Rolf frowned. “Another hitch in the plan, I’m afraid. We had a young man driving the car. He caught a bullet from one of the ambassador’s bodyguards.”
Ace came in panting. “He’s out of his head, boss. I found him outside; he didn’t know he was on an island. He was gonna give himself up and get a doctor to look at him.” Ace shrugged. “He pulled the bandage off and got the blood going again. I don’t think he’ll make it through the day.”
Rolf chewed his lip a moment, then stood up. “Stay with March. I’ll see if I can help the kid.”
Ace sat on the bed and smoked in short, nervous puffs. Burt watched him, reflecting that Bunny had been gone a long time. He hoped Maudie had followed orders and gone to the cave.
Ace got up and walked to the window. He stared out at the blackness.
“Worried about the murder rap, Ace?”
Ace whirled. “Why should I be? Bunny—”
“Sure, she killed the ambassador. But if you’re caught, she’ll say it was you, and you’ll burn. Nobody believes an ex-con.”
“Nobody’s gonna get caught. Rolf is smart.”
“Smart, yes, but he’s not normal, Ace. He doesn’t figure profit and loss like you and me. He’s got his own balance sheet, and you don’t know what’s on it.”
“I know there’s two hundred and fifty grand on it. That’s enough.”
“Maybe that’s what Charlie thought, too. He didn’t expect a knife in the chest.”
“Ahh, shut up.” Ace turned back to the window, showing Burt his massive back.
“Why did you think Rolf picked this island to make the split? One by one he’ll cut down the percentages. First Charlie, then Hoke or the kid there—”
Ace whirled, his face twisted. “Shut up! I told you—”
Bunny opened the door and looked around. “Where’s Rolf?”
“With the kid. What about the girl?”
“Couldn’t find her. The old lady said she took off during the excitement. She wouldn’t unbar the door, but I peeked in and saw she was alone. I’ll go tell Rolf—”
“Stay with gabby. I’ll go.”
Bunny sat on the bed and lit a cigarette. After a minute she stood up and nudged Burt’s arm with a slippered foot. “Want a drag, baby?”
Burt gazed up the twin white columns of her legs, past the short revealing beach coat, and saw the teasing’ half-smile on her face. “No, thanks.”
“Come on, settle your nerves.” She squatted down and brought the cigarette toward his mouth. At the last minute she reversed it and jammed the glowing tip between his lips. Burt felt the lash of pain and spat out the burning sparks.
“You hate all men, don’t you, Bunny? Is that why you killed the ambassador?”
“Him! I killed him because he was a pig.” She moved out of sight behind his head. “If you’re curious, I’ll tell you how it happened. Ace and the boys were coming in at ten, see? I was supposed to keep the old guy busy. At nine-fifty he was watching TV, and I came up behind him like this.” Burt felt her fingers stroking his hair. “I rubbed his greasy old bald head, I kissed him like this—” moist lips touched Burt’s forehead “—then I did this—” Burt shivered as she blew in his ear “—then this—” Burt stiffened at the touch of cold metal against his temple. “And I went... BANG!”
Burt jumped. Bunny threw herself on the bed and whooped with laughter.
“You’re as crazy as Rolf,” he said.
She sat up and brushed the hair from her eyes. “Sure. That’s why we make a good team.”
“I’ve seen your type before, Bunny. You hang yourself up with a destructive man knowing damn well that he’ll wind up destroying you, too. What motivates you? You want to die?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but Ace came in and slumped down on the bed. His face was greenish-white. “Jesus!” He shook his head slowly. “I went over there.” He swallowed. “Rolf is talking to the kid like a father. Telling him everything’s gonna be all right, that he’s gonna take care of him. And all the time he’s got this little thin wire, running it through his fingers, and... you know what he’s gonna do?” Apparently Ace had his limits.
Burt felt his stomach twist. When had Godfrey’s guitar strings disappeared? Yesterday afternoon. Then Rolf had planned something like this...
Bunny jumped up and started toward the door. Ace caught her arm and threw her across the bed. “He doesn’t want you.”
Bunny bounced up, her eyes blazing. “Don’t get any macho ideas from last night. I take orders from only one man,”
Ace shrugged. “So go over. But he’ll throw you out He said he wanted to be alone.”
Bunny sighed and lay back on the bed. She looked at the ceiling and sighed. “Men,” she breathed in disgust.
Minutes passed. Ace jumped up and paced the room. He jammed his fist into his palm. “I don’t understand the guy. Why does he drag it out?”
“I told you why,” said Burt.
Ace took a step toward him. “I warned you, fuzz—”
He stopped as the door opened. Rolf walked in with a light step, his eyes bright. He pointed a finger at Ace and jerked his thumb toward the door. “Weight him down and put him in the launch with Charlie. I’ll dump them both at the same time.”
Ace merely stared, and Rolf added: “If you see Hoke, tell him the kid died from loss of blood. He would’ve anyway.”
Ace nodded and went out, walking like a somnambulist. Rolf lowered himself into a chair and closed his eyes; he seemed calm and sated, like a lion who has just devoured a heavy meal.
“The girl is obviously hiding out,” he mused. “She grew up on the island, she could stay hidden for hours. I could bring in one of the others, but that would take time. I’ve got to leave here in an hour.” He stood up and walked to the window. “Those manchineel trees; I’ve heard that their sap does violent things to a man’s eyesight.”
Burt had an idea; he moaned softly. “You... wouldn’t blind a man;”
Rolf looked down at him and scratched his chin. “I wonder if I’ve found another weakness.”
“Going blind is a hard knock for a detective,” said Bunny.
“Hmmm. Yes.” Rolf reached inside his shirt and pulled out a knife. He held it out to Bunny, hilt first “You’ll have to slash the bark to get it.”
Bunny, went out with a flash light and returned five minutes later with a medicine bottle full of milky fluid. They knelt beside Burt, one on each side.
“Hold his left eye open,” said Rolf.
Cool fingers pried his twitching lids apart; Burt looked up into an emerald green eye with an iris splintered with gray. Her pupil was half-dilated, but he knew she wasn’t drugged. She didn’t need drugs...
Rolf held a medicine dropper above his eye. Burt stared at the glistening globule which appeared at its tip, saw it tremble and fall—
Ahhhh!
There was no need to pretend pain. It burned like acid. Burt thought of the old island doctor who’d told him the blindness was temporary, not much worse than poison ivy; he writhed and struggled and recalled that the old doc had been drunk when he said it.
“A last chance, Burt. You can save one eye.” Rolf paused, then: “Okay, Bunny. Hold it, there...”
The pain was worse this time, double. Burt squeezed his eyes shut and stared into a fiery redness like the pit of a volcano. Molten rock spurted up and lashed his brain. Ah, but something else was down there, cool and black. He groped downward with all his being, entered the blackness. Peace. He curled up and went to sleep.
Ten
He awoke in terror. For an instant he thought he really was blind; there was nothing but blackness outside his eyes; it stopped his vision not in front of his eyes but at their surfaces, as though his eyeballs had been painted black. Then he made out the details of the window; just a paler shade of black against the total darkness of the room. He was puzzled. There should have been a sunrise. Then he heard the soft susurration on the thatched roof. It was raining; a heavy, windless rain, as though the clouds were not releasing moisture but rather leaking.