The Body in the River (24 page)

‘
It
’
s possible but dangerous; there are so many rocks, some below the surface.
’

‘
What about at night, could he come ashore then?
’

Holmes shook his head.
‘
Only in a calm sea and if the people are familiar with these waters; it is very dangerous.
’

Brookes scratched his head.
‘
The moment he lands he may well be in danger anyway; it
’
s imperative that we get to him first. If it were you, where would you come ashore?
’

Holmes thought for a moment then said,
‘
Half Moon Bay, maybe.
’

‘
Show me on the map.
’
He spread the one he
’
d brought on the table.

Holmes pointed to a spot on the south coast, towards the eastern end of the island.
‘
Whilst the rocks are charted, they are still difficult to find. East End lighthouse is just up the coast from there and a good landmark; many smugglers use the spot.
’

‘
How far is that from here?
’

’
Eight or ten miles; no more.
’

‘
Is there anywhere else?
’

‘
Not on the south coast. He could come into North Sound but there are few places to land and the bay is well-populated; people would notice.
’

Brookes nodded.
‘
We should get some warning on the ship
’
s approach to the island; that should tell us if it goes north or south. How many men do you have at your disposal, Chester?
’

‘
A dozen.
’

‘
Are they armed?
’

‘
They will have rifles and revolvers, yes, sir.
’

‘
Good, you must have them standing by from midnight, tonight. How will I contact you?
’

Holmes handed him a business card.
‘
My mobile phone number is on here but I will return here at midnight and stay with you until we catch him.
’

Brookes smiled.
‘
It could be a long night. I think I shall try to get a few hours sleep after lunch. Will you join us for lunch?
’

‘
No, sir, I
’
d better go and get things organised.
’

Brookes and his two sergeants sat down for lunch. As they ate, he brought them up to date with events.

When they
’
d finished eating, he said,
‘
I think we
‘
ll have a busy night tonight so you had better get some sleep.
’

Going to his room, he lay on his bed reading a leaflet about the history of the Cayman Islands.

He read:
“
The Cayman Islands are at the western end of the Greater Antilles, the whole chain created by volcanic activity in the distant past. There are dozens of small islands, some above the surface, and some just below, making the waters surrounding them hazardous to shipping. The three main islands are Grand Cayman (on which they were), Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. The name
‘
Cayman
’
is the old Carib word for crocodile, which abound on the islands. The beaches are also an important breeding ground for turtles.

“
The population of around 47,000 live tax-free thanks to George III. He is said to have granted this freedom as a reward to the islanders for saving his cousin from a shipwreck on the dangerous rocks off Grand Cayman. For many years, the islands were a refuge for pirates and buccaneers. Some were privateers, given licence by their countries of origin to plunder merchant vessels flying enemy flags. Sir Henry Morgan is said to have visited the islands on several occasions.

“
More recently, the tax haven has become the base for some six hundred banks and trust companies. The Caymans were once administered from Jamaica, but when that country obtained its independence, the Caymans chose to remain British. The income from banking and tourism provides employment and security for an otherwise impoverished people and they remain fiercely loyal to the British flag. Those not so employed work in the tourist industry. A few more fish and grow tropical vegetables and fruit that they obtain good prices for from the restaurants and hotels that cater for the rich tourists.

“
There is little crime on the islands and the people have a better standard of living than most of their neighbours. A governor and small garrison of soldiers remain as a reminder of the colony
’
s links with the UK.
”

Having read thus far, Brookes dozed off.

He was awakened some time later by a knocking on the door to his room. It was Holmes; his face bore a worried look instead of his usual smile. Brookes invited him in.

As soon as the door was closed behind him, the islander said,
‘
There is a complication, sir. A white man and three Jamaicans arrived this afternoon on the shuttle from Kingston. They say they are tourists but they were met by another Jamaican who lives here. This man runs a nightclub but we think he may be involved in smuggling; his work permit is under review. They were followed to a bar by one of my plainclothes men. He overheard them asking questions about other visitors.
’

Brookes nodded grimly.
‘
As I thought; they are here to kill Fleming.
’

‘
I could arrest them, sir.
’

‘
On what charge?
’

Holmes smiled.
‘
I
’
m sure I could find something, sir.
’

‘
I understand your legal system is similar to ours?
’

‘
It is based on your system, yes.
’

‘
Then they would be out on bail as soon as their lawyer could get to a judge. That would achieve nothing except alerting them to the fact we know they are here. Besides, there may be more of them. No, put a watch on them; that way we will know if they make a move.
’

*

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly. No more news came through. At seven that evening, Brookes went to the dining room with Middlemiss and Rose. As they ate, he gave them the news that Holmes had brought.

