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!”
“You call me that again and I’ll knock your goddam teeth out!”
“Fine, Gutsey… try and do it,” Wand said quickly.
O’Connor wiped the sweat off his face. He got out of the car. He was four inches taller than Wand and three times as heavy. He doubled his thick fingers into an enormous fist.
Collon said softly, “You hit him, Sarg, and I’ll hit you.”
O’Connor regarded Collon’s big frame; he was built like a heavyweight champion, and he was young and very tough.
“You two are in real trouble,” O’Connor snarled. “Okay, we’ll go back to headquarters. I’m putting you both on a charge.”
“Fine. The Chief will love it,” Wand said. “We arrive at the one place these hoods could be hiding, and you chicken out and bring us back on a charge. Okay, Sarg, if that’s the way you want it, let’s go back to headquarters. I bet you’ll kiss your pension goodbye.”
O’Connor glared at him, hesitated, then cursed.
“You wait until I get you two back to headquarters.”
“Do you check this bungalow or do we go back?” Wand asked.
Again O’Connor hesitated, but he knew he was trapped. Muttering under his breath, he began walking slowly across the sand until he came within sight of the isolated bungalow. He stopped abruptly. He now saw what these two jerks meant. This was just the place where the wanted men might be. He stared at the light coming through one of the curtained windows, and sweat ran down his fat face.
“You going ahead, Sarg?” Wand asked politely, “or are we staying here the rest of the night?”
O’Connor turned.
“You two guys go ahead. I’ll cover you,” he said.
“Not us, Sarg. You go ahead. We’ll cover you,” Wand said.
“Think they’re in there?” O’Connor said, hesitating.
“You find out, Sarg.”
Slowly, O’Connor began to walk forward. His fat legs were shaky. The other two followed him. He reached the wooden gate that guarded the short path to the bungalow. Here, he paused.
“I’ll go around the back,” Collon said and moved off into the darkness.
When he had gone, O’Connor said, “Look, Sam, I’m an old man. You go ahead. I swear I’ll cover you.”
“Not me, Sarg. I’m a young man. I’ve got a lot longer to live than you have. They could give you a medal.”
Livid, O’Connor turned on him.
“Listen, you jerk, I’ll make your life a misery! You’re refusing to obey an order. You hear me! Go… knock on that door!”
“I’d rather lead a life of misery than have a dead one,” Wand said. “You knock on the door. We’ve already knocked on a hundred doors. You try it for size, Sarg.”
Then the door opened and a girl came out into the moonlight. The light from the hall lit up her silhouette. She was wearing a short, white dress, and the light showed her legs up to her crotch through the dress.
O’Connor drew in a long breath of relief. Scarcely believing his luck, he walked up the path as the girl came towards him.
“Is there something wrong?” she asked. “It’s the police, isn’t it?”
O’Connor reached her and stared down at her. Some bim! he thought. There I was, scared crap silly, and look what comes out of the goddam place!
Wand was close on his heels. The two policemen regarded the girl as she looked from one to the other.
“You live here?” O’Connor asked, pushing his peaked cap to the back of his head and wiping the sweat off his forehead with a grubby handkerchief.
“Of course.” She gave him a dazzling smile.
“Been here long?”
“A couple of weeks… I rent the place. What is it, Sarg?”
“Aw, forget it,” O’Connor said and grinned. “We’re just checking. Didn’t mean to scare you, Miss.”
“Do you mind if we look inside?” Wand said quietly. He was staring at the girl, wondering where he had seen her before. He had seen her. He was sure of that, but where? “You are alone?”
“Yes, I’m alone,” Lolita said. “Go ahead… take a look. What are you looking for?”
As Wand started forward, O’Connor grabbed his arm.
“Stop leaning your weight on everything,” he growled. “We don’t have to worry the little lady. Come on, we still have work to do.”
Hearing voices, Collon came around from the back of the bungalow.
“Come on… come on…” O’Connor said impatiently. He was so relieved that he had escaped trouble, he couldn’t get away fast enough. “Leave her be,” and giving the girl a salute, he started off down the path.
Wand was still staring at Lolita. Then he suddenly remembered where he had seen her. She had been singing and playing a guitar in a restaurant near the harbour. His quick mind told him a girl like her couldn’t afford to pay the rent of a bungalow in this district.
She was smiling at him.
“Do you want to come in?”
“Yeah… I’m coming in. You lead the way.”
She turned and moved into the bungalow, swaying her hips. “Some chick,” Collon said admiringly.
“Watch it,” Wand said out of the corner of his mouth. “This could be it.” He snapped off the safety catch of his rifle. Collon stared at him and seeing his white, set face, he felt a prickle of excitement run up his spine.
