'Yes,' I said. 'Got in yesterday.'
'Who brought you over — Mulligan?'
I nodded, too surprised to speak.
'Give me the lighter, will you,' he said. I handed it to him and then he said, 'Better come into my office. There's somebody there who can check your identity.' He smiled to himself and led the way through into a big stone-flagged kitchen where iron pots simmered on a glowing range. Copper glinted warmly from the walls and a collie sheep dog lay stretched before the fire. A girl looked up from her ironing as we entered. She was big and strong looking and her face was flushed with the heat of the fire. 'Kitty — there'll be one extra for dinner,' he told the girl. 'And he'll be staying the night, so get a room for him.'
She gave me a quick glance. It was intended to be casual, I'm certain of that. But when she saw me, her eyes widened and a puzzled expression crossed her face. She stared at me as she said in a low voice, 'There's only the attic room.'
'Well, get that fixed up for him,' Manack said.
Her gaze was still fixed on me. I felt embarrassed. I don't know why. Girls often stare at me. I suppose it's because I'm more than usually big. That seems to attract them. It had caused me a lot of trouble in Italy. But somehow this was different. It was as though she couldn't believe her eyes.
Almost reluctantly it seemed she turned to my companion.
'You know what your father said — I mean about the attic room not being used.'
'I don't care what he said,' Manack snapped. 'If it's the only room, use it.'
I was conscious of the girl's gaze as I followed Captain Manack out into a damp-chilled corridor. Our footsteps sounded loud on the stone floor. Manack set the lamp down on a table and opened a door. I followed him into the room I had looked into from the window.
And then I stopped. Standing by the fire, a drink in his hand, was Mulligan. Our eyes met at the same moment and he stiffened suddenly with his drink halfway to his lips and his mouth slightly open. Then his hand slid to his hip pocket. He held it there, his body tensed.
Manack went straight over to the desk. This the man you brought over from Italy?' he asked Mulligan.
'Yes.' Mulligan's eyes never left my face.
Without looking round Captain Manack sat down in his chair and began unscrewing the lighter. I remained standing by the door. Two thoughts were chasing themselves through my mind. The first was that I didn't want to be mixed up with anything that Mulligan was mixed up in. The second was that I wanted to get back the money he had stolen from me. Between the desire to beat it and the desire to get my money back, I stood like a dummy. 'This fellow's joining us,' Manack said. 'He's a miner.' He had the base of the lighter unscrewed now and was fishing inside it with a pin. Beside him lay a copy of the evening paper. It was folded so that the story of the abandoned revenue cutter was uppermost. I could read the headlines from where I stood. He extracted a screw of paper from the lighter and smoothed it out on the desk.
I suddenly decided that I didn't want anything to do with this set-up. Manack was mixed up with Dave and the death of the revenue men. And Mulligan was in his employ. Hadn't I seen him paying out money to the man? And Mulligan was a crook — a liquor-running French bastard. But, by God, before I left I'd have my money back. He wouldn't get away with that. With a hundred and fifty quid I'd be all right. I'd get myself a passage to Canada.
I glanced at Mulligan. He still had his hand on his hip pocket. But he was looking at Manack. His mind was on the note that Manack was reading. In two quick strides I had him. I caught him by the arms, twisting them back and at the same time lifting him clear off the ground. The hare-lip bared his blackened teeth in pain. 'Now Mulligan,' I said. 'Hand over that money you stole from me.'
I heard the scrape of Manack's chair as he rose. I backed away, still holding Mulligan off the ground and twisting his arms back so that he uttered a wild cry of pain. Then he kicked me — kicked me right in the crutch. The blinding pain of it bent me double. I heard Mulligan's body hit the floor. When I had eased myself sufficiently to look up, he had scrambled to- his feet and was backing to the window, a little black Beretta in his hand.
'Put that gun up, Mulligan. What the hell's the matter with you two?' Manack's voice was sharp, authoritative. Then I doubled up with pain again, cursing Mulligan through gritted teeth. Hands gripped me by the shoulder and pushed me gently into the armchair by the fire. A hand at the back of my neck kept me bent right down. The pain gradually eased and I stopped cursing. I wanted to straighten up, but that hand held me down. It was very strong. 'Why did you go for Mulligan like that?' Manack's voice was soft, almost gentle. But the ring of command was still there.
I told him as I stared down through tear-dimmed eyes at the worn leather of the chair. The hand released my neck and I looked up. Mulligan was still standing by the window. He had put his gun away, but his eyes were watchful and angry. 'Is that correct?' Manack asked him.
Mulligan shifted uneasily at the peremptory query. 'How the divil was I to know he was going to work for ye, Captain?' he said. His manner was half injured, half apologetic. 'I charge 'em fifty for the trip. But that doesna include putting 'em ashore. That's dangerous work, and I take what I can get for it. This man's a trouble maker.'
'We'll see about that,' replied Manack.
'I don't wish to make any trouble,' I said. The pain had eased and I stood up. 'Just give me the money and I'll go.'
'You don't have to go,' Manack said. Then to Mulligan: 'Give me that money.' Mulligan counted the amount out from a wad of treasury notes which he took from his pocket.
'I want to go,' I told Manack.
At that he swung round. 'Oh, so you want to go?' His eyes were grey and hard and his teeth showed in a smile beneath his moustache. He went over to the desk and counted out the notes. 'How much did you say?' he asked as he finished counting.
'One hundred and forty-five,' I told him.
He nodded. 'That's the lot then.' He put the notes into an envelope, stuck it down and then placed the envelope in the safe. 'There's your money,' he said to me as he closed the safe door. 'You can have it just as soon as you've finished the job you were sent here to do.'
'But — "
He stopped me. 'Listen, you,' he said, and his voice was harsh now. 'You're a deserter. What's more, you're implicated in the disappearance of four Customs officials.' He laid a significant stress on the word 'disappearance.' His accusation took my breath away. For a moment I was too surprised to speak. I just stood there and stared into his hard, smiling face. Then I found my voice. 'That's a damned lie,' I said. 'The first I knew about it was when I met Dave with a bullet wound in his arm.'
He laughed. It was a quick, barking sound. 'So you know all about it, eh? Well, you go to the police and see if they believe your story. The English police are rather conservative. There's no amnesty for deserters in this country and the police don't Eke them. I use 'em because it's convenient, not because I enjoy their company. You walk out of here and see what happens. How did you get into the country? You'll say Mulligan here, skipper of the Arisaig, brought you over. But did he?' he turned to Mulligan.
Mulligan grinned. 'Never set eyes on the man before in my life. Ah'm no in the habit of carrying desairters in the Arisaig.' Manack turned back to me. He was smiling with his eyes, but not with his lips. 'Dave Tanner will go to Italy in the Arisaig. But before he goes he'll leave with me a written confession. The names of the crew will include yours, together with a description. You're too big a man to slip through a police net.' He suddenly smiled, and his smile was friendly. 'Sorry to have to show you that I'm quite ruthless, but it's best for you to know where you send right away. The job is not a long one. When you've finished it you can go or stay as you please. The pay is good and will be added to the rest of your money. You'll collect the total when the job's done. Now, if you go back into the kitchen, the girl will show you where you feed and introduce you to the others.'