"No," Crantor said. "I don"t know anything about navigation."
Alsconi thought for a moment: this could be a disaster if Lombardo wasn"t on board and it was unlikely that he would be.
He leaned forward and tapped Don on his shoulder.
"Can you handle a boat? If you can and if you can get me to Monte Carlo I will refrain from shooting you when we reach Civitavecchia."
"That"s comforting news," Don said dryly. "I"ll take you there on condition that Lorelli and I take the boat back after I"ve landed you."
"Certainly," Alsconi said and smiled in the dark. "You would of course give me your word not to tell the police that you have landed me at Monte Carlo?"
"Of course," Don said gravely, knowing Alsconi would never let him go free.
"Then let"s get on," Alsconi said and sat back.
It was striking three o"clock as Don drove along the sea road into Civitavecchia.
"Stop for a moment," Alsconi said. "There are a few details to be arranged."
Don pulled up.
"There is the guard at the harbour who may ask questions. I know most of the guards," Alsconi said, "but we may be unlucky. Have your gun ready." He looked at Crantor. "I will open the window and speak to the guard. If he seems suspicious, shoot him. You have a silencer?"
"No," Crantor said.
"I have. Take my gun and give me yours." As Crantor appeared to fumble for his gun, he said, "There may be more than one guard."
"There won"t be at this hour."
Crantor had slipped his gun out of sight by his side and now with one hand, and it wasn"t easy, he was unloading the gun.
"Give me your gun!" Alsconi snapped. "Why are you keeping me waiting?"
"It is caught in the lining of my pocket."
"You shouldn"t have kept it in your pocket, you fool!" Alsconi snarled.
"Hurry!"
You won"t be calling me a fool much longer, Crantor thought savagely as he jacked the bullet out of the breech. He handed the empty gun to Alsconi and took the .45 that was equipped with a silencer.
"You two in front say nothing," Alsconi said, s.n.a.t.c.hing Crantor"s gun from his hand. "I shall shoot Lorelli through the head if you make a false move. Now, drive to the harbour entrance. It"s straight ahead, and across the railway lines."
Don engaged gear. During the drive to Civitavecchia, he had been trying to think of a way to catch these two off their guard, but as long as they had guns in their hands, there was nothing he could do. He was confident his chance would come when he got on the motor launch. Crantor, he decided, was the dangerous one for he was active and his movements were quick. He was sure he could take Alsconi by surprise, but not Crantor.
He slowed down to pa.s.s over the railway track, then his headlights picked out the red and white bar that guarded the entrance to the harbour. By the bar was a sentry box. A man in khaki uniform with a rifle in his hand, stood by the bar and blinked in the glare of the lights. "Be ready," Alsconi said. "I will sit well back. You will have to shoot him through the window."
The guard ducked under the bar and came up to the car.
"It is all right," Alsconi muttered. "I know this man." Raising his voice, he called, "Is that you, Bellini? I haven"t seen you for months. How are you?"
The guard grinned.
"Il signor Tampato!" He came up to the window. "This is a pleasure! You are going perhaps to Rome? Is there anything I can do for you?"
"We are going to Rome," Alsconi said, "but as we were so near, I wished my friends to see the boat. Is Lombardo on board?"
"No, signore," the guard said. "He no longer sleeps on the boat. He married three weeks ago."
Alsconi"s fat face tightened.
"Never mind," he said. "We will not be long. I just want them to see it."
"I am sorry, signore, but the harbour is closed. Less than an hour ago I had instructions from the police to let no one enter. There is some bandit attempting to escape."
Alsconi laughed.
"Do I look like a bandit? Come now; I shall not be long: a half an hour perhaps." His fingers dipped into his pocket and he took out a thousand lire note. "Here, buy yourself something to remember me by. You mustn"t keep my friends waiting."
"Thank you, signore, but please be as quick as you can. I will get into trouble if you are seen."
He went to the bar arid lifted it. Don drove under it.
"To the left," Alsconi said and waved to the guard.
They drove past a big shed that hid them from the guard.
"Stop here," Alsconi said. "Turn off the engine and give me the ignition key."
Don obeyed.
"I will remain in the car," Alsconi said to Crantor, "and watch these two. Put the boxes and our cases on board."
Crantor got out of the car. He looked for a moment at the powerful motor cruiser that was moored nearby, then he opened the boot of the car and carried the boxes across the quay and on to the boat. He returned for the suitcases, and having put them on board, he came over to the car.
"Get out, you two," Alsconi said.
Crantor stepped back and watched Lorelli and Don, followed by Alsconi, get out of the car.
"Now, Mr Micklem, I"ll be obliged if you will go on board with Crantor and get the boat ready," Alsconi said.
Don took hold of Lorelli"s arm.
"You"re coming with me," he said, not liking the cold, vicious expression on Alsconi"s face.
"No!" Alsconi said sharply. "Just you, Mr Micklem. She stays here."
"If she doesn"t come with us, then I don"t take you to Monte Carlo," Don said quietly.
"She is not coming!" Alsconi said violently. "You will do what you"re told or you will be shot!"
"That won"t get you to Monte Carlo," Don said, watching Alsconi closely. The look of maniacal rage in Alsconi"s eyes warned him that he might shoot.
