I made my way towards it, moving cautiously and making no sound. Halfway along the deck, I paused. Ahead of me appeared a white figure, coming towards me. There was nowhere to hide. The deck was as bare of cover as the back of my hand. My fingers closed over the butt of my gun as I moved over to the deck-rail and leaned against it.
A tall, broad-shouldered man in a singlet and white ducks came into the light from the porthole, moved out of it towards me. He went past, humming under his breath, without even looking at me, and climbed the ladder to the upper deck.
I breathed heavily through my nose, and headed for the porthole again, paused beside it, and took a quick look inside. I very nearly let out a cheer.
Paula was sitting in an armchair, facing me. She was reading a magazine, a worried little frown on her face. She looked very lovely and lonely. I had hoped to find her on this deck. I couldn’t think where else they could hide her, but I hadn’t expected to find her so quickly.
I examined the door of the cabin. There was a bolt on the outside and it was pushed home. I slid it back, turned the handle and pushed. The door opened and I went in. It was like walking into a glass-house in mid-summer.
Paula started up out of her chair at the sight of me. For a moment she didn’t recognize me in the white ducks and the cap, then she flopped limply back in the chair and tried to smile. The look of relief in her eyes was a good enough reward for that trip I had made in the packing-case.
“How are you getting on?” I said, and grinned. If she hadn’t been so damned self-controlled I would have kissed her.
“All right. Did you have any trouble getting here?” She tried to sound casual, but there was a shake in her voice.
“I managed. At least they don’t know I’m here yet. Jack and Mike will be out around nine. We may have to swim.”
She drew in a deep breath and got to her feet.
“I knew you’d come, Vic.” Then just when I thought she was going to let her hair down, she went on, “But you shouldn’t have come alone. Why didn’t you bring the police?”
“I didn’t think they would come,” I said. “Where’s Anona?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think she’s here.”
The heat in the cabin made me sweat.
“What happened? Let’s have it quick.”
“The bell rang and I went to the door,” she told me. “I thought it was you. Four Wops crowded me back into the lobby. Two of them went into the bedroom and I heard Anona scream. The other two said they were taking me to the ship. One of them threatened me with a knife. I had an idea he would use it if I gave him the slightest chance.” She made a little grimace. “They took me down in the elevator out into the street. All the time one of them pressed the knife into my side. There was a car waiting. They bundled me in and drove off. As we were driving away I caught sight of a big. black Rolls pulling up outside the apartment. One of the Wops came out with Anona in his arms. This was in broad daylight. People just stared, but didn’t do anything. They put her in the Rolls and I lost sight of her. I was brought here and locked in. They said if I made a noise they’d cut my throat. They’re dreadful little men, Vic.”
“I know,” I said grimly. “I’ve met them. That Rolls belongs to Maureen Crosby. Maybe they’ve taken Anona to her house on the cliffs.” I thought for a moment, asked, “Has anyone been near you?”
She shook her head.
“I want to take a look around the ship before we go. Maureen may be on board. Think it’ll be safe for you to come with me?”
“If they find me gone they’ll raise the alarm. Perhaps I’d better stay here until you’re ready to go. You’ll be careful, won’t you, Vic?”
I hesitated, not knowing whether to try and get off the ship now I had found Paula or make sure first Anona and Maureen weren’t on board.
“If they aren’t on this deck I’ll leave it,” I said, and mopped my face with my handkerchief. “Am I feverish or is this cabin overheated?”
“It’s the cabin. It’s been getting hotter and hotter for the past hour.”
“Feels like they’ve put on the steam heating. Stick it out for ten minutes, kid. I’ll be back by then.”
“Be careful.”
I gave her a little pat on her-arm, grinned at her and slid out on to the deck. I shot the bolt: began to move aft.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing up here?” a voice demanded out of the darkness.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
A short, thickset man, wearing a yachting-cap, had appeared from nowhere. Neither of us could see the other’s face. We peered at each other.
“How many times do I have to tell you guys to keep clear of this deck?” he growled, and edged closer.
He nearly had me. I saw his arm flash up and I ducked. The sap glanced off my shoulder. I slammed a punch into his belly with everything I had. He caught his breath in a gasp of agony, bent forward, trying to breathe. I hung one on his jaw that nearly smashed my hand.
He went down on hands and knees and straightened out on his back. I leaned over him, grabbed his ears and cracked his skull on the deck.
All this happened in the matter of seconds. I ran back to Paula’s cabin, unbolted the door, threw it open, whipped around and dragged the unconscious man in and dropped him on the floor.
“I walked right into him,” I panted as I bent over him. I lifted an eyelid. He was out all right, and by the pulpy softness at the back of his head he would be out for some time.
“Put him in that cupboard,” Paula said. “I’ll watch him.” She was pale, but quite unruffled.
It took a lot to rattle her.
I dragged him across the cabin and into the cupboard. I had to squash him in, and I got the door shut only by leaning my weight against it.
“Phew!” I said, and wiped off my face. “He’ll be all right in there if he doesn’t suffocate. It’s like a furnace in here.”
“It’s worrying me. Even the floor’s hot. Do you think there’s a fire somewhere?”
I put my hand on the carpet. It was hot all right: too hot. I opened the cabin door and put my hand on the planks of the deck. They were so hot they nearly raised a blister.
“Good grief!” I exclaimed. “You’re right. The damned ship is on fire somewhere below.” I caught her arm and pulled her out on to the deck. “You’re not staying in there. Come on, kid, keep behind me. We’ll take a quick look and then get up on the top deck.” I checked my wrist-watch. It was five minutes to nine. “Jack’ll be out in five minutes.”
As we moved along the deck, Paula said, “Shouldn’t we raise the alarm? The ship’s full of people, Vic.”
“Not yet. Later,” I said.
At the far end of the deck was a door set in the bulkhead. I paused outside to listen, turned the handle and eased the door open.
It was hotter than an oven in full blast in there, and oil in the paint on the walls was beginning to run. It was a nice room : big, airy and well-furnished: half-office, half-lounge. Big windows on either side of the room commanded views of Orchid City beach and the Pacific. A solitary desk-light threw a pool of light on the desk and part of the carpet. The rest of the room was in darkness. Overhead came the sounds of dance music and the soft swish of moving feet.
I entered the room, my gun pushed forward. Paula came in after me and closed the door. There was a smell of burning and smoke, and as I moved to the desk I saw the carpet was smouldering and smoke was coming in little wisps from under the wainscoting.
“The fire’s right below us,” I said. “Keep by the door. The floor mightn’t be safe. This looks like Sherrill’s office.”
I went through the desk drawers, not knowing what I was looking for, but looking. In one of the bottom drawers I found a square-shaped envelope. One glance told me it was Anona Freedlander’s missing dossier. I folded it and shoved it into my hip pocket.