Like A Hole In The Head

CHAPTER SIX

     I spent the following morning constructing a thatched roof made of palm leaves over part of the flat roof of the house. I had made so many of these anti-sun shelters in Vietnam that it came as second nature to me. Raimundo offered to help. I let him collect the palm leaves, but when it came to the thatching, I did it myself.

     If Timoteo and I had to be up on the roof for some hours at least we would have shelter from the afternoon sun.

     When I had finished, Raimundo regarded the shelter with an approving nod.

     'I can see you've done this before,' he said. 'Do you want to eat?'

     We went down and ate the sandwiches Carlo had ready.

     I had spent the night in a small back room in the house while Raimundo and Carlo had shared the larger room. I hadn't slept much, but I had done a lot of thinking. I had now got over my panic about Lucy. It was only when I had defeated the sick feeling of fear for her that I began to think constructively. I was sure that Savanto was primitive enough to carry out his threat to brand her if I failed him. I was sure he wasn't bluffing. Diaz was staying at the Willington estate for three days. I was hoping for time. Something might happen that could get both Lucy and me off the hook, given time.

     There was a telephone in the living-room. I considered the possibility of calling the police and telling them what was about to happen. This thought I put quickly out of my mind. I didn't know where Lucy was, and they could fix her before the police could find her. and I also would be in trouble if Raimundo or Carlo woke up and caught me talking on the telephone. It was too great a risk.

     If I had to, I would go through with the killing, but only if I was absolutely sure there was no other way to save Lucy. When Diaz appeared on the first day. I could pretend to miss him. I reasoned that Savanto would accept this if T plugged how tricky the shot was going to be. That would give me another night to think of a way out. Maybe it would be too risky to miss Diaz on the second clay, but at least I would have an extra night.

     After eating the sandwiches, Raimundo and I went back on the roof. I took the rifle with me.

     It was hot up there, but the shade from the shelter I had built made it bearable.

     Soon after 15.00 we heard the motorboat start up. I rested the rifle on the concrete surround of the roof and waited. The boat came into the bay, moving fast. I got the 'naked girl in the telescopic sight and adjusted the focus. I got her head in the centre of the cross wires. The sight brought her close to me. In one way I was relieved, in another way, sickened. I saw at once that this would be an acceptable shot. Even though she jinked and banked on her skis, there were long moments when she was steady enough for me to hit her in the head. Maybe Diaz would show off a lot more, but even if he did there would come a time when he would ski in a straight line and that's when I could nail him.

     But I wasn't going to tell this to Raimundo. I followed her through the sight for another five minutes, then when the boat started on its return run, I lowered the rifle.

     'What's the verdict, soldier?'

     'It's going to be one hell of a shot,' I told him. 'It has to be a head shot. To be sure of killing him and not wounding him it has to be in the head. His head will be moving up and down all the time. I have to hit him in the brain. I'm sure I'll hit him, but I'm not sure I can hit him through the brain at this distance and with him moving. A brain shot like that is one hell of a shot.'

     Raimundo put his hand under his shirt and began to scratch his chest. He looked worried.

     'You've got to kill him. If you only knock the bastard's teeth out, there'll be hell to pay and we'll probably never get another chance to nail him.'

     'You don't have to tell me. I'm beginning to think this plan isn't good enough.'

     Raimundo swore softly.

     'You'd better not tell Savanto that! He picked you for a first- class shot. You'd better be a first-class shot !'

     'He knows nothing about shooting,' I said. 'That's an eighthundredyard moving target and it has to be a brain shot . . . an inch square. There are less than five men in the world who could guarantee such a shot.'

     'You'd better be one of them !' His voice was worried and savage.

     'Shut up! I want to think.'

     He wasn't so angry as worried. He had lost his cocky confidence. I wondered if Savanto would take it out of him as well as Lucy and myself if there was a foul up.

     Then out of the blue a germ of an idea dropped into my mind. I paused to light a cigarette, then I asked. 'Who owns this house?'

     The question surprised him.

     'What's that to do with you?'

     'Is the owner likely to walk in on us?'

     'Forget it ! There are dozens of places like this for hire. We hired it.'

     I thought that was likely, but I wanted to know for sure. Dozens of places like this along the coast for hire. My mind worked swiftly. If Savanto had hired this place, why not another in which to hold Lucy?

     The germ of my idea began to grow. How could I find out? Then another idea dropped into my mind. So that I could think about it, I began to take the telescopic sight off the rifle. I was aware that Raimundo was watching me curiously.