Rose said,
‘
What will the Jamaicans do, sir; surely they won
’
t attack armed police?
’

‘
Don
’
t be naive, Jacqui. With all that money at stake, they
’
ll try something.
’

Rose looked worried.
‘
But we
’
re not armed, sir.
’

‘
No, this is out of our jurisdiction; we have to rely on the local police. But don
’
t you worry, there
’
s no need for you to come with us when we make the arrest.
’

A determined look appeared on her face.
‘
I
’
ve come all this way, sir, I wouldn
’
t miss that for the world.
’

Middlemiss smiled.
‘
That
’
s my girl, Jacqui, don
’
t let them frighten you.
’

Brookes gave him an angry look.
‘
This is not a game, Fred; we
’
re not here to prove how brave we are.
’
Then to Rose he added,
‘
OK, Jacqui, if you
’
re so determined, you can come with us, but be very careful and stay by my side.
’

A few moments later, a shadow fell across the table. Looking up, Brookes saw a man of medium height and build. He was in his forties, and had neatly cut dark hair and a deep tan. He was casually dressed in an open-neck white shirt and fawn chinos. Even so, he gave the appearance of smartness.

He spoke.
‘
Good evening, Superintendent, my name is Clark; I understand you are expecting me?
’

Brookes rose and held out his hand.
‘
Yes, Mr Clark, please join us.
’

Clark pulled up a chair to the table and sat. Glancing briefly at Middlemiss and Rose, he said to Brookes,
‘
Can I speak freely?
’

‘
Yes, these are my two sergeants.
’

Clark gave them a smile, then his eyes returned to Brookes.
‘
I have some news for you. Yesterday the SS Bella Marie docked briefly in Haiti to discharge cargo. The customs official who boarded her checked the manifest. According to it, the ship carried no other cargo but had one passenger; a man travelling under the name of Wilson
–
your man, I believe.
’

Brookes nodded.

‘
That is the good news. The bad news is that the customs official who gave us the information, at a price of course, told us that he had already been approached by others to whom he gave the same information. The ship left the port without incident, presumably with its passenger still on board. I would suggest this means that the gang know that your fugitive is heading this way.
’

‘
Yes, Inspector Holmes says that there is a white man and three Jamaicans already here on Grand Cayman asking questions.
’

Clark nodded.
‘
Things are moving quickly, Superintendent. My contact in Jamaica tells me that your fugitive
’
s father had been killed, no doubt by Silver
’
s men seeking information. We must assume they got it. Normally, visiting criminals are discreet when they come here; these however are quite insistent and are spending lots of money asking questions.
’

Brookes frowned.
‘
But it doesn
’
t matter what they ask; no-one but the police and us know that Fleming may come here.
’

‘
You misunderstand me, Superintendent; they were not asking about Fleming, they were asking about you. The only thing missing about your arrival was a fanfare of trumpets. It is already common knowledge that a team of London detectives are here. It wouldn
’
t take a genius to work out why.
’

Brookes looked angry. But he didn
’
t respond; it was pointless telling this man whose fault that was.

Instead he said,
‘
What do you suggest?
’

‘
I suggest that you arrest Fleming the moment he steps ashore. He will not be safe walking about on the island.
’

‘
I already have that in hand. Once we know where he is coming ashore, we will set up our welcome committee. Holmes is providing us with an armed escort.
’

‘
Good; my latest information is the good ship Bella Marie should make landfall sometime in the early hours of the morning. However, the banks here don
’
t open until nine am I suspect he will remain on board until the last moment, then make a dash for it.
’

‘
That makes sense.
’

‘
And what, may I ask, will you do with the man whilst you arrange for his extradition?
’

‘
A police cell here in Georgetown.
’

Clark pulled a face.
‘
Clearly you are not familiar with this part of the world, Superintendent. The Cayman Islands are peaceful. Visitors are welcome but only as tourists. Residence permits are hard to come by. As a result, we can keep the riff-raff out; the small population are law-abiding and the police force not experienced in dealing with violent, determined criminals such as this Jamaican gang. They are certainly not equipped to withstand a siege. Once you have your man in custody, you must inform me and I will find you some help. Here is my card; you may contact me by telephone at any time. Good luck, Superintendent, and tread carefully.
’

He got up and left without waiting for a reply.

There was complete silence for a moment, finally broken by Middlemiss,
‘
Kin
‘
ell, boss; who was that, James Bond?
’