Bahama Crisis

"What can I do for you?" I asked.

"Please sit down."

'95 He took off his cap and laid it on the desk, together with the swagger stick he always carried, and sat in the chair opposite. He regarded me with dark brown eyes set in a dark brown face, and said quietly, "Don't be blat nd with me, Mr. Mangan. You have much to tell me. When a Bahamian of some eminence is kidnapped in Texas and kills two men in the act of escaping it tends to make headlines in the newspapers. You are a man of some notoriety."

I should have expected that but it had not occurred to me. True, Jessie had looked at me with big eyes when I had walked into the office, but I had kept her on the run and we had not had time to be chatty. T must get the clippings for my scrapbook," I said ironically.

"Captain Booth of the Texas State Police telephoned me. He wanted to know about you, naturally enough. Your status in the community, had you a criminal record, and so forth. I gave you a clean bill of health."

"Thanks for the testimonial."

"We also talked about our common problems drug- running, for instance. Texas has a long border with Mexico."

"Do you still think this case has to do with drugs? I'm beginning to wonder about that."

Perigord shrugged.

"I'm keeping an open mind. I read the transcript of the Grand Jury hearing with great interest."

I was surprised.

"You did? That hearing was held in private."

Perigord's lips quirked into a smile.

"Like you, I have friends in Texas. It made… how shall I put it?… empty reading. For example, there was the mysterious Mr. Robinson, your kidnapper, floating about the case with no visible means of support never found. And there was the body ofKayles which, again, has never been found."

"It wouldn't be too hard to make a body vanish in Big Thicket," I said.

"You could toss it into any swamp."

"True, but Captain Booth is moderately unhappy. You see, he only has your word for it that there was a third body or even a Robinson. He couldn't ask Leroy Ainslee because he was inconsiderately killed by a train."

I said, "My wife never saw Kayles, but she did see Robin- son. You must have read her evidence." I took a glossy colour photograph from my desk drawer.

"Meet Mr. Robinson."

Perigord took it from my fingers and examined it critically.

"You did better with Kayles," he said.

"That was a photograph. This is a photograph of a painting." He dropped it on to the desk.

"Not what one would call hard evidence for the existence of Robinson."

"Are you saying you don't believe me or Debbie?" I demanded.

"No but I'm dissatisfied. Like Captain Booth I'm moderately unhappy." He then said what Frank Cunningham had said before Billy hit him, but in a way that robbed it of offence.

"You seem to have problems with your wives, Mr. Mangan. I was very sorry when the first Mrs. Mangan died because I had a regard for her, and I was equally sorry when I heard what had happened to your present wife. I ask myself if these events are related in any way, and if your problems are going to continue. Too much has happened around you in the last year or so." He leaned forward.

"Now let us talk about Robinson."

So we talked about Robinson for a long time. At last I said, "I've been racking my brains to think of what Kayles overheard between me and Sam Ford, and I can't ask Sam." I told him about that, and added pointedly, "And I don't think that was an accident, either."

Perigord looked grave.

"I'll ring Commissioner Deane in Nassau, and we'll have that incident investigated."

"And put a guard on Sam," I said.

He nodded and picked up the picture of Robinson.

"How accurate is this?"

"I really don't know," I said candidly.

"But it's the best Cassie Cunningham and I could do. She said it's difficult for a painter to depict an image in someone else's mind's eye."

"Very well put." Perigord picked up his hat.

"Now, there is just one last matter. You came back from Texas without a passport. Well, that's all right because we know the reason. But you came back with six Americans, two of whom are in i97 your home though not, 1 suspect, as house guests; three are billeted in the Royal Palm Hotel, and the sixth is sitting in your outer office at this moment. We checked their passports very carefully and what did we find on further enquiry? All six are members of the security section of the Cunningham Corporation. Mr. Mangan, if you have fears for your own safety or the safety of your wife you should come to me, and not import a private army."

"My wife is dear to me."

"I understand that." He stood up.

"But I would like to see Mr. Walker now."

I eyed Perigord with respect; he even had the identification down pat. I called in Walker and introduced them. Perigord said, "Mr. Walker, we encourage Americans to come to our island; you are our bread and butter. But we don't like firearms. Are you armed, sir?"

Walker said, "Uh…" He glanced at me.

"Tell him," I said.

"Well… cr… yes, I am."