"Wait!" Crantor barked. He had moved away so that he could cover the three of them with the .45.
Alsconi looked at him, saw the gun was pointing at him, and his small eyes widened.
"Don"t point that thing at me!" he rasped. Crantor smiled.
"You shouldn"t have told me the police have a description of you. Tortoise," he said. "It"s my turn now to call you a fool! They haven"t a description of me. She"s going on this trip, but you aren"t. I have money, a boat, a navigator and a clear field. You"d only complicate..."
Alsconi swung up the .38 and pulled the trigger, his lips curling off his teeth in a vicious snarl. The faint click of the hammer told him the gun was empty. He looked down at the gun, his face slack, his eyes staring.
Crantor shot him three times in the body. The gun made three sharp plops like someone clapping his hands. Alsconi buckled at the knees, took two staggering steps forward, the .38 falling from his hand, then he spread out face down on the cobble stones.
Neither Don nor Lorelli moved.
Crantor swung the gun to cover them.
"Get on board!" he said harshly. "Hurry!"
Don moved to the edge of the quay and dropped down on to the deck. He held out his hands to Lorelli and swung her down beside him.
Crantor scrambled aboard, keeping away from them.
"Get the engine started," he said.
Don went down into the c.o.c.kpit.
Lorelli said to Crantor, "What are you going to do with me? Why didn"t you let him kill me?"
"I once said you and I could be useful to each other," Crantor said, staring at her. "You didn"t seem to think much of the idea then. You have until Monte Carlo to change your mind. I have fifteen thousand pounds in that bag. I think there is a fortune in lire in those boxes. We could make a new start in life together. Think about it." He motioned with the gun.
"Get into the c.o.c.kpit. I"m staying here."
Don"s head and shoulders appeared out of the c.o.c.kpit.
"I can"t see what I"m doing. Have you a flashlight?"
Crantor took his torch from his pocket and bent slightly to hand it to Don. Lorelli, with the quickness of a cat, gave him a hard, sudden push. Caught off balance, Crantor fell forward. He fired blindly as he fell. The bullet smashed against the steel floor and ricocheted out of the c.o.c.kpit, narrowly missing Don. As Crantor crashed down into the c.o.c.kpit, Don closed with him.
His left hand grabbed Crantor"s wrist, his right hand fastened on Crantor"s throat. He hammered Crantor"s gun hand on the floor of the c.o.c.kpit. The gun went off again, then Crantor"s fingers opened and the gun slid into the darkness.
For a few seconds the two men fought like animals. Crantor broke Don"s hold on his throat and his fist thudded into Don"s face, sending him backwards.
Crantor made the mistake of reaching for the gun. Don threw himself on him and slammed a punch to Crantor"s jaw.
Crantor sagged. Don scrambled to his feet, and as Crantor heaved himself up to his knees, Don"s fist smashed against his jaw again, sending him backwards. His head struck the wall of the c.o.c.kpit and he slumped face down on the steel floor.
Don groped for the flashlight, found it and turned it on. He bent over Crantor. Satisfied that he was unconscious, he picked up Crantor"s gun and backed away.
"Are you all right?" Lorelli said breathlessly.
"He won"t bother us for a few minutes," Don said. He turned the beam of the flashlight on Lorelli"s tense, white face.
"Nice work. It"s becoming quite a habit. That"s the second time you"ve pulled me out of a jam." He handed the torch to her. "Hold this while I tie him up."
She took the flashlight. Don put the gun on the deck and then tied Crantor"s wrists behind his back with his silk tie.
Lorelli reached out and picked up Crantor"s gun. As Don straightened, he found himself looking down the barrel. "Hey! What"s the idea?" he said, startled.
"Get him off the boat and get off yourself," she said in a fierce hard voice.
"You"re not taking the boat, are you?"
"Yes. Hurry! Get him off!"
"Don"t rush your chances. I said I"d help you and I still will. Can you handle this boat?"
"Of course. I"ve handled it dozens of times before, and I don"t want your help."
"You"ll want some money, won"t you?"
"Money?" She laughed. "I have all the money I want now. This is the chance I"ve been hoping for. Get him off the boat. I want to get away."
"Right-ho," Don said and heaved Crantor up on to the deck, climbed on to the quay and pulled Crantor up after him. He laid Crantor out on the cobble stones, then squatting on his heels, he looked down at Lorelli.
"You"re sure you can handle this boat? You don"t want me to help you?"
She shook her head.
"It"s all right. I"ve done the Monte Carlo run before on my own."
"Well, okay. Then there"s nothing I can do for you?"
Her face softened as she looked up at him.
"No, thanks. I can manage now. I"m going to make a new start. I don"t suppose we"ll meet again."
"You never know. Watch out for police boats. He"ll give them a description of the boat when he comes to the surface."
She smiled.
"I"ll be miles away by then. This is the fastest boat on the coast. They won"t catch me." She swung the starting handle, and as the twin engines roared into life, she said, "Goodbye and thanks again."
"So long and good luck," Don shouted above the noise of the engines. He cast off the mooring rope.
The boat began to move. Then as Lorelli opened the throttle, the boat gathered way and went roaring out towards the open sea, leaving behind it a broad white wash of churned-up water.