"That's the reason why your State Police have come up with nothing. I don't think Robinson is in Texas, or even in the United States. I think he's in the Bahamas. That's where I'm going to look for him, anyway. I'm leaving tomorrow with Debbie."

"With Debbie?" said Frank.

"Wouldn't it be better if she stays here?"

I said deliberately, "We've had enough of separate lives both of us."

I turned to Jim.

"But I'd like a twenty-four-hour bodyguard on her until this thing is settled. Can you arrange that?"

"Sure, no problem. We have some dandy bodyguards Treasury-trained."

I did not see the point of that remark.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Billy said, "The Department of the Treasury bodyguards the President of the United States. Those guys are very good." He smiled.

"We get to hire them because we pay better than the Treasury. But I've had an idea, Tom. I know you did a photo fit of Robinson for the cops, but they've gotten no place with it. I have a kissing cousin who is a pretty fair portrait painter. Maybe she can produce something better."

So it was that I was introduced to Cassie Cunningham, aged about twenty-five and unmarried, who came armed with a sketching block, pencils and water colours. She was quite a good portraitist and, after a few false starts, I began to feel hopeful of success. When we had done Robinson for good measure I asked Cassie to do another of the fake doctor who had whipped me from the lobby of the Cunningham Building.

The next day we flew to Freeport in the Cunningham Corporation Jet Star Apart from Debbie and myself there were six large men with bulges under their arms.

"Six!" I said to Jim Cunningham.

"I'm not going to start a bloody war."

"Billy thought you ought to have a bodyguard, too. Anyway, allocate them as you choose."

After thinking that one over I thought that Billy could very well be right.

"One thing," I said.

"They're not employed by me. The Bahamian Government is very strict about firearms, and if these men are caught they're on their own."

So we went home and I installed Debbie back in the house, with Kitty Symonette as attendant and companion. After making arrangements to bring Karen back from Abaco I went to see how the Theta Corporation had fared in my enforced absence. But it was just going to be a quick look because I was not going to leave Debbie for long. I had learned that lesson well.

^3 The boss of the body guarding team was Steve Walker and he went with me to the office. I introduced him to Jessie in the outer office, then we went into my own. Walker looked around.

"Two doors," he commented.

"Where does that one lead?"

"To the corridor."

The key was in the lock so he turned it, locking the door.

"I'd rather you use just the one door," he said.

"Can I have a desk in the corner of your secretary's office?"

"Sure. I'll have Jessie set it up." So I did, much to her mystification, and when Walker had settled down I sat behind my own desk to do some heavy thinking.

I went over everything Robinson had said and latched on to something.

He had said that Kayles had reported that I knew all about his plans, whatever they were, and that I had not told Kayles directly, but that Kayles had overheard a conversation between me and Sam Ford.

I thought back to the affray on My Fair Lady. Kayles could have listened when Sam and I were talking in the cockpit, but we had not talked about any mysterious plans, only about how to get Kayles back to Duncan Town. Anyway, Kayles would have been too busy cutting himself free and grabbing his gun to listen to us.

The only other time he could have listened to Sam and me was when he was tied up on the bunk. I vaguely remembered that I had a notion he had been feigning unconsciousness at the time, so what had I said to Sam about anyone's plans? I remembered I had been a bit irritable and had blown my top about something, but what it was I could not remember a lot had happened since then. But perhaps Sam would know.

I snapped on the intercom.

"Jessie, get Sam Ford on the telephone. I don't know where he'll be; you'll have to track him down."

"But didn't you know?" she said.

"Know what?"

"He's in hospital in Nassau. A boat fell on him."

"Come in here and tell me more."

It appeared that Sam had been supervising the removal of a yacht from the water. Half-way up the slip it had fallen sideways from the cradle, and Sam happened to be in the way. It was a ten-ton ketch.

"He's in the intensive care unit of the Princess Margaret Hospital," said Jessie.

"He was still in a coma the last I heard."

"When did this happen?"

"About a week ago."

I was filled with a cold rage. If Robi nson had tried to kill me because of what Kayles overheard he would certainly not leave out Sam. This was as much of an ordinary accident as the disappearance of Bill Pinder. I said, "Ask Mr. Walker to come in."

Jessie stood up, then hesitated.

"Who is he?" she asked.

"He's just sitting there reading magazines. And he asked me to give him a signal if a stranger comes in."

"Don't worry about him, but do as he says. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about him to anyone."

All the same she looked a bit worried as she left. When Walker came in I said, "We have another bodyguard job," and filled in the details.

"I don't want anyone getting to Sam."

Walker tugged his ear.

"That might be tricky. Do we get the cooperation of the hospital?"

"I'll see what I can do about that. In the meantime have a couple of your men on alert, ready to fly to Nassau."

He nodded and left, and I was about to ask Jessie to put me through to the hospital in Nassau when she buzzed me.

"Commissioner Perigord to see you."

I had been expecting Perigord but not as soon as this. He was quick off the mark.

"Send him in."

Perigord came in, as trim and elegant as ever in his well-cut uniform.

"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.