi. As a result of which, that blasted young idiot, Lash, got the wind up and swiped it.'

‘Why?' croaked Dany.

‘Oh, hullo kid. You feeling better? Have some more brandy,' said Tyson. ‘Do you good.'

‘Do you really think she ought to, darling? inquired Lorraine anxiously.

‘Why not? Look how much better she's looking already. Drink it up, child.'

Dany drank, blinked, and said: ‘Why did Lash take it?'

‘Because he's an interfering, impertinent, insolent young son-of-a
____
Well, let it go. He didn't like the set-up and thought it was a dangerous thing for you to have. Thought you'd be safer without it.'

‘Why didn't … he … give it … you,' said Dany slowly and carefully.

‘Says he wanted to know a hell of a lot more about things before he did. Didn't trust me or anyone else with a sum like that at stake. Blast his impertinence!'

Gussie said in a hard voice: ‘And Millicent? Why does Mr Dowling think that Nigel did that?'

‘Probably because he was afraid that she really might have spotted him. He was officially supposed to be in Kenya, so what had he been doing mucking about in Kent? He'd actually read
The House of Shade,
which is more than I have — I've never been able to struggle further than page six — so getting rid of Millicent was easy.'

‘And I suppose he killed Jembe too,' said Gussie with a shudder.

‘Probably. If he talks, we may know. However, Dowling appears to have landed him such a crack that there's an even chance he won't. Can't think why he couldn't have used the siphon. Sheer waste of gin.'

‘Tyson, how
can
you!' said Lorraine, releasing her daughter's hands and straightening up indignantly. ‘Why, it saved Dany's life!'

‘She'd have been saved quite as effectively by soda water,' said Tyson. ‘Or better still, a bullet! Can't think why he didn't shoot.'

‘Because of Dany, of course! He was afraid he'd hit her. He told you that.'

‘So he did. Well, just as well he was there. Very lucky he saw her slip away.'

‘Did he know that it was Nigel all the time?' inquired Gussie.

‘I don't think so. But he had a few shrewd suspicions. It seems that parts of Kent were fairly misty on the morning that Honeywood was killed, and one or two trains ran late in consequence. Dowling says that Nigel mentioned that mist twice; though as it was only localized, and there was no mention of it on the news or in the papers, how did he know a thing like that — unless he was there? But Dowling didn't know that Nigel was hoping to needle Dany into leading him to Emory's letter, and he very nearly didn't get there in time because
____
Oh, there you are, Dowling. How's the jaw?'

‘Swell,' said Larry Dowling bitterly, ‘— if I may borrow an Americanism from the donor. By this time tomorrow I shan't even be able to talk.'

‘Or see out of your left eye,' said Tyson. ‘The boy would appear to pack a punishing left. But I still can't see why he should have thought
____
'

‘Neither can I,' said Larry. ‘Considering that I happen to be a loving husband and an indulgent father. How are you feeling, Miss Ashton?'

‘Drunk,' said Dany. ‘You all will keep on giving me brandy and whisky and things.'

She held out her hands to him. ‘I'm sorry about your face, Larry. And — and thank you so very much. For everything.'

Her voice broke and her eyes filled with weak tears, and Larry sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hands in his.

‘You haven't anything to thank me for. If I'd had the sense to look where I was going I'd have got that pro-Red so-and-so before he started any rough stuff. But because I didn't, I expect your head is a good deal worse than my jaw; so you're not really even with me yet!'

Gussie, who had been standing by the window, said: ‘Here are the cars. This will be the police. Or the doctor.'

‘And Holden,' said Larry Dowling, hastily releasing Dany and rising to his feet: ‘Time I went. I'm not taking any chances on being found holding your hands again and getting another crack on the jaw. That boy is too impetuous by half. See you tomorrow.'

He went out, leaving the door ajar behind him, and they heard footsteps running up the stairs and then Lash's voice on the verandah outside. ‘You here again?'