'Relax, Jess. I know what I'm doing.'
When he had left the bungalow, Chandler walked into the kitchen where Lolita was finishing the washing up.
'Anything I can do?' he asked.
'It's done.' She took off her apron and came over to him. She leaned hard against him as he put his arms around her. 'Where's Mish?'
'He's taking the air.' Chandler's hands slid down her back and cupped her buttocks. 'Let's go to bed, baby.' He pulled her close to him.
'I was only waiting for you to say that.'
They kissed, then, his arm around her, he led her out of the kitchen, down the passage and into the main bedroom. As he was about to close the door, he heard Mish come in. Mish's movements were hurried. Chandler stiffened. He raised his hand to Lolita, and then stepped into the passage.
'There's a police car down the road,' Mish said tensely. 'They are checking all the bungalows. They'll be here in half an hour . . . automatic weapons.'
Lolita came to the door, zipping up her dress.
'What is it?'
'The cops . . . they're checking the bungalows,' Chandler said, trying to keep his voice steady.
Mish pointed to the trap door in the ceiling.
'We'll get up there.'
'Put the radio on,' Chandler said to Lolita. 'When they come . . .'
She was surprisingly calm: a lot calmer than Mish and Chandler.
'I know. You don't have to tell me. I'll handle it, Jess. Just get up there and leave it to me.'
'This could turn into a jam, baby,' Chandler said. He had a sudden spasm of conscience. He had no right to ask her to do this for him. 'Maybe you had better go. You still have time . . .'
'Get up there and be quiet. I'll handle it.'
He pulled her against him.
'You won't regret this. When we do get out of this mess, you and I . . .'
She smiled up at him.
'I know, Jess.'
Mish brought a step ladder from the kitchen. He opened the trap door and hauled himself into the hot space between the roof and the ceiling.
Chandler kissed Lolita, then he climbed up into the roof. Looking down at her, he said, 'You are going to handle this beautifully, and I love you.'
'I love you too,' she said and carried the step ladder back into the kitchen.
Chandler let down the trap door, then he took his gun from his hip pocket and snicked back the safety catch.
'Remember, Jess,' Mish said out of the darkness. 'It's us or them. I'm not going back to jail.'
It was after ten o'clock when Wand and Colon walked around the thick, high clump of tropical shrubs and palm trees and came suddenly on Maisky's bungalow.
Both men came to an abrupt standstill, their sweating hands gripping their automatic rifles, turning their knuckles white.
They stared at the isolated bungalow, seeing a light coming through the curtains of one of the windows.
'If they are anywhere,' Colon said, 'this could be it.' '
Both men were now so jumpy after their four hours of continual checking that they both hesitated. Every door they had knocked on, they had expected to be received by a blast of gunfire. They were now in a demoralised state.
'Look, Mike,' Wand said, 'I've had enough of this. Let's get Gutsey to handle this one.'
'Yeah.'
They turned and moving around the palm trees out on to the beach, they signalled to O'Connor who was sitting in the police car, the glowing end of his cigarette showing through the windscreen.
They had to signal three times before O'Connor, cursing under his breath, started the car and drove up to them.
'What's the matter?' he demanded, glaring at them through the open window of the car.
'There's a lone bungalow just around the trees,' Wand said. 'We think you should handle it, Sarg.'
'What the hell do you mean?' O'Connor exploded. 'I'm covering you, ain't I? You go ahead. Hear me? That's an order.'
'They could be there,' Wand said. 'You're coming with us, Sarg, or I will turn in a report to the Chief.'
O'Connor glared at him. 'About what?'
'That you sat in the car on your fat fanny and let us handle the search. And I'll do it, Gutsey, even if I get thrown off the force!'
