Passage by Night (v5) by Jack Higgins Read Free Book Online Page A

her books on top of each other. 'Who did you say recommended you to come here?'
    'I didn't,' Manning said, 'But since you ask, it was Juan Garcia.'
    Her eyes regarded him unwinkingly. 'I know no one of that name.'
    'Well, how about taking a look into your crystal ball? You might see him skulking around in some dark corner.'
    'I think you'd better leave,' she said calmly.
    'You're making a big mistake.'
    A slight breeze touched the back of his neck and the door creaked. A voice said, 'It is you who has made the mistake, Mr Manning.'
    The man who had advanced into the lamplight was wearing a white linen suit and his face was shaded by a Panama hat. The eyes were cold and hard and as full of menace as the .38 automatic in his right hand.
    'Surprise, surprise,' Manning said softly. 'Juan Garcia, I presume?'
    The other shook his head and for a brief moment, his teeth gleamed whitely. 'I'm afraid not, senor. My name is Pelota. At this very moment, poor Juan is on the high seas bound for Cuba and what he fondly believes to be his just reward for his little exploit on Spanish Cay.' He sighed heavily. 'You have a saying in English. One get's one's reward in heaven.'
    'Is that where Garcia's going to get his?' Manning said.
    Pelota shook his head. 'He will not need to go that far, my friend. We have a little paradise here on earth called the Isle of Tears.'
    Mother Diamond cut in sharply. 'Enough of this nonsense. This man is dangerous. I won't have him in my house. It was not in our agreement.'
    Pelota's eyes flickered towards her angrily and Manning seized the lamp from the table, pulled it from its socket and plunged the room into darkness. As he jumped for the shelter of a horsehair sofa, Pelota fired twice, orange flame momentarily lighting the room.
    Manning scrambled to one knee and Pelota cried, 'Better come out, Manning. You haven't a chance.'
    At that moment, the door was kicked open, a great shaft of light flooding in from the corridor, picking Pelota out of the dark. He turned in alarm. As he started to raise his automatic, a bullet caught him in the centre of the forehead, lifting him back against the old woman.
    As Manning got to his feet, the main light was switched on. Morrison was standing in the doorway, a revolver in one hand, Viner and Joe Howard at his shoulder.

6
The Man from CIA
    When Manning came out of the commissioner's office, he found Seth and Viner sitting on a bench in the waiting room. The black man had a dressing taped to one side of his head and looked strained and ill.
    He forced a smile. 'Everything okay, Harry?'
    Manning nodded. 'How do you feel?'
    'Not too good. Never saw what hit me. Do you think they'll get anything out of him?'
    'Pelota?' Manning shook his head. 'The hospital rang through a few minutes ago. He's dead. The Commissioner and Morrison are discussing it now.'
    'I still haven't been able to work out where Morrison fits into all this,' Viner said. 'Who is he, anyway?'
    'Central Intelligence Agency,' Manning said. 'Apparently they've been expecting trouble in these parts for some time. They sent him down here to see what he could turn up.'
    'I thought there was something special about him when I found him at police headquarters with Joe Howard.' Viner grinned wryly. 'Forgive me, Harry, but it seemed the sensible thing to do with you apparently running headlong into trouble. I hired a launch and followed you over.'
    'Good thing you did,' Manning said. 'That explains my meeting with Morrison on the wharf. Presumably you followed us.'
    Viner nodded. 'All the way. We were in the garden at Mother Diamond's when the shooting started. That's when we broke in.'
    'Now she's a weird old bird if you like,' Manning said. 'Put a curse on me as they took her downstairs.'
    'Did they get anything out of her?'
    'Not a thing. They only used her place as a clearinghouse. She was in it for the money, that's all.'
    At that moment, the door to the Commissioner's office opened and Morrison came out. He