Edge of Danger

Grant frowned. 'Where's your friend?'

'There was an accident.'

Grant didn't like it, his face clouding. 'Now look, what's going on here?'

Bell unzipped his nylon diving jacket, produced the Browning, and shot him between the eyes. Then he reached for the rail and pulled himself over and turned and fired several shots into the Dolphin, which started to settle into the water. He went through the lockers in the wheelhouse and found a length of chain, which he wound around Grant's ankles before pushing him under the rail. The body slid under the surface and Bell hauled in the nets quickly, then went below, got a bottle of Irish from the galley and hurried back on deck. He went into the wheelhouse, switched on the engines and moved away, one hand on the wheel while he poured whiskey, a very large one, into a plastic cup. He swallowed the lot, then poured another as rain started again.

In the living room of the great house at Quogue, Paul and Kate Rashid sat by a log fire. Michael and George were in London. Rashid's coded mobile rang, he answered and found Bell.

'What news?'

'There was a screw-up. This is the story.'

He gave an account of what had happened, which was a reasonably true version, omitting only the fact that he'd finished off Liam Casey.

'I'd like to say I'm sorry,' Bell said, 'but I did nothing wrong and everything right. It was just that damned dog.'

'You know what the Arabs say? Inshallah. As God wills,' Paul Rashid told him. 'You couldn't shoot the dog?'

'There was no time.'

'When will you arrive?'

'Four hours.'

'All right. I'll have the Gulfstream waiting at Westhampton Airport. My sister is here. We'll fly back to the UK together.'

'Suits me.'

'What about Grant? I hate loose ends.'

'Taken care of. What's the expression? Arthur Grant is asleep with the fishes.'

'And what about his boat?'

'I'll swim ashore.'

'We'll see you soon, then.'

Paul Rashid switched off and turned to Kate. 'A dog – a flatcoat retriever called Murchison.' He started to laugh, then he reached for his mobile. 'I'll phone the airport and tell them to get the Gulfstream ready. Then we'll have a glass of champagne.'

'But what do we drink to?'

'Why, Murchison, of course.'

At the hospital, the fight for Clancy Smith's life continued for four hours. The Air Force flew in two additional trauma surgeons and the President's own doctor.

After the surgery, Cazalet and Blake sat for a while with Clancy, whose pain had been dulled by drugs. The chief surgeon came in and had a look at him.

'You'll be fine, son, just fine.'

'Thank you, sir.'

The surgeon nodded to Cazalet, who followed him out. 'Mr President, does this mean what I think it means?'

'Robert, I need your holy oath on this,' Cazalet said.

'Of course, Mr President. That was an AK bullet we took out of that young man. I had one in me myself in Vietnam.'

'Well, this one was meant for me, and that brave boy pushed me aside, turned his back and took it for me.'

'God in heaven. And the other?'

'Is the assassin, although we think there could have been another one, too. Will he live?'

'Debatable. I'll keep you posted. We're just finishing in there.'

Cazalet went back in the room and brought Blake up to date. 'Let's hope he survives. It's a bizarre business and I'd like an answer.'

Clancy was drifting off. 'Do I still have a job, Mr President, or are you having Campbell move someone else in?'

'Over my dead body.'

Clancy started to laugh helplessly. 'God, that hurts, but you've got to admit it's kind of funny.'

'Get some sleep, Clancy,' Blake said. 'The President and I are going to grab something to eat. We'll see you later.'

Aidan Bell was really lucky on the final approach to Quogue in the Alice Brown. There was a heavy sea mist blanketing everything. He tipped the dinghy over the side with its small outboard about half a mile out, then went below and opened the seacocks. He went over the side, switched on the outboard and moved some little distance away and waited. It didn't take long. The Alice Brown settled, decks awash, then went very quickly. Bell opened the throttle and sped away toward the shore.

In the living room, Rashid and his sister were talking. 'So what now?' she asked.

'I have an alternative target. I always did.'

'Am I permitted to know?'

'Soon, my dear, but not yet.'

There was a rapping at the french windows. Paul Rashid opened a drawer near at hand and took out a Walther. He stood up and nodded to Kate. It was Bell standing out there. When she opened the window, he stepped in with a smile, still wearing the diving suit.

'God bless all here, that's what the Fenians say.'

'You're all right?' she asked.

'Yes. Just show me where you parked my bags. A shower and a change of clothes and I'm ready.'

'Then make it fast,' Paul Rashid said. 'We're leaving Westhampton in one hour.'

'Has there been any news on the television yet?' 'There hasn't been a hint, which I find very strange. I don't like it, so let's get moving.'

At the hospital, the President slept on a small bed in one of the interns' rooms. Blake dozed in a chair in the lounge and came awake to a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and found one of the surgeons, an Air Force Colonel, there.

'Mr Johnson. He's come round, but it's not good. He's very weak.'

'Can I talk to him?'

'You can try, but I don't think you'll get much.'

'Fine. Notify the President. I'll go in.'

Liam Casey lay there, wired up to life support. A male nurse was in attendance.

'I've got permission to try and speak to him,' Blake said.

'I don't think you'll get far, sir.'

Blake pulled a chair forward and Casey opened his eyes. For a little while, his voice proved surprisingly strong.

'I'm dying, aren't I, and you're the guy who shot me. The Basement man. Dillon's friend.'

'Look, what do I call you?'

Behind him, the President and the Colonel eased into the room.

'I don't suppose it makes any difference now. Casey – Liam Casey.'

'Where are you from?'

There was a little blood on Casey's mouth and the nurse wiped it away.

'Drumcree. County Down.'

Blake frowned. 'I've heard of Drumcree, but why do you call me the Basement Man, Dillon's friend?' "Cos I've seen your details in the file, your picture.'

'Which file?'

'The file Aidan prepared, the plan to do away with the President. Three million she promised when she saw us in Drumcree. She lied to Dillon, told him she was looking for protection for some business enterprise in Northern Ireland.'

The President said, 'What in the hell is going on?'

Blake waved him down and said to Liam, 'So Aidan is Aidan Bell and he was here and tried to shoot the President?'

'Shot me. I thought he'd finished me off. Left me to carry the can and cleared off.'

'How?'

'Underwater.' He seemed suddenly stronger. 'Fishing boat three miles out, then back to Long Island. They have a house. The Rashids have a house.'

'Just take it easy.' Blake soothed him. 'Why? Why would Paul Rashid want the President dead?'

'American Russian double agent called Gatov killed his mother, so he killed him. The Arabs tried to kill Rashid for some Yank and Russian oil people. He wanted revenge.'

'Only he didn't get it, did he? He failed?'

'That's all right. Alternative target.'

'What would that be?'

'Rashid said it would be his choice.'

Suddenly, he grimaced in pain and moved convulsively. The male nurse and the Colonel went in fast and Blake got out of the way.

'Please leave, gentlemen,' the Colonel asked.

In the lounge, the President said, 'For God's sake, what goes on?'

'Let me remind you, Mr President, of my conversation with Charles Ferguson not too long ago, concerning a trip Lady Kate Rashid made to County Down using Sean Dillon as her minder.'

When Blake went into the lounge a little while later, the President was drinking coffee, a frown on his face. He looked up. 'Well?'