Precipice

watersplashes,' she goaded.

'Good for him.'

A heavy silence descended inside the limo as he drove through Kingston, then later approached the drive leading to Grenville Grange. Even in the sunshine the old pile had a forbidding look. As they slowly came closer Eve leaned forward.

'I don't see any lights. And all the shutters are closed. I thought you said you'd arranged for staff to have the place ready for us.'

'Maybe they got the date wrong.'

'In that case, let's have dinner together at the Priory in Wareham.' Her tone was suddenly pleasant, coaxing. 'The food there is very good, very good indeed.'

'And the bar isn't bad either, I assume?'

'You know they have a good bar. You told me you'd had dinner there several times. Let's turn round and head straight for the Priory.'

'We'll check the situation here first.'

'Bet there's no one at home.'

'We'll find out, won't we?'

The power cruiser had left St Alban's Head behind, was several miles out to sea from the coast, when Philip spotted the steep-sided ridge which was Lyman's Tout. Through his powerful field glasses Tweed could see something Philip, concentrating on steering the cruiser, couldn't.

Perched like a gigantic guardhouse at the summit of the slope running down away from it, was Grenville Grange. Paula was also using her glasses to scan the mansion. She dropped her glasses, looped round her neck like Tweed's.

'That's funny, I can't see any lights. The place looks closed for the season.'

'It's rather early for lights,' Tweed mused.

'From what I can see it's the sort of place where they need the lights on all the time. Even the shutters appear closed.'

'Wait till we get nearer.'

Philip was having to exert all his efforts to control the cruiser. A powerful current was running athwart the direction towards the cliffs he wanted to take. He felt confident that he could guide the cruiser to the old jetty he had seen, but he was bothered by the power of the current. Unless the jetty was protected by a nearby cape it could be a tricky business bringing the boat alongside the jetty so they could disembark.

Like a good skipper, he kept his worries to himself. Newman appeared, holding his field glasses.

'I've spotted the jetty you're aiming for. Luckily there's a huge rock projecting out just to the west of it. The sea looks reasonably quiet there.'

'We'll make it,' Philip said and concentrated on steering.

'The headlights of a car, a limo, have appeared,' Paula said as she stared again through her glasses. 'It's coming round the side of the house very slowly. Can't yet see who is driving – or who else, if anyone, is inside. Can we speed up a bit? Or shouldn't I make suggestions like that?'

'The lady can have extra speed.' Philip assured her. 'Just a little more. Here goes…'

'They haven't even opened the gates.' Eve exploded as they arrived at the entrance to Grenville Grange.

Brazil didn't reply. Taking out his computer card-key, he leaned over to the box attached to a pillar, inserted the card, withdrew it. The electronically operated gates swung slowly open.

'That must mean the blasted servants aren't here.' she snapped.

'Not necessarily. They may have closed the gates after going inside as a security precaution. The shutters at the front are often kept closed, if you remember.'

'Looks like a morgue to me.'

'We'll take a look round the back. They may be preparing a meal.'

'Why no guards, then?'

'Oh, that's simple. I had every guard despatched to Europe. We'll have to hire some more.'

As he answered her Brazil was driving slowly up the drive. Coming to where the drive forked, he took the left-hand track, drove on round the side of the mansion. The sea came into view and the wind hit the car. Leaning forward, Brazil continued on to the end of the track where it petered out and the slope towards the cliff edge began. Here, because the ground was so arid, embedded with rocks, the surface was hard. He stopped the limo.

'What the hell have we come this way for?' Eve demanded.

'You see that large power cruiser out at sea? It's coming this way – and there's an old jetty with a footpath leading up from it on the other side of Lyman's Tout. We need to find out who is on board.' He reached down by his side, grasped a pair of binoculars, handed them to her over his shoulder. 'Take these, go to the edge of the cliff so you are closer, check if you recognize anyone.'

'These aren't the high-powered pair.'

'They'll do. I've lost the others.' he lied.

'Oh, all right. I suppose I have to work even to get that dinner at the Priory. There's no one in the house…'

Brazil sat in the limo perched at the top of the slope as she walked away, her trench coat flapping round her like a cloak. The words of the cassette Gustav had played back to him were echoing in his mind. She would have sold him out to Newman for a hundred thousand. And he didn't for a moment believe that Gustav had decided on his own to try and kill Tweed. Someone had put the idea into his head – had probably relayed a fictitious order from himself. He knew who that someone had to be.

Eve reached the edge of the cliff, glanced down, backed away with a shudder several paces. She pressed the binoculars to her eyes. Couldn't make out who was on board the incoming power cruiser.

'Damned fool.' she muttered. 'I told him they were the wrong glasses. Now I'll have to wait until the thing gets much closer.'

Inside the car Brazil unlocked a compartment, took out the black glove, slipped it over his right hand. Igor began to get excited. Brazil pointed his index finger at Eve.

Leaning over, he opened the passenger door. Igor bounded out, began loping towards Eve who had her back to him. Brazil folded his arms, watched, waited with no expression on his face.

Igor, unlike the time when it had toppled Jose over the brink, was not running over the snow which had muffled the sound of its fast-moving paws. Here the ground was hard and its paws hammered down on the surface, no longer muffled.

Eve, with her acute hearing, realized what was happening. At the last moment she dropped the glasses, dropped her body flat on the ground, cushioning her fall with her gloved hands. Her chin was protruding over the abyss.

Igor had already taken off, leaping up to crash into her back before he dropped to the ground. Instead, there was nothing to stop its flying leap and it continued on into space, then began falling with nothing to stop it until it reached the rocks and the sea far below.

Eve stood up, her expression ugly. She composed herself before she turned round, began to march steadily back up towards the car. One hand opened her shoulder bag as she studied the position of the limo perched at the beginning of the downward slope.

Brazil reached across to open the passenger door he had closed. He started speaking as soon as she reached the car.

'Get in. That's the last wolfhound I have anything to do with.'

'You bastard!'

Her face was twisted in manic rage as she spoke and aimed the canister full in his face, pressed the button. Mace gas enveloped Brazil. He let out a choking cry, both hands over his eyes as he endured agonizing pain, unable to see anything.

Eve slammed the passenger door shut, ran round the car, opened the driver's door, reached in to the automatic controls, moved the gear lever from 'park' to 'drive', released the brake, slammed the door closed. Shoving the canister back inside her shoulder bag, she leaned against the side of the limo, used both hands to push it with all her strength. It began to move downwards. She grinned sadistically. Inside, Brazil was using one hand to fumble for the door handle, couldn't find it. Eve felt herself moving with the